Huge Rickwood Field News

[aubiefifty 16,791]

al.com

Goodman: A-list celebs and major news linked to MLB at Rickwood

Updated: Jan. 29, 2024, 1:37 p.m.|Published: Jan. 29, 2024, 7:10 a.m.

7–8 minutes

This is an opinion column.

______________________

The latest development around MLB’s game at Rickwood Field is that major sports figures are expected to help the city celebrate its historic event.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Colorado football coach Deion Sanders and home run king Barry Bonds, the godson of Willie Mays, are some of the names being attached to the three-day party of baseball and Birmingham, according to Friends of Rickwood president Gerald Watkins. More A-listers will be added to the list as the date approaches. From the sound of it, MLB’s celebration of the Negro Leagues and Black baseball around Juneteenth is getting so big that even celebrities might have trouble finding a ticket to the game.

The San Francisco Giants are playing the St. Louis Cardinals at Birmingham’s Rickwood Field on Thursday, June 20. The game is being called MLB at Rickwood Field: A tribute to the Negro Leagues. From an event standpoint, I’m told that Major League Baseball is treating it like the MLB All-Star Game. The Rickwood Classic featuring the Birmingham Barons will be at Rickwood on Tuesday, June 18. On June 19, a celebrity softball game featuring stars like Mahomes, Coach Prime and Bonds will be hosted by MLB. It’s all build-up for the game between the Giants and the Cardinals.

The Giants will wear San Francisco Sea Lions uniforms and the Cardinals will wear St. Louis Stars unis. The Sea Lions played in the West Coast Negro Baseball League in 1946. The Stars played in the Negro National League from 1920 to 1931. The Birmingham Black Barons, Willie Mays’ team, will be incorporated throughout the multi-day event. The Black Barons operated from 1920 to 1960 and played in the Negro National League, Negro Southern League and, finally, the Negro American League.

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MLB is expecting MLB at Rickwood Field to be a major television event. I’m told that the projected TV ratings are higher than any other regular-season game and most of the playoffs. The Negro Leagues deserves that spotlight, and I couldn’t be more excited for the city to host such a groundbreaking endeavor for Major League Baseball.

The Black Barons’ old home is getting a massive upgrade for the game. The playing surface, dugouts and outfield wall at Rickwood are currently under construction. Two feet of dirt was removed from the entire field to build a MLB-grade baseball diamond. Dugouts have been extended by 70 feet. The city’s price tag, I’m told, is up to $6 million due to cost overruns.

It’s all worth it and then some. MLB at Rickwood will be the biggest sporting event in Birmingham since Olympic soccer sold out Legion Field in 1996. The importance of the game will far exceed the Olympics, though, and could have a long-term impact for the city similar to the Iron Bowl and Magic City Classic.

Birmingham might never have another major league baseball team, but it could host a game for Major League Baseball annually if the city and its advocates continue working together in support of MLB at Rickwood Field. MLB isn’t making any promises, but has indicated to those close to the project that if the stadium and field are maintained throughout the year that MLB at Rickwood could become a new tradition for the game of baseball.

Good news, the city and its friends are getting things right and momentum is building around a touchstone event for Major League Baseball that promotes Birmingham, the history of the Negro Leagues and, hopefully, a renaissance of Black baseball in America. It only makes sense to play the game every year. Rickwood is the oldest professional ballpark in the country and Birmingham is the celebrated epicenter of the Civil Rights movement.

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People say that Birmingham was never a major league pro town. That’s not true. Birmingham was a major league pro town thanks to the Birmingham Black Barons. The city’s history of Black baseball is rich and inspiring and has an important story to tell. With the right vision, this new partnership between Rickwood and Major League Baseball has the potential to permanently elevate Birmingham’s status and unlock new growth.

I’m told that things are developing quickly around the game and changing daily. Tickets are going to be based on a lottery, but it’s unclear how many of the 8,500 seats are actually going to be available to the public. My guess is not many. MLB at Rickwood is going to be a star-studded event for Birmingham like the city has never seen.

Everyone in the city or anyone who cares about the future of Birmingham needs to understand what’s at stake here and what this moment means. Simply put, this is a once in forever opportunity for Birmingham to impress MLB so thoroughly that the officials who are taking a chance on the city want to come back every year.

The city cannot afford to mess this up like it did the last time MLB tried to create a footprint in town. We all remember bitterly what happened between the city council and MLB when MLB officials wanted to build a training center for children at George Ward Park. The city council ruined the deal when it caved to a misinformed voter coalition led by out-of-loop frisbee golfers.

