Cardinals, Giants to play at oldest professional ballpark in ’24
Major League Baseball on Tuesday introduced that Rickwood Field, the oldest skilled ballpark within the United States and former residence of the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues, would be the web site of a particular regular-season contest between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants on June 20, 2024. This expertise, scheduled round Juneteenth subsequent 12 months, will embrace a wide range of actions as a tribute to the Negro Leagues and its best residing participant — Hall of Famer, Giants Legend, Birmingham native and Birmingham Black Barons participant Willie Mays. FOX will present unique nationwide protection of the sport between the Cardinals and Giants on Thursday, June 20, 2024, airing at 7 p.m. (ET)/6 p.m. (CT).
“We are proud to bring Major League Baseball to historic Rickwood Field in 2024,” stated Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “This opportunity to pay tribute to the Negro Leagues as the Giants and Cardinals play a regular season game at this iconic location is a great honor. The legacy of the Negro Leagues and 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.”
“I can’t consider it. I by no means thought I’d see in my lifetime a Major League Baseball sport being performed on the very discipline the place I performed baseball as a youngster. It has been 75 years since I performed for the Birmingham Black Barons at Rickwood Field, and to be taught that my Giants and the Cardinals will play a sport there and honor the legacy of the Negro Leagues and all those that got here earlier than them is actually emotional for me. We can’t overlook what obtained us right here and that was the Negro Leagues for thus many people,” stated Willie Mays.
“Preserving the legacy of the Negro Leagues is vital to growing baseball’s diversity and popularity,” stated MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark. “Willie Mays, like so many different Negro Leaguers, broke down limitations and paved the best way for these of us who dreamt of enjoying baseball on the highest degree. This occasion helps to hyperlink the previous, current and future and helps additional the reason for attracting a brand new era of gamers to our sport.’’
MLB will collaborate with the Friends of Rickwood and City of Birmingham to renovate Rickwood Field for 2024, reworking the National Historic Site with the intention to host a Major League sport. Additionally, Rickwood Field will host a Minor League contest between the Birmingham Barons and the Montgomery Biscuits on June 18, 2024. The Barons referred to as Rickwood Field residence throughout three completely different time intervals (1910-1961, 1964-1965, 1981-1987). Each 12 months, the Barons play one sport at Rickwood Field in tribute to the group’s historical past there. Additional actions surrounding the video games at Rickwood Field might be introduced at a later date.
The Major League contest might be a house sport for the Cardinals. On-field personnel for each groups will put on interval uniforms highlighting the Negro Leagues histories of each St. Louis and San Francisco.
The historical past of Rickwood Field is unmatched, with a few of the sport’s best gamers stepping foot on its hallowed grounds. These gamers included Mays, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Cool Papa Bell, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Oscar Charleston, Roberto Clemente, Joe DiMaggio, Larry Doby, Rube Foster, Lou Gehrig, Josh Gibson, Monte Irvin, Reggie Jackson, Buck Leonard, Biz Mackey, Mickey Mantle, Connie Morgan, Stan Musial, Satchel Paige, Frank Robinson, Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Duke Snider, Toni Stone, Cristobal Torriente, Honus Wagner, Willie Wells, and a lot extra. Rickwood Field is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues referred to as Rickwood Field residence from 1924 via 1960. As a youngster, Mays started his skilled profession with the Black Barons in 1948. He performed with them earlier than starting his legendary MLB profession as a member of the New York Giants in 1951. Rickwood Field was the location of the ultimate Negro League World Series sport in October 1948, which noticed Mays’ Black Barons falling to the Homestead Grays in 5 video games.
