Ajay Stone strolled around historic Rickwood Field and gazed at the tributes displayed in honor of Willie Mays and other Negro Leaguers.
Stone clutched a cherished memory under his arm: 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 was handing to Haley.
Stone and his wife, Christina, had traveled from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Birmingham, Alabama, on Thursday for a moment they deemed just as special. It was hours before Rickwood Field would host its first Major League Baseball game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals, an event MLB called "A Tribute to the Negro Leagues."
Tributes and Tears: Honoring Willie Mays
MLB planned a week of activities around Mays and the Negro Leagues, including the unveiling of a Willie Mays mural in downtown Birmingham. These tributes took on significant meaning Tuesday afternoon when Mays died at 93. As news of his death spread throughout Birmingham, celebrations of his life intensified.
Rickwood Field buzzed with electricity even before anyone arrived at the ballpark. The rapid thumping of a drum echoed inside, excited murmurs from fans moved toward the music, and bursts of laughter foreshadowed the grandeur of the event.
Inside the stadium, history was ever-present. 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 for visitors. A memorial for Mays stood at the front, displaying 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 used by Mays in 1959 and took photos inside an original bus from 1947, typically used during barnstorming tours by Negro Leagues teams. The festive atmosphere featured live music and food from concession stands with menu boards designed to reflect the 1940s.
Eddie Torres and his son Junior, lifelong Giants fans, wore matching jerseys as they took pictures inside the ballpark. 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 to 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, who played baseball in the 1970s and 80s with the East Thomas Eagles of the Birmingham Industrial League, was reminded of the past as he sat in the stands at Rickwood Field. Jackson's baseball journey had brought him to Rickwood Field many times, and he was just excited that it's still standing.
"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 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 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 eleven. 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.