EDINBURG – A local collector is considered the expert on Rio Grande Valley baseball history.

Rene Torres started his collection of baseball items when he picked up the newspaper and it had a story of a semi-pro team from California.

 “I said we have so many stories. So much history about baseball that somebody should be writing and collecting memorabilia from our own backyard,” said Torres.

Now his collection and research are extensive and are included in a special exhibit by the Smithsonian Museum’s “How Sports Shape America”.

It’s at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley campus in Edinburg and it’s called “Hometown Teams,” a traveling exhibit highlighting the power of local sports from around the country.

The exhibit will be up only through Friday, Aug. 24.

Watch the video above for the full segment of Con Mi Gente.