Ajay Stone strolled around historic Rickwood Field, taking in the tributes honoring Willie Mays and other Negro Leaguers.
Clutching a cherished memory under his arm, Stone held a picture from 2004 of Mays holding Stone's then-10-month-old daughter, Haley, who was dressed in San Francisco Giants gear. In Mays' hand was a chunk of a chocolate chip cookie, which he offered to Haley.
Stone and his wife, Christina, traveled from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Birmingham, Alabama, for a moment they deemed just as special.
Hours before Rickwood Field hosted its first Major League Baseball game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals, an event MLB titled "A Tribute to the Negro Leagues," Stone reveled in the atmosphere. The game aimed 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
MLB planned a week of activities celebrating Mays and the Negro Leagues, including the unveiling of a Willie Mays mural in downtown Birmingham on Wednesday. These tributes took on greater significance Tuesday afternoon when Mays passed away at 93.
As news of his death spread throughout Birmingham, celebrations of his life intensified. The electrifying atmosphere at Rickwood Field on Thursday was palpable even before fans entered the ballpark. The rapid thumping of a drum, the excited murmurs of fans, and frequent bursts of laughter hinted at the grandeur of the event.
Inside the ballpark, reminders of history were everywhere. 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 featured bobbleheads, a signed glove, and his Black Barons and San Francisco Giants jerseys.
Fans Relive History
Outside, fans stood in line to hold a baseball bat Mays used in 1959 and took photos in an original bus from 1947, 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 1940s look and feel.
Eddie Torres and his son, Junior, wore matching Giants jerseys while taking pictures inside the ballpark. Lifelong Giants fans, they traveled from California for the game. Musical artist Jon Batiste strummed a guitar and danced on a wooden stage near home plate just before the first pitch. Fans stood as former Negro Leaguers were helped onto the field for a pregame ceremony, with shouts of "Willie! Willie!" breaking out after a brief moment of silence.
Echoes of the Past
Michael Jackson, sitting in the stands at Rickwood Field, was reminded of the past. Jackson played baseball in the 1970s and 80s with the East Thomas Eagles of the Birmingham Industrial League. Having often played at Rickwood Field, he was thrilled that it still stood.
"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 took the cookie and 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."
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."
"The legacy of Willie Mays transcends generations," said Eddie Torres. "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 clear 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.