Ajay Stone strolled around historic Rickwood Field, taking in the tributes to Willie Mays and other Negro Leaguers displayed throughout the ballpark. Clutched under his arm was a cherished memory: a picture from 2004 of Mays holding Stone's then-10-month-old daughter, Haley, dressed in San Francisco Giants gear. In Mays' hand was a chunk of a chocolate chip cookie, which he was handing over for Haley to eat.
Stone and his wife, Christina, traveled from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Birmingham, Alabama, to be part of 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 the St. Louis Cardinals. The event, called "A Tribute to the Negro Leagues," was meant to honor the legacies of Mays and other Black baseball greats who had left an enduring mark on the sport.
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 on Wednesday. These tributes took on a more significant meaning when Mays died at the age of 93 on Tuesday afternoon. As news of his death spread throughout Birmingham, celebrations of his life only intensified.
The atmosphere at Rickwood Field on Thursday was electrifying even before the first pitch. The rapid thumping of a drum echoed throughout the ballpark, excited murmurs filled the air, and frequent bursts of laughter foreshadowed the event's grandeur. Inside, reminders of baseball history surrounded the fans. Photos and artifacts of baseball Hall of Famers like Jackie Robinson, Josh Gibson, and Satchel Paige adorned the walls.
The original clubhouse of the Birmingham Black Barons, the team where Mays began his pro career in 1948, was open. A memorial for Mays stood prominently at the front, decorated with bobbleheads, a signed glove, and his Black Barons and San Francisco Giants jerseys.
Fans Relive History
Outside, fans lined up to hold a baseball bat used by Mays in 1959 and took photos sitting inside an original bus from 1947, typical of those used during barnstorming tours by Negro Leagues teams. They danced to live music and enjoyed food from concession stands featuring menu boards designed to reflect the 1940s.
Eddie Torres and his son, Junior, wore matching Giants jerseys as they took pictures inside the ballpark. Lifelong Giants fans, they had traveled from California for the game. Musical artist Jon Batiste added to the festive atmosphere by strumming a guitar and dancing on a wooden stage near home plate just before the first pitch.
Fans rose to their feet as former Negro Leaguers were helped onto the field for a pregame ceremony. Shouts of "Willie! Willie!" broke out after a brief moment of silence, a testament to the profound impact Mays had on the game and its fans.
Echoes of the Past
Michael Jackson, sitting in the stands at Rickwood Field, couldn't help but be reminded of the past. Jackson had played baseball in the 1970s and '80s with the East Thomas Eagles of the Birmingham Industrial League and had frequently played at Rickwood Field. He expressed his excitement that the historic ballpark was still standing and being revitalized.
"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," Stone 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 added, "The legacy of Willie Mays transcends generations. 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.