MLB at Rickwood Field: What to know about the Giants-Cardinals game at a historic venue

Rickwood Field, the oldest professional stadium in the United States, will host an MLB game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night.

The stadium, opened in 1910, is located in Birmingham, Alabama, and is on the US National Register of Historic Places.

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Painted Rickwood Field Championship flags are seen on Monday, June 10, 2024, in Birmingham, Alabama. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

It was host to the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues, as well as the Birmingham Barons and Birmingham A's of the minor leagues. The Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates used the stadium as a spring training site in the early 20th century.

Baseball Hall of Famers Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner were among the legends that emerged. However, for many, fans were able to see the talent of the Negro Leagues, including Willie Mays, who started with the Black Barons at the age of 17.

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A manual scoreboard is seen at Rickwood Field on Monday, June 10, 2024 in Birmingham, Alabama. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Mays, who died this week at age 93, told the San Francisco Chronicle that playing in the majors wasn't something he thought he could achieve, at least not until Jackie Robinson first broke baseball's color barrier. and Larry Doby followed him in the race. American League.

Mays started with the New York Giants in 1951 and was the Rookie of the Year.

“The older ones? I didn't dream of the impossible,” he told the newspaper before his death. “I was taught to see your goal in your mind and work towards it. I could work my way to Rickwood Field and the Birmingham Black Barons. I didn't need to dream about it. For that, I needed to work hard. So And I did. Rickwood became in my training camp.”

A mural of Willie Mays is displayed in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. The mural was created by artist Chuck Styles and celebrates Mays' contributions to baseball, honoring the veteran Giants center fielder who died. (AP Photo/Alanis Thames)

Thursday night's game was scheduled to honor Mays, who announced before his death that he would not be able to travel to Alabama.

“All of Major League Baseball is in mourning today as we gather in the same ballpark where he began a career and legacy like no other,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Willie Mays brought his all-around brilliance from the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League to the historic Giants franchise. From coast to coast in New York and San Francisco, Willie inspired generations of players and fans as the game was growing and really gaining its place as our National Pastime.”

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Baseball memorabilia is displayed in a store near Rickwood Field on Monday, June 10, 2024 in Birmingham, Alabama. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Rickwood Field was also noted for its role in American civil rights history.

It was one of the sites of voting rights marches and boycotts, but in the end there were brutal beatings, civil unrest, and bombings.

“It was a place where horror was allowed to pause for nine innings,” comedian Roy Wood Jr. told The Associated Press. “…Rickwood was never going to solve black people's problems, but it represented a place where black people didn't have to think about them for a few hours.”

Rickwood head groundskeeper Jabreil Weir helped MLB prepare the facility to host a game.

Some of the renovations included a new drainage system and backup network.

“Who would have thought MLB would come to Birmingham, Alabama?” Weir told The Associated Press. “Who ever thought I would be in the position I am to be a part of this event? These are moments you dream about.”

Old Birmingham Barons baseball team uniforms and gloves are displayed in a store near Rickwood Field on Monday, June 10, 2024 in Birmingham, Alabama. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

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