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MLB has announced that as part of its continuing recognition of the role played by the Negro leagues in the history of professional baseball, The Cardinals and Giants will play a regular MLB game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama in June 2024. Willie Mays is reportedly thrilled that the stadium where he got his start in professional baseball in the Negro leagues will host an MLB game.
Rickwood Field was built in 1910, upgraded as a WPA project during the Depression, and is the oldest ballpark used for professional ball still standing. It was a Negro League park for many decades, and currently, the Birmingham Barons, AA affiliate of the White Sox still play one Southern League game there ever year. I’m glad the Cardinals are taking part.
(Reading about this, as well as mention of Helene Briton by Brian and others, caused me to think of an article I wrote years ago for The Cardinal Nation Blog concerning early baseball history and in particular the history of baseball in St. Louis prior to Sprotsman’s Park on Grand Ave. I discovered that part of that article was republished here in this forum, and anyone interested can find it here. Have in mind that I am not a professional writer.) (and yes, Helene is mentioned):
Pretty cool though they have been in talks to bring an MLB game here where I live in Evansville Indiana. Was hoping cardinals would play in it but probably won’t now.
As a quick aside, I just recently picked up a rescue dog brought up from Alabama. He’s a very young Black Mouth Cur with only 3 legs. He’s the sweetest doggie ever( well tied with Rat’s WhiteyHerDog), but will not let males touch him, but just loves and cuddles with the ladies. Hopefully one day he’ll let me pet him.
We had a dog like that once Pugs, also a stray. Shied from men something fierce. Every day I’d sit by him, as close as he’d tolerate and just talk to him. After a while, he’d come sit by me. Eventually he came around.
There is nothing like the bond between a man and his dog.
Each and every night Whitey Herdog is on the couch with me until bedtime.
r/Esteemed Rat
Yeah Blingster, I’m hoping mine will eventually come around. I’m a huge dog lover…….wished this little guy knew that. He gets especially agitated when I’m up and walking around. I long for the day when this little bundle of joy is sitting up on the couch with me watching the ballgame, while I’m puffing on one of those 12×50 La Palma Grande cigars like Rat smokes.
Really a cool deal to play in a venue like this. I like that MLB is playing some games in these sort of settings and doing what might be termed as living history. For 20 years I played vintage baseball with a group here in Colorado, and the best times were playing in the small rural settings, sometimes in a field that has been around for many decades.
As for dogs, we also had a “best ever” dog, that passed away in February 2022 at the human adjusted age of 94 (16 dog years). Man, she was terrific. I miss walking her every day. The thing that makes dogs more mature than people in a way, is they just love you. Doesn’t matter your heritage, how you look, what you believe – they just love you. Well, maybe they would growl a little at you if you had a Cub hat on, but unless they were abused they accept you unconditionally. Sometimes people need to be a little more that way.
I may have to get tickets to that one.
You and only 10,799 others, ZTR. I believe it only holds 10,800……which would be a perfect venue for a team like the Pirates.
Bling, I am sorry the photos were lost in the site conversion. If you still have them, please send them to me and I will re-add them. Thanks for re-sharing the article.
Brian, I would have the article and photos on a thumb drive somewhere, as it was several computers ago. I eventually finished the Part 2 article concerning the old Negro Leagues parks and some other venues in the city. That was after The Cardinal Nation Blog discontinued, and I am trying to remember where I published it, or even if I did. Not sure where all that stuff would be, but I will look around.
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