Ajay Stone strolled around historic Rickwood Field, taking in tributes honoring Willie Mays and other Negro League legends. Clutched tightly under his arm was a cherished memory: a photograph from 2004 of Mays holding Stone's then-10-month-old daughter, Haley, adorned in San Francisco Giants gear. In Mays' hand was a chunk of a chocolate chip cookie, which he was offering for Haley to eat.
Stone and his wife, Christina, had traveled from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Birmingham, Alabama, on Thursday for a moment they deemed equally special. It was hours before Rickwood Field would host its first Major League Baseball game between the Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals, an event MLB aptly named "A Tribute to the Negro Leagues." This game was meant to honor the legacies of Mays and other Black baseball greats who left an enduring mark on the sport.
Tributes and Tears: Honoring Willie Mays
MLB organized a week of activities focused on Mays and the Negro Leagues, including an unveiling ceremony for a Willie Mays mural in downtown Birmingham on Wednesday. These tributes took on even more significant meaning when Mays passed away at 93 on Tuesday afternoon. As news of his death spread throughout Birmingham, celebrations of his life intensified.
The atmosphere at Rickwood Field on Thursday was electrifying even before fans arrived at the ballpark. The rapid thumping of a drum echoed from within, excited murmurs filled the air, and frequent bursts of laughter foreshadowed the event's grandeur. Inside, reminders of history were omnipresent. Photos and artifacts of baseball Hall of Famers who graced the 114-year-old ballpark, including Jackie Robinson, Josh Gibson, and Satchel Paige, adorned the walls.
The original clubhouse of the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues, where Mays began his professional career in 1948, was open. A memorial for Mays sat prominently at the front, 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 took photos sitting inside an original 1947 bus, typically used during barnstorming tours by Negro Leagues teams. Fans danced to live music and enjoyed food from concession stands with menu boards designed to reflect the ambiance of the 1940s.
Eddie Torres and his son, Junior, both donned matching Giants jerseys as they captured photos inside the ballpark. Lifelong Giants fans, they had traveled all the way from California for the game. Musical artist Jon Batiste strummed a guitar while dancing on a wooden stage near home plate, just before the first pitch.
As fans stood, honoring former Negro Leaguers being helped to the field for a pregame ceremony, shouts of "Willie! Willie!" broke out following a brief moment of silence.
Echoes of the Past
Sitting in the stands of Rickwood Field, Michael Jackson was reminded vividly of the past. Jackson, who played baseball in the 1970s and 1980s with the East Thomas Eagles of the Birmingham Industrial League, had many memories at Rickwood Field. "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 on his memories 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 recalled. Another fan shared, "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 echoed this sentiment. "The legacy of Willie Mays transcends generations," he said. "My son, he's only 11. Willie Mays had such an effect on the game that even he knew who Willie Mays was."
As the game commenced and the crowd cheered, it was evident that Rickwood Field was more than just a ballpark for that evening. It was a living museum, 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.