Orlando breaks ground on Tinker Field history plaza

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By Jason Kelly

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando city commissioners broke ground Monday on a history plaza at historic Tinker Field.

[ Baseball greats Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson once ran the bases at the century-old ballpark, and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once fired up a crowd of thousands speaking from the pitcher's mound. ]

[ Read: Fans buy seats of historic Tinker Field stadium ]

The new plaza will feature a historic timeline and plaques that highlight the venue's contribution toward baseball and civil rights history.

[ Read: Orlando City Council votes to demolish Tinker Field grandstands ]

[ In March 2015, commissioners voted to raze the ballpark's grandstands. They were demolished less than two months later. ]

[ Watch: Man's emotional plea to save Tinker Field ]

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[ Read: Plan to demolish Tinker Field grandstands upsets civil rights group ]

"I remember bringing my children when they were younger to see the Minnesota Twins," Orlando resident Shirley Bradley said. "The city always provided, in the summertime, games free of charge. All you had to do was come and bring your children to the baseball games."

[ Read: Tinker Field grandstands to be demolished ]

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[ Read: Momentum building in effort to save Tinker Field from demolition ]

The facility will also feature monuments honoring King and baseball Hall of Famer Clark Griffith, refurbished stadium seats, a gateway entrance, a replica covered pavilion and vintage-style lighting.

The field was designated a historic landmark in 2015.