Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, served as the home stadium for the Birmingham Black Barons, a former team in the Negro League that included baseball legend Willie Mays from the San Francisco Giants. The photograph of the stadium is provided by the George F. Landegger Collection of Alabama Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, available in the Library of Congress.
June 14 (UPI) — According to a baseball source, the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals will participate in a special MLB game at the historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2024.
Constructed in 1910, Rickwood Field is recognized as the oldest baseball park in the United States, as confirmed by the National Park Service. It served as the original home of the Birmingham Black Barons and is one of the only two remaining Negro League stadiums.
Recent special event games organized by MLB include the Field of Dreams Game, featuring matchups between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs in 2022, as well as the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox in 2021.
These games were held on the original set of the 1989 film, located in Dyersville, Iowa, amidst a picturesque cornfield. The Field of Dreams facility was not used this season due to ongoing construction at the site.
Notably, Willie Mays, a renowned player of the San Francisco Giants, played for the Birmingham Black Barons at Rickwood Field in 1948. He later joined the New York Giants in 1951, leaving behind his tenure in the Negro American League.
Throughout his career, Mays achieved remarkable feats, including Rookie of the Year, 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove winner, two-time MVP, and induction into the Hall of Fame. His legacy extends up until the conclusion of the 1973 season.
Rickwood Field holds a special place in baseball history, hosting legendary players such as Satchel Paige, Babe Ruth, ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, and Stan Musial. The stadium previously underwent closure for structural repairs but has now reopened.
In addition to Rickwood Field, another original Negro League stadium, Hinchcliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey, recently reopened following a $103 million renovation over two years. Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh expressed the city’s interest in bringing an MLB special events game to this historic venue, which was established in 1932.
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