BIG CITY GETAWAY

Frontline Eurosports presents

BIG CITY GETAWAY

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

Rickwood Field

1137 2nd Avenue West, Birmingham, Alabama Rickwood.com The Oldest Professional Baseball Field in the United States

Yes, you read that right. While most people believe Fenway Park (c. 1912) in Boston, MA or Wrigley Field (c. 1914) in Chicago, IL are the oldest baseball fields, this beautiful, out-of-the-way ballpark in Birmingham holds the prestigious heritage. However, Fenway is the oldest MLB field in continuous use by a major league team.

While we have been planning on visiting all the major league baseball stadiums in the U.S., our plans always seem to go awry. First, it’s not enough to just visit the stadium – we want to watch a game. Piecing together the games and travel becomes somewhat sticky so quadrants need to be established. We have gone to the furthest (for us) in Seattle, WA and were hoping to get to Miami during the spring. The west coast will be a quadrant unto itself and who knows when we’ll be able to get to Toronto.

When we knew we were heading to Georgia and the surrounding great riding areas, we did some research and found, as you read in our June 2021 issue, there was an overwhelming amount of history of all sorts to be seen. One of the sights to absolutely pique our interest was Rickwood Field. Here’s the scoop…

In 1909, Allen Harvey ‘Rick’ Woodward, grandson of Birmingham industrialist Stimpson Harvey Woodward, while in his 20s purchased a majority share of the Birmingham Coal Barons baseball team. Wanting to build a grand showcase for his new minor league team, he consulted the great catcher, manager and team owner Connie Mack and based Rickwood on the parks in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The 12.7-acre park was completed during the summer of 1910, with opening day held on Au-

gust 18, 1910 where the Barons defeated the visiting Montgomery Climbers.

Many of the greatest players in baseball’s history played at Rickwood Field. Even if you are not a follower of the sport, you are sure to know the names Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson, Stan ‘The Man’ Musial and the image of one of the rarest and most expensive baseball cards in history, Honus ‘The Flying Dutchman’ Wagner. Willie Mays grew up just minutes from Rickwood Field and, as a 16-year-old high school junior, was starting centerfielder for the 1948 championship Black Barons.

The Black Barons, who alternated home stands with the Birmingham Barons, were organized in 1920 as part of the Negro League, starting in the Southern league and making the leap to the National league three years later. One of their star players, and there were many, was pitcher Satchel Paige, along with that youngster Willie Mays. Rickwood Field was consistently packed when the Black Barons took the fi eld.

After taking a short tour around Birmingham proper, we made our way to the West End neighborhood to search out Rickwood Field. Winding our way through the local streets, we began to question if we were heading in the right direction when we turned a corner and there it was, in its green glory. We pulled the bikes into the fenced area and entered the gates. What we saw was an amazingly maintained fi eld and we felt the history of all the games played.

As Brian was about to step onto the mound, a young man semiscooted towards us, asking if he could be of assistance. Jabreil, the groundskeeper, was being a bit protective of his charge, as well he should, and when we explained we were there to see this historic park, he offered a tour of the facilities. While we made our way around the fi eld, there were two high school teams getting ready to practice for their championship game later that afternoon. In addition to that signifi cant game, it was also April 15, which happened to be Jackie Robinson Day, and that fact would hit home in just a bit.

The pictures, trophies and signage throughout the stadium were impressive. But when we entered what will hopefully one day be the museum, we were fl oored. Gloves and bats belonging to the various players who graced this green fi eld: Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson and so many others. Posters, seats, uniforms and memorabilia to make your head spin. The Friends of Rickwood have been working hard to restore the facility to its former glory and get Major League Baseball to take a part in saving and rebuilding this historic place. Since 1996, Rickwood Field has hosted the Barons for a throwback game, the Rickwood Classic, in which both teams wear period uniforms, with each game honoring a different era in Birmingham baseball history. Baseball fans from across North America attend and some believe this experience to be the most underrated baseball event, held in the sacred baseball cathedral. If you fi nd yourself in the Birmingham area, you’d be doing yourself a disservice to pass up a visit to this iconic stadium. If you’d like to help save a piece of Americana baseball history, you may donate on the Rickwood Field website. ,