MLB at Rickwood: A brief history of Rickwood Field, America's oldest ballpark
Major League Baseball will play a special regular-season game on Thursday, June 20, at Birmingham's Rickwood Field, one of the most historic sports landmarks in the country, between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Rickwood Field was built and opened in 1910, making it the oldest active professional baseball park in the U.S. The field has served as the home park for both the Birmingham Barons and Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. The site's rich history led to its selection for the MLB's annual regular-season jewel event, this year dubbed, "MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues."
The field was the passion project of a local Birmingham industrialist named Allen Harvey "Rick" Woodward. He purchased a controlling interest in the Birmingham Barons in 1910 and immediately began construction on a new steel-and-concrete ballpark.
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Woodward's inspirations for his stadium were Forbes Field in Pittsburgh and Shibe Park, later known as Connie Mack Stadium, in Philadelphia. Woodward sought design advice from the legendary Mack when he visited Shibe Park. Mack visited Rickwood during its construction, and for MLB spring training in 1911 and 1920, Mack brought his Phillies to play at Rickwood.
The stadium's construction created a palpable buzz throughout Birmingham and the state of Alabama. The stadium was dubbed Rickwood, a combination of Woodward's nickname and last name, after a naming contest in The Birmingham News. As team owner, Woodward had become popular in Birmingham for rejuvenating the spirit of baseball fandom.
When Rickwood was completed, it became the first steel-and-concrete ballpark south of the Ohio River and the first built specifically for minor-league play.
Opening day at Rickwood Field
On Rickwood Field's opening day, businesses throughout Birmingham closed early so that everyone could have a chance to get to the park. In front of his brand new stadium packed full with more than 10,000 fans, Woodward threw out the first pitch, and not ceremoniously: He actually threw the first recorded pitch of the game before handing the ball off to the starting pitcher, something that he would make a tradition of during his tenure as the team's owner. The Barons defeated the Montgomery Climbers 3-2 on Aug. 18, 1910, in the first game at the ballpark.
Birmingham Black Barons at Rickwood Field
Rickwood began hosting the Black Barons when the Negro Southern League, one of the first Negro Leagues, was founded in 1920. The Barons and Black Barons played on alternating weekends for much of the 20th century, with both teams frequently playing in front of sellout crowds.
In 1927, the Black Barons made the jump to the Negro National League, which operated as a major league, and quickly emerged as one of the best teams thanks to star pitcher Leroy "Satchel" Paige. The Black Barons alternated between the Negro Southern and National leagues until 1940, when they joined the Negro American League. They won back-to-back pennants in 1943 and 1944 and won a third in 1948 with the help of a 17-year-old outfielder named Willie Mays.
The Black Barons played their last game in 1960, and the Negro Leagues folded shortly thereafter as professional baseball was integrated. In 1961, the Southern League which hosted the Barons also folded, largely due to its resistance to integration, and Rickwood was left without a home team.
From Athletics to Tigers to White Sox
Rickwood cycled through minor-league teams over the next few decades. A short-lived Southern League revival saw the Barons return in 1964-65 with an integrated roster. From 1967-75, Rickwood hosted the Kansas City Athletics' Double-A farm team, the Birmingham Athletics. In 1981, the Detroit Tigers' Double-A team moved from Montgomery to Birmingham and returned the Barons nickname. In 1986, the Barons' affiliation changed from the Tigers to the Chicago White Sox. After the affiliation change, the team relocated to the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in 1987.
Rickwood Field has not hosted a team permanently since the Barons' move to Hoover. The field was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
Rickwood Field in the movies
Today, Rickwood Field hosts frequent amateur, semi-pro, police and high school games. Since 1996, the Barons have hosted an annual minor league game dubbed "The Rickwood Classic" in which both teams wear throwback uniforms. The ballpark was also used as a filming location for the biopics of Jackie Robinson ("42") and Ty Cobb ("Cobb"), as well as the 1995 TV film "Soul of the Game."
Thursday's game between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants will be the first MLB game in Rickwood Field's rich history. To purchase tickets to the MLB at Rickwood, click here.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: MLB at Rickwood Field: A history of Birmingham ballpark
