Ajay Stone strolled around historic Rickwood Field, taking in the tributes displayed in honor of Willie Mays and other Negro Leaguers. Clutched under his arm was a cherished memory—an old photograph from 2004. It captured Mays holding Stone's then-10-month-old daughter, Haley, who was dressed in San Francisco Giants gear. Mays, with a chunk of a chocolate chip cookie in hand, was passing it to Haley. Stone and his wife, Christina, had traveled from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Birmingham, Alabama, to be part of a moment they deemed just as special.
Hours before Rickwood Field hosted its first Major League Baseball game between the Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals, an event MLB dubbed "A Tribute to the Negro Leagues," the air was thick with nostalgia and reverence. The game was meant to honor the legacies of Mays and other Black baseball greats who left an indelible mark on the sport.
Tributes and Tears: Honoring Willie Mays
Major League Baseball planned a week of activities around Mays and the Negro Leagues, including unveiling a Willie Mays mural in downtown Birmingham on Wednesday. These tributes took on a more profound meaning when Mays passed away on Tuesday afternoon at age 93. As news of his death spread throughout Birmingham, the celebrations of his life intensified.
The atmosphere at Rickwood Field on Thursday was electrifying even before reaching the ballpark. The rapid thumping of a drum echoed from inside, mixing with excited murmurs from fans heading toward the music, interrupted occasionally by bursts of laughter—the sounds foreshadowing the event's grandeur.
Inside, reminders of history surrounded the visitors. Photos and artifacts of baseball Hall of Famers who played at 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 stood at the front, featuring bobbleheads, a signed glove, and his Black Barons and San Francisco Giants jerseys on display.
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 often used during barnstorming tours by Negro Leagues teams. The crowd danced to live music and enjoyed food from concession stands, which had menu boards designed to reflect the look and feel of the 1940s.
Eddie Torres and his son Junior, lifelong Giants fans from California, wore matching Giants jerseys as they took pictures in the ballpark. Musical artist Jon Batiste added to the celebration, strumming a guitar while dancing on a wooden stage near home plate just before the first pitch. Fans stood as former Negro Leaguers were escorted to the field for a pregame ceremony, and shouts of "Willie! Willie!" broke out following a brief moment of silence.
Echoes of the Past
Michael Jackson, seated in the stands at Rickwood Field, felt echoes of the past. Jackson played baseball in the 1970s and '80s with the East Thomas Eagles of the Birmingham Industrial League. His baseball journey brought him to Rickwood Field many times, and he was just excited that it's still standing.
"It's nice seeing them redo 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 kept the cookie 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 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 added, "The legacy of Willie Mays transcends generations. My son, he's only 11, but 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 the 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.