If it sounds insanely awful and ridiculous that’s because it was. Most of those frisbee-golf freeloaders didn’t even live in the city either.

MLB at Rickwood is turning into a signature moment of celebration for Black history on a national scale. It’s time for Birmingham to deliver a massive win, shake off its inferiority complex, squash the small-town politics and become a major league town once again.

SOUND OFF

Got a question about MLB at Rickwood, college football, basketball or sports in general? Want to get something off your chest? Send Joe a question about what’s on your mind for his Friday mailbag. Ask him anything.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the signature book about Nick Saban’s reign at Alabama, “We Want Bama”. It’s a love story about wild times, togetherness and rum.

[Mikey 16,598]

About 30 years ago I bought a complete set of Negro League baseball cards. They look like traditional sports cards with a picture on the front and a bio on the back. Of course the pictures are all black & white. Very interesting to read all of that information. I don't think they are worth much money as baseball cards go, they were printed around 1991.

[aubiefifty 16,791]

30 minutes ago, Mikey said:

About 30 years ago I bought a complete set of Negro League baseball cards. They look like traditional sports cards with a picture on the front and a bio on the back. Of course the pictures are all black & white. Very interesting to read all of that information. I don't think they are worth much money as baseball cards go, they were printed around 1991.

i had an old Birmingham Barons jersey many years ago. i had a chance to get a satchel page baseball card at a decent price and it sold while i was trying to make my mind up.

[gr82be 14,424]

I have some good memories of Rickwood field. My dad took me to games there when I was a kid. Then I got to see Birmingham play the Memphis Chicks when Bo was with them. He turned a single into a double just because he could while the right fielder thought he was just another baseball player. He nonchalantly played the ball and Bo had second base in his mind from the start. One of my best memories is when me, my dad and my son were able to go together to a Rickwood Classic game where they wore throwback uniforms. The ballpark is one of the best sensations you can have at a sporting event. The covered grandstand seating is awesome in the heat of the summer. It still hot but at least you aren’t getting blistered by the sun. You can almost sense the ghosts of baseball past there. I would love to be able to attend the game this year but it I’ll be a tough and expensive ticket to get. 

Edited January 31 by gr82be

[WarTim 3,456]

Saw my first concert at Rickwood I ‘74. KISS 

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

One of the few road games I got to travel and dress for in my Freshman season, 1984 Lions Eye Classic versus Alabama at Rickwood.  I think we played at UAB the next day.  For a kid who went to high school in B'ham it was quite a thrill.  I found out Coach Nix was a big Lloyd's Restaurant fan on that trip.

Edited January 31 by PowerOfDixieland

[Mikey 16,598]

I saw several future stars there when the Barons were an A's farm team. Reggie Jackson, Bert Campaneris, Joe Rudi, John "Blue Moon" Odom and Rollie Fingers later provided the much of core of the A's championship teams of the early 1970's.

[LPTiger 5,159]

The only player from the SEC to make it into Canton needs to be there.

 

[woodford 3,655]

Is this the first MLB game played in the state of Alabama?

 

I’ve always said the Braves should play their 1-2 exhibition games right before the season in places like Birmingham, Charlotte, Nashville, Jackson, etc for marketing purposes. 

[jj3jordan 2,052]

I saw the same lineup of future A’s as you did Mikey.

One of my biggest thrills was in spring ‘73 I got to pitch for Woodlawn against Ensley at Rickwood.  Left after five tied 1-1 against all state pitcher Bobby Statum. He was awesome. I was..not. We ended up losing by a couple of runs but the experience was great.  Rickwood is a great venue and I’m happy to see it continue.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

1 hour ago, jj3jordan said:

Left after five tied 1-1 against all state pitcher Bobby Statum. He was awesome. I was..not.

Sounds like you rose to the occasion on that day.

[Mr Bad Example 126]

July 4 '75  Skynyrd...Montrose...Goose Creek... Fab. Soul Machine  July 16 '76 Skynyrd ...Johnny & Edgar Winter....Outlaws  July 23 '76 Kiss...Kansas ...Bob Seager 

[tomcat 569]

So many memories in this place…saw all of the great A’s players. Saw Reggie hit a game winning Grand Slam OVER the right center field light tower in the bottom of the 9th. Saw Bo hit a line drive home run to left that got outta the park in a second. Great memories….also managed to dodge a liner into the stands behind the dugout…while not spilling any of the two beers and 3 hotdogs I was carrying!