Get ready to grab MiLB at Rickwood Field tickets
It’s an absolute lock to be one of the coolest things to happen in the world of baseball this year. It’s less than two months away. And your chance to get tickets to the first game of the event begins this week. This year, for the first time, Minor League
It’s an absolute lock to be one of the coolest things to happen in the world of baseball this year. It’s less than two months away. And your chance to get tickets to the first game of the event begins this week.
This year, for the first time, Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball are putting on a multi-day tribute to the Negro Leagues at the oldest professional ballpark in the United States: Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala.
On June 18, the Double-A Birmingham Barons (White Sox) host the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays) at Rickwood, with the home club playing as the Birmingham Black Barons and the visitors suiting up as the Montgomery Gray Sox in a tribute to the legendary Negro Leagues teams. Tickets to the MiLB at Rickwood Field game go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 26.
Details about additional events (including for Juneteenth) in the community and at Rickwood Field are also expected to be announced in the coming weeks, as is more information about tickets for the MLB at Rickwood Field game -- the Giants and Cardinals on June 20.
Opened in 1910, Rickwood Field served as the home of the Black Barons for multiple decades, becoming the home ballpark of legends from Willie Mays – who made his pro debut at age 17 as a member of the Negro American League’s Black Barons in 1948 – to Satchel Paige, Mules Suttles, Willie Wells, Artie Wilson and many, many more. Dizzy Dean, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron and Ted Williams are among other greats who’ve played in exhibitions or Minor League games.
The 114-year-old ballpark, which has undergone millions of dollars of renovations for the event, will have a ticketed-seated capacity of approximately 8,300. Alabama residents had the opportunity to register for an exclusive presale that begins Tuesday, April 23, and MLB is holding more than 25 percent of total tickets at no cost for community- or youth-based organizations in Birmingham.
Rickwood Field was home to Minor League Baseball’s Barons until 1986, and from 1996-2019 the Barons hosted an annual Rickwood Classic there. The new MLB and MiLB at Rickwood Field, A Tribute to the Negro Leagues event ensures that the rich legacy of Black baseball history -- and its place in American history -- is celebrated on a grand stage.
Josh Jackson is an editor for MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter @JoshJacksonMiLB.