Brandon family turns MLB All-Star Game into annual tradition

BRANDON, Fla. - Take one step into the Pierce household in Brandon and you will be transported into a museum that rivals even the Baseball Hall of Fame.

On bookshelves and cupboards surrounding the room, you'll find endless rows of autographed baseballs, bats and memorabilia from some of the game's greatest.

"Baseball is my first love, so this started in middle school for me," said Stephanie Pierce.

Over the last two decades, Stephanie and her husband Ron have added to their collection piece by piece.

"We're married because we're sports fanatics," says Ron. "People walk into our house and say, 'How does your wife let you decorate your house like this?' They don't understand some of this is hers."

Among the rows and shelves of baseballs and picture frames are dates that mark the years and passing of time. Each date, however, corresponds to a unique Pierce family tradition.

"People are shocked. They ask, 'You do this every year?'" said Stephanie.

Like most families, Stephanie and Ron Pierce take a summer vacation with their son, Andrew. Only their vacations take a different turn every year.

"Some people plan a camping trip every year as their summer vacation. Some people go to national parks," Stephanie said. "We just happen to center our family vacation around the All-Star Game."

Attending their first MLB All-Star Game together back in 2005, the Pierce family didn't mean to make it an annual tradition, but have now been to 17 of the last 19 Mid-Summer Classics.

"Once we did 2007, 2008, and 2009, it just became that our normal summer vacation revolved around the All-Star Game," Ron said.

Along the way, they weren't shy about collecting their fair share of memorabilia. Stephanie numbers their catalog of baseballs at more than 700 now.

The real collection, however, is the memories the Pierces have made together each summer.

"Every year has a different memory tied to it, whether it is during the game, after the game, whatever," said Stephanie. "If you asked us to go back and name our favorite thing, all of them would be my favorite thing."

And while the real estate on their memorabilia shelves grows scarcer over the years, their unique family tradition isn't one the Pierces plan to stop any time soon. 

SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS