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June 20 (UPI) – Willie Mays, the iconic baseball player, has been deeply affected by the news of a special event game scheduled for 2024. The game will feature the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants, and will take place at Rickwood Field in Montgomery, Alabama.
MLB recently confirmed that the game will be held at 7 p.m. EDT on the evening of June 20, making history as the first Major League Baseball game to be played at the oldest professional ballpark in the United States.
The Cardinals and Giants will pay tribute to the history of the Negro Leagues in their respective cities by wearing retro uniforms for the game.
“I can’t believe it,” Mays expressed in a news release. “I never imagined that in my lifetime I would witness a Major League Baseball game being played on the very field where I used to play as a teenager.”
“It has been 75 years since I played for the Birmingham Black Barons at Rickwood Field, and the fact that my Giants and the Cardinals will compete there, while also honoring the legacy of the Negro Leagues and all those who paved the way, brings about a flood of emotions for me.”
“We must never forget what brought us here, and for many of us, that was the Negro Leagues,” he added.
MLB has announced that the 2024 event will be broadcast on Fox and will include various tributes to the Negro Leagues and Willie Mays. The league will collaborate with the Friends of Rickwood and the city of Birmingham to renovate the field, transforming it to host a big-league game.
In addition to the special event game, Rickwood Field, which was built in 1910, will also host a Minor League Baseball game on June 18 between the Birmingham Barons and Montgomery Biscuits.
“We are truly proud to bring Major League Baseball to the historic Rickwood Field in 2024,” stated MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.
“It is a great honor to pay tribute to the Negro Leagues as the Cardinals and Giants go head to head in a regular season game at this iconic location. The legacy of the Negro Leagues, as well as the remarkable career of its greatest living player, Willie Mays, is one of excellence and perseverance. We look forward to sharing the stories of the Negro Leagues throughout this event next year,” he continued.
Furthermore, the Black Barons, who played at Rickwood Field from 1924 to 1960, holds a significant place in history. Mays, who joined the team in 1948, made his debut for the New York Giants in 1951.
Throughout his career, Mays achieved numerous accolades, including Rookie of the Year, 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove winner, and two-time MVP. He remained an active player until the 1973 season.
Other legendary baseball figures such as Satchel Paige, Babe Ruth, ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, and Stan Musial have also graced the fields of Rickwood Field.
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