BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Billie Holliday, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway and Aretha Franklin blared from the stadium audio system Thursday night, with followers singing of their seats and dancing.
Former Negro League gamers graced the sector, with their retro jerseys worn proudly by followers within the stands, in entrance of some of the various crowds to see a Main League Baseball sport in many years.
Present gamers from the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals, just lately retired legends like Albert Pujols and CC Sabathia and Corridor of Famers like Reggie Jackson and Ken Griffey Jr. watched the pageantry and feelings emanating from the nation’s oldest present skilled baseball park.
Jackson talked in regards to the ache, the harm and the humiliation of bigotry taking part in within the Deep South, the place he wasn’t allowed to eat together with his teammates, whereas the 99-year-old Rev. Invoice Greason spoke about refusing to allow segregation from taking part in the sport he liked.
“We simply needed to play baseball,” he stated, “and we had the abilities and the items to play.”
Comply with each MLB sport: Newest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
There was story telling in regards to the previous Negro Leagues, there have been tears about Willie Mays’ demise, and there was euphoria having a lot historical past collectively at 114-year-old Rickwood Discipline.
“It was lovely, wasn’t it?” Sean Gibson, the nice grandson of legendary Josh Gibson, advised USA TODAY Sports activities. “It was every thing you possibly can have needed. The whole lot was