Wednesday, May 27, 2009 was the celebration for the Rickwood Field Classic. The oldest ballpark in America will be 99 years old in August.  It was a typical steamy summer day in Birmingham, Alabama.  You might even say a perfect day for a baseball game.  When I arrived I was very excited because I received my first official press pass presented to me by the Birmingham Barons. A press pass allowed me access to the official press box and basically anywhere else I wanted to go. It was a very empowering experience to me personally.

      This year’s theme was an all-star theme.  The year that was chosen to be represented was 1982. In 1982, the Atlanta Braves played the Southern League All-Star team.  Unfortunately, the Atlanta Braves lost the game to the All-Star team. The teams that played in this year’s classic were the Birmingham Barons against the Mississippi Braves.  Though the game was close and the Barons were winning the Mississippi Braves pulled out the win in the 9th inning with the final score being 3-2.  Even though the Barons lost for me it never takes away from the fun of the game.  One of my favorite parts of a baseball game is the 7th inning stretch.  Everyone stands and sings, “Take me out to the Ball Game.”  I love what the song says because it truly represents the feeling of the All-American past time of baseball.

      After the game, I had the chance to sit down and talk with the Friends of Rickwood Director David Brewer. I always enjoy the opportunity to speak with him. I asked him questions about the past, present and future games and events that are happening at Rickwood Field.  Here are a some of the questions that I asked him.

1. Out of all of the 14 classics that have been held here what is your most memorable and why?

Mr. Brewer told me he thought this game would be very memorable.  The park is in better shape than it has been in a while.  “We work very hard to make the fans happy,” He said.  He added that each game each year is special and memorable for many different reasons.  He always looks forward to the new season.

2. How many people were in attendance today?  Approximately 7,400 which is a fantastic amount of people.  The ball park when it is filled to capacity holds 10,000 people.

3. Next year will be a huge milestone for Rickwood since it will be 100 years old.  What plans are being made for this special event?  Mr. Brewer was very excited to share with me that Mayor Larry Langford of Birmingham has allotted 7.5 million dollars towards the renovation of Rickwood Field and the building of a new museum to represent the history of baseball in Birmingham.  He does not believe that the museum will be ready for the 100 year celebration but is very hopeful to have much of the renovations completed.  Mr. Brewer also is hoping to have many exhibits this next year available around town at Vulcan and the Civil Rights Museum of memorabilia from Rickwood to encourage educational opportunities for all to enjoy. 

Hopefully, we can encourage people throughout our state to be involved in the preservation of America’s oldest ballpark, Rickwood Field.

      As always, I thanked Mr. Brewer for his time, and I am looking forward to next year.  If you would like to learn more about Rickwood Field or help in preserving this ballpark, contact “Friends of Rickwood” at rickwood.com.