‘Bucket lists’ are an unusual commodity. Sometimes, they have holes in them; other times, they overflow with expectations.
As the years have passed, my ‘bucket’ has continued to be worked on, especially regarding baseball-related items. Checked off has been witnessing Major League Baseball games at all 30 MLB stadiums and taking a road trip to the Field of Dreams in the cornfields of Iowa. But while doing some reading on a chilly winter day, a new destination was added to the itinerary.
As a youngster one of my baseball heroes was Willie Mays. The way he played the game excited me. Soon to be 93, the Say Hey kid is the oldest living Hall-of-Famer and is still highly respected in baseball circles.
Mays began his professional career as a teenager, reported to have made $500 as a 14-year-old, big money at the time, and in 1948 played for the Birmingham, Alabama Black Barons helping the team reach the Negro League World Series.
Similar to what occurred at Bowman Field when MLB began work in preparation for the MLB/Little League Classic, I discovered the same type of field renovation was underway at Birmingham’s Rickwood Field, where a June 20th MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals will take place. That sealed the deal; a road trip to Rickwood Field had jumped on my bucket list.
Driving south, we checked off Jean’s bucket list item of touring the Biltmore mansion in Ashville, North Carolina, and taking in one of our favorite haunts, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, but Rickwood was the destination.
Arriving at the country’s oldest ballpark (the first game was played on August 18, 1910), the park’s historic nature was evident. Workers were busy with field preparations for the upcoming MLB game, but the ghosts of baseball past surrounded you.
We were met by Gerald Watkins, chairman of the board and executive director of the Friends of Rickwood Field, and immediately learned we had something in common. Just as I was visiting him, he told me of his visit to Williamsport.
“Last year, at the Little League Classic, Major League Baseball had me up there as a guest. I got to go to the Little League Complex and spend the entire day with the MLB crew as they put on the Classic. I had an on-the-field pass and had the time of my life. I can’t say enough about how kind and nice the people were in Williamsport. It was almost like being in Alabama!”
Pointing with pride to what was taking place at Rickwood, Watkins’ vision was clear.
“We will have a spectacular playing surface, with brand new MLB-style dugouts, and this revision will be a great thing for the city of Birmingham. MLB coming here was almost like a heart transplant for Rickwood Field. We were in good shape but did not have the funding to make major improvements, and we were just going to rock along. MLB’s coming got the city involved, along with some of our corporate leaders. It has been a tremendous asset for us. This will allow us not only to play ball but will add improvements to the ballpark that will allow us to continue on for hopefully another 100 years.”
Over the years, more than 180 Hall of Fame players played at Rickwood Field, including some of the Negro League’s greatest stars.
“So many of the great Negro Leaguers played here, including Satchel Paige, and it was home of the Birmingham Black Barons for 42 years,” Watkins explained. “MLB is looking to expand its reach in every way. One thing they are concerned about is people of color are not playing baseball as much as they used to. It has made for a good partnership. Once MLB got the idea of doing it and knowing what they had to work with, I knew it was going to happen.”
When Mays learned of MLB’s restoration of Rickwood Field, he was excited. “I can’t believe it. I never thought I’d see in my lifetime a Major League baseball game being played on the very field where I played baseball as a teenager.”
While it is not yet known if Mays will be able to attend the June 20th game, Watkins remains hopeful.
“That’s up in the air. It could be a decision that’s made two days before our game. We’d love to have Mr. Mays here, but that is out of our hands. MLB will do anything they can to bring him here, but we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Just as in the case of our own Bowman Field, Watkins appreciates the involvement of MLB.
“MLB will give me advice and counsel from time to time. The work of keeping up the ballpark is going to land on the friends of Rickwood, and we have a plan for that. MLB has told us that if we take care of the field and do the things necessary to keep what we have in very good shape, there is a possibility we could get a second game. That is going to be our goal.”
As we parted ways, Watkins extended a handshake and, with a warm southern drawl, explained, “We have three full-time ground keepers and work together with our Board of Directors to keep the ballpark in as good of shape as possible, promote it, and share it with people like you who just want to come in and see the ballpark. I’m glad you came.”
That feeling is mutual. I’ve got to get a bigger bucket!
