Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, hosts its first major league game between the Giants and Cardinals, an event meant to honor the legacy of Mays and other Black baseball greats who left an enduring mark on the sport.
Willie Mays’ son Michael Mays, center, honors his father as baseball greats Ken Griffey Jr., left, and Barry Bonds, right, listen before the start of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. Willie Mays, who began his professional career with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues in 1948 and played at Rickwood Field, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Players pause to honor Willie Mays before the start of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
A plaque honoring Willie Mays is seen before the start of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. Mays, who began his professional career with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues in 1948 and played at Rickwood Field, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., right, embraces Michael Mays, son of the late Willie Mays, before a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants on Thursday at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images)
A memorial to Willie Mays is seen inside Rickwood Field before a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. Mays, who began his professional career with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues in 1948 and played at Rickwood Field, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Flowers adorn a spot in the historic locker room next to pictures of late Hall of Fame player Willie Mays before a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants on Thursday at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images)
Former San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds, left, consoles Michael Mays, the son of the late Willie Mays, before a game between the Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Willie Mays’ jersey number is seen on the field as players take batting practice before the start of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
The San Francisco Giants wear shirts with an image of the late Willie Mays during batting practice before their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images)
Flowers are seen at the base of a tribute to Willie Mays is seen outside Rickwood Stadium before the start of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. Mays, who began his professional career with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues in 1948 and played at Rickwood Field, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Former Negro Leagues player Bill Greason throws out a ceremonial first pitch before the start of an MLB game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred talks with Former San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds before a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants on Thursday at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images)
Fans walk past the front of Rickwood Field before a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants on Thursday in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images)
A replica Birmingham Black Barons jersey hangs in a locker inside Rickwood Field before the start of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. Rickwood Field was home to the Black Barons of the Negro Leagues and is where legend Willie Mays got his start in professional baseball. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
San Francisco Giants coaches watch a video tribute to Willie Mays before the team’s baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Former San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds is seen before the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants on Thursday at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images)
Ajay Stone holding a photo of his daughter at 10-month old sitting next to Willie Mays, Thursday, June 20, 2024, at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala. Stone traveled from Charlotte, N.C., for the Negro League tribute baseball game. (AP Photo/Alanis Thames
Ajay Stone , left, and his wife Christina pose with a photo of their daughter at 10 months old sitting next to Willie Mays, Thursday, June 20, 2024, at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala.. They traveled from Charlotte, N.C. for the Negro League tribute baseball game. (AP Photo/Alanis Thames
A tribute Satchel Paige is seen outside Rickwood Stadium before the start of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan watches his two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Andre Pallante throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images)
The San Francisco Giants’ Heliot Ramos is greeted at the dugout after hitting a three-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the third inning of a baseball game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, June 20, 2024.(Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt hits a single during the fifth inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images)
The San Francisco Giants’ Michael Conforto (8) points up at fans as the team enters the dugout before a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
The San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski follows through on a single during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Home plate umpire Alan Porter pauses during the second inning of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Keaton Winn throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
The San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals play in the fifth inning of a baseball game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
The San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman dives safely into second base for a double during the sixth inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images)
Young fans Jacob Chastain, Legend Terrell, Caysen Harper and Robeson Hannon watch from the stands during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ Masyn Winn celebrates after hitting a double during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
The San Francisco Giants’ Spencer Bivens shakes hands with former Negro Leagues player Eugene Scruggs before the start of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Rickwood Field is seen in a general view during a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
The lineup is seen in Rickwood Field as the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals play a baseball game Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Fans hold signs as they participate in a Stand Up To Cancer activity during a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Singer and songwriter Andra Day performs her original song “Rise Up” during a Stand Up To Cancer placard moment during a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
The San Francisco Giants’ Heliot Ramos (17) runs to field a ball hit by the St. Louis Cardinals during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Eddie Torres, right, and son Junior, from California and wearing San Francisco Giants uniforms with Willie Mays’ No. 24 on the back, pose at Rickwood Field on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Alanis Thames)
Eddie Torres, right, and son Junior, from California and wearing San Francisco Giants uniforms with Willie Mays’ No. 24 on the back, pose at Rickwood Field on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Alanis Thames)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — As Ajay Stone strolled around historic Rickwood Field and gazed at tributes displayed in honor of Willie Mays and other Negro Leaguers, he clutched a cherished memory under his arm.
It was a picture from 2004 of Mays holding Stone’s then-10-month-old daughter Haley, who was wearing San Francisco Giants gear. In Mays’ hand was a chunk of a chocolate chip cookie, which he was handing over for Haley to eat.
“Willie gave her that cookie. She had no teeth,” Stone remembered. “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.”
Stone and his wife Christina traveled from Charlotte, North Carolina, to be in Birmingham, Alabama, on Thursday for a moment they deemed just as special.
It was hours before Rickwood Field hosted its first Major League Baseball game, as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Giants, 6-5. The game, which MLB called “A Tribute to the Negro Leagues,” was meant to honor the legacy of Mays and other Black baseball greats who left an enduring mark on the sport.
MLB planned a week of activities around Mays and the Negro Leagues, including an unveiling ceremony on Wednesday of a Willie Mays mural in downtown Birmingham. Those tributes took on a more significant meaning Tuesday afternoon when Mays died at 93. As news of his death spread throughout Birmingham, celebrations of his life ramped up.
You could hear the celebration at Rickwood Field on Thursday even before arriving at the ballpark with the rapid thumping of a drum echoing from inside the ballpark, excited murmurs from fans skipping toward the music and frequent bursts of laughter.
Inside, there were reminders of history all around.
There were photos and artifacts of baseball Hall of Famers who played at 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 got his pro start in 1948, was open. A memorial of Mays was at the front, with bobbleheads, a signed glove and his Black Barons and San Francisco Giants jerseys on display.
Outside, fans stood in line to hold a baseball bat used by Mays in 1959. They took photos sitting inside an original bus from 1947 that was typically used during barnstorming tours by Negro Leagues teams. They danced to live music and ate food from concession stands featuring menu boards designed to reflect the look and feel of the 1940s.
Eddie Torres and his son Junior wore matching Giants jerseys as they took pictures inside the ballpark. They’re lifelong Giants fans who came from California for the game.
“I never even got to see Willie Mays play, but as a Giants fan, you knew what he meant to the game of baseball,” Torres said. “My son, he’s only 11. Willie Mays had such an effect on the game that even he knew who Willie Mays was.”
Musical artist Jon Batiste strummed a guitar while dancing on a wooden stage near home plate just before the first pitch. Fans stood as former Negro Leaguers were helped to the field for a pregame ceremony.
Chants of “Wil-lie! Wil-lie!” broke out after a brief moment of silence.
For Michael Jackson, sitting in the stands at Rickwood Field reminded him of the past.
The 71-year-old Jackson played baseball in the 1970s and 80s with the East Thomas Eagles of the Birmingham Industrial League, which was a semi-professional league made up of iron and steel workers that was an integral form of entertainment in Birmingham in the 20th century.
Jackson’s baseball journey took him to Rickwood Field many times. After all these years, he was just excited that it’s still standing.
“It’s nice seeing them re-do all of this,” he said, “instead of tearing it down. We played in the same ballpark they named after Willie Mays out in Fairfield (Alabama). And then I had my times out here playing at this ballpark. It’s all very exciting.”
CARDINALS EDGE GIANTS ON ‘SPECIAL NIGHT’
Brendan Donovan hit a two-run homer and a double and the Cardinals defeated the Giants, 6-5, in Thursday night’s game.
Plenty of other Negro Leagues greats were honored as part of Thursday’s game, including former Black Barons player Bill Greason, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The game also featured the first all-Black umpire crew in AL/NL history.
Donovan, who grew up in Alabama, blasted a 1-and-1 pitch from Giants starter Keaton Winn (3-8) for his seventh home run of the season. He was 3 for 3 with a double in the third inning and an RBI single in the sixth.
“What a special night,” Donovan said. “I mean, this is something that we should celebrate. This right here is pretty amazing. And to do it in Alabama, I’ve got some friends and family in the stands, it’s like playing summer ball again.”
Alec Burleson had a pair of singles and Masyn Winn reached twice for the Cardinals (37-37), who stopped a two-game losing streak.
Former UC Irvine standout Andre Pallante (3-3) pitched 5⅓ innings in the win, allowing seven hits and three runs. He walked three and struck out five.
Giants center fielder Heliot Ramos hit a tying three-run shot off Pallante in the third for his 10th home run, but the Cardinals retook the lead on Nolan Gorman’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning.
“Any time you play center field for the San Francisco Giants, you think about Willie Mays,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “We’re down three, then all of a sudden we’re tied up with one swing of the bat. And he’s been doing that for a while now.”
Winn struggled through 2⅔ innings, allowing five hits and five runs with two strikeouts and a walk. He was replaced in the third by Randy Rodríguez, who gave up a run on a wild pitch against his first batter.
Patrick Bailey had three hits for the Giants, who closed a three-run hole with a two-run sixth. Matt Chapman led off the inning with a double, then came around to score on Wilmer Flores’ line drive to center. Jorge Soler then scored on Nick Ahmed’s sacrifice fly.
Ryan Helsley got three outs for his 24th save.
“It was fun,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “The pregame ceremony was incredible. I got emotional. Just knowing where you’re standing. Just the overall feel of the tribute to Willie Mays. The impact he had on people that he met, but also people he never met.
“That’s when you know you’ve done it right.”
Both teams wore throwback uniforms with Mays’ No. 24 on them. Over 23 major league seasons, mostly with the New York/San Francisco Giants but including one in the Negro Leagues, Mays batted .301, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,293 hits and scored more than 2,000 runs. He was Rookie of the Year in 1951 and a two-time MVP.
“One-of-a-kind type of place to play,” Melvin said of Rickwood. “You look around and kind of can feel what transpired here a long time ago and the players that played on the field. It’d be nice to win the game, but pretty cool experience.”
