![As a manager, Lou Piniella had happier times than he did with his hometown Devil Rays. [Times files]](https://www.tampabay.com/resizer/HPvT1NlrYKTdfq2RyTt_9M9cIkU=/2280x1282/smart/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/BLYPZ4HCVZAJHD3LATI77XK5OU.jpg)
Tampa-born Lou Piniella, the long-time big-league player and manager, will be the honorary host for the third annual Homeruns & History event Saturday at Ybor City’s Centennial Park.
The free event, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., is designed to celebrate Tampa Bay’s baseball history and raise funds and awareness for the Tampa Baseball Museum at the Al Lopez House.
Piniella and former big-leaguers Orestes Destrade, Dick Drago and Jason Michaels will be among those signing autographs. There also will be a Q&A panel with high school coaches, kids games and appearances by area team mascots and street teams, with the Rays the title sponsor. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor will throw out the first pitch.
There also is a private VIP event with Piniella, Destrade, Michaels and others at the Lopez house from 12:30-1:30 p.m. for a $50 donation.
The museum is seeking to raise at least $100,000 to complete its initial capital campaign, targeting an opening by the end of the year.
For more information, see bit.ly/HOMERUNS2020.
![Marc Topkin - Rays Reporter](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 50 50"/%3E "Marc Topkin - Rays Reporter")
![Tampa-based sports agent B.B. Abbott, left, successfully climbs Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for pediatric cancer charities. He is pictured with friends Dustin Bertram, middle, and Pete Hendricks, who made the climb with him.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 9"/%3E "Tampa-based sports agent B.B. Abbott, left, successfully climbs Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for pediatric cancer charities. He is pictured with friends Dustin Bertram, middle, and Pete Hendricks, who made the climb with him.")