By: Jake Gonzalez
Downtown Birmingham is lined with skyscrapers and history. Birmingham's history does not just emanate from the Civil Rights monuments but pours out from the buildings that tower over the streets, from the Alabama Theatre to The Woodward Building that sits on the “Heaviest Corner on Earth.” Outside of all that history, lurking in the shadows, sits the oldest ballpark in America. Rickwood Field opened on August 18, 1910, with the Barons defeating the Montgomery Climbers. Since that day, Rickwood Field has hosted the likes of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Jackie Robinson and 185 total Hall of Fame baseball players.
“It is hallowed grounds for baseball fans,” said Gerald Watkins, the chairman of the board for Friends of Rickwood Field. “It is like you take a step back in time when you walk through the gates.” The white columns that reach out from the two-story green outfield-wall colored building are inviting anyone tostep through the gates and back into history. The Spanish-tiled roof does stands out.
Much like when you walk into Fenway Park in Boston, you get planted in a time long forgotten, when mega video boards and sound systems did not dominate your senses and the sounds of the game whisked you away.
The same scoreboard that was in use when the field opened in 1910 still draws the eyes to it. The Coca-Cola advertisement in the classic red is even hidden by the deep black scoreboard that updates every game in the Southern League.
The deep-green steel beams blend in with the perfect green grass that covers the field of play. The once white concrete that has yellowed over time in the sun holds the footsteps of people from all over Birmingham and the South.
“I’ve been to Boston to see Fenway,” said Scott Elgin, a former college baseball player who has played at Rickwood Field. “When you go to Fenway it is special, but there is just something unique about Rickwood.”
The comparisons that can be made between Fenway Park and Rickwood Field are endless. The deep green that covers the structures and walls that line the field of play, the classic scoreboard that towers over the rest of the structures in the outfield and the history that emanates from every seat in the building just soaks into you like the humid summer Alabama air.
The field has seen the likes of Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Satchel Paige, Stan Musial and so many great baseballplayers. Today, Rickwood Field opens the gates and turnstiles to travel ball
tournaments, high school teams, colleges and even scout showcases. Miles College plays 11 games at Rickwood Field this season. Miles will host Kentucky State three-game series at the end of April.
The Oldest Ballpark in America is doing all that it can to build its legacy not from just the past but also for the future by allowing kids to get the opportunity to play on the same field as some of the greatest to ever play the game.
Rickwood Field hosted the Savannah Bananas on Saturday, April 16. Later in the year, they will also host the Birmingham Barons for the annual Magic City Classic that benefits Rickwood Field so that it can continue to inspire the next generation of baseball stars.
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