Ajay Stone strolled around historic Rickwood Field, absorbing the tributes to Willie Mays and other legends of the Negro Leagues. Clutched under his arm was a cherished memory: a photograph from 2004 depicting Mays holding Stone's then-10-month-old daughter, Haley, decked out in San Francisco Giants gear. In Mays' hand was a chunk of chocolate chip cookie, which he was handing to Haley.
Ajay and his wife, Christina, had traveled from Charlotte, North Carolina to Birmingham, Alabama for an occasion they deemed equally cherished.
It was only hours before Rickwood Field would host its inaugural Major League Baseball game between the Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals—an event MLB dubbed "A Tribute to the Negro Leagues." This game aimed to honor the legacies of Mays and other monumental Black baseball figures who left an indelible impact on the sport.
Tributes and Tears: Honoring Willie Mays
MLB orchestrated a week-long series of activities celebrating Mays and the Negro Leagues, highlighted by Wednesday's unveiling ceremony of a Willie Mays mural in downtown Birmingham. These tributes assumed a heightened poignancy on Tuesday afternoon when news broke of Mays’ passing at the age of 93.
As word of his death spread through Birmingham, the air thickened with emotional celebrations of his extraordinary life. The atmosphere at Rickwood Field on Thursday was electrifying long before arrival at the ballpark. The rhythmic thumping of drums resonated from within, mingling with the excited chatter of fans flurrying towards the music, punctuated by bursts of laughter foreshadowing the grandeur of the day’s events.
Once inside, history echoed from every corner. The walls were decorated with photos and artifacts of baseball Hall of Famers who had graced the 114-year-old ballpark, including Jackie Robinson, Josh Gibson, and Satchel Paige. The original clubhouse of the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues, where Mays launched his professional career in 1948, was also open to the public. A memorial display for Mays featured bobbleheads, a signed glove, and his Black Barons and San Francisco Giants jerseys.
Fans Relive History
Outside, fans queued eagerly to hold a baseball bat Mays had used in 1959 and took snapshots sitting in an original bus from 1947, typically used during barnstorming tours by Negro Leagues teams. The ambience, enriched by live music and concession stands with menu boards designed to mimic those of the 1940s, transported attendees back in time.
Eddie Torres and his son Junior, lifelong Giants fans, donned matching jerseys as they captured memories within the ballpark. Musical artist Jon Batiste adding to the pre-game excitement, strumming his guitar while dancing on a wooden stage near home plate, just moments before the first pitch.
Fans stood in reverence as former Negro Leaguers were assisted onto the field for a pre-game ceremony. The air bristled with shouts of "Willie! Willie!" after a brief moment of silence.
Echoes of the Past
Michael Jackson, seated in the stands at Rickwood Field, found himself awash in nostalgia. Jackson had played baseball in the 1970s and '80s with the East Thomas Eagles of the Birmingham Industrial League, frequenting Rickwood Field many times. Grateful for its preservation, he said, "It's nice seeing them re-do all of this instead of tearing it down."
"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," Jackson continued, encapsulating the sentiment shared by many.
Memories and Reflections
Ajay Stone reminisced about his encounters with Mays. "Willie gave her that cookie. She had no teeth. But we took the cookie and we 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 reflected, "I never even got to see Willie Mays play, but as a Giants fan, you knew what he meant to the game of baseball." Eddie Torres added, "The legacy of Willie Mays transcends generations. My son, he's only 11. Willie Mays had such an effect on the game that even he knows who Willie Mays was."
As the game unfolded and the crowd roared, Rickwood Field metamorphosed into more than just a ballpark. It became a living museum and a time capsule, capturing the essence of a bygone era while honoring the life and legacy of one of baseball's greatest icons, Willie Mays.