Ajay Stone strolled around historic Rickwood Field, his eyes drawn to tributes honoring Willie Mays and other legendary Negro Leaguers. Stone clutched a cherished memento: a photograph from 2004 depicting Mays holding Stone's then-10-month-old daughter Haley, who was dressed in San Francisco Giants gear. In Mays' hand was a chunk of a chocolate chip cookie he was offering to Haley.
Stone and his wife, Christina, had journeyed from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Birmingham, Alabama, for a moment they deemed unforgettable. It was just hours before Rickwood Field would host its first Major League Baseball game between the Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals, an event aptly named "A Tribute to the Negro Leagues." The game was intended to honor the lasting legacies of Mays and other Black icons who profoundly impacted the sport.
Tributes and Tears: Honoring Willie Mays
MLB planned a week of activities dedicated to Mays and the Negro Leagues, including the unveiling of a Willie Mays mural in downtown Birmingham on Wednesday. The tributes took on a more poignant significance when, on Tuesday, news broke that Mays had died at the age of 93. As word of his passing spread throughout Birmingham, the celebrations of his life intensified.
The atmosphere at Rickwood Field was electric even before fans reached the ballpark. The rhythmic thumping of a drum echoed from inside, mingling with the excited murmurs of attendees and sporadic bursts of laughter, hinting at the grandeur of the event. Inside the ballpark, history came alive through photos and artifacts showcasing baseball Hall of Famers like Jackie Robinson, Josh Gibson, and Satchel Paige, all of whom played at the 114-year-old venue. The original clubhouse of the Birmingham Black Barons, where Mays commenced his professional career in 1948, had its doors open. A memorial for Mays occupied a place of honor, featuring bobbleheads, a signed glove, and jerseys from his time with the Black Barons and the San Francisco Giants.
Fans Relive History
Outside, fans stood in line to hold a baseball bat used by Mays in 1959 and photographed themselves inside an original 1947 bus, typically used for barnstorming tours by Negro League teams. The crowd danced to live music and savored food from concession stands with menu boards styled to resemble the 1940s.
Eddie Torres and his son Junior, lifelong Giants fans from California, wore matching Giants jerseys as they posed for pictures inside the ballpark. Musical artist Jon Batiste added to the festive atmosphere, strumming a guitar and dancing on a wooden stage near home plate just before the first pitch. Fans stood and cheered as former Negro Leaguers were assisted onto the field for a pregame ceremony. Cries of "Willie! Willie!" erupted after a brief moment of silence, underscoring the emotional weight of the occasion.
Echoes of the Past
Michael Jackson, who sat in the stands at Rickwood Field, reminisced about his past. Jackson had played baseball in the 1970s and 80s with the East Thomas Eagles of the Birmingham Industrial League. His baseball journey brought him to Rickwood Field many times, and he expressed excitement that the historic ballpark still stood.
"It's nice seeing them re-do all of this instead of tearing it down," Jackson said. "We played in the same ballpark they named after Willie Mays out in Fairfield, Alabama. I had my times out here playing at this ballpark. It's all very exciting."
Memories and Reflections
Ajay Stone reflected warmly on his memories with Mays. "Willie gave her that cookie. She had no teeth. But we took the cookie and kept it in her stroller for a year and a half. The great Willie Mays gave it to her, so it was special to us," he said. Another fan remarked, "I never even got to see Willie Mays play, but as a Giants fan, you knew what he meant to the game of baseball."
"The legacy of Willie Mays transcends generations," Eddie Torres noted. "My son, he's only 11. Willie Mays had such an effect on the game that even he knew who Willie Mays was," Torres added.
As the game commenced and the crowd roared, it became evident that for that evening, Rickwood Field was more than just a ballpark. It was a living museum, a time capsule preserving the essence of a bygone era while celebrating the life and legacy of one of baseball's greatest icons, Willie Mays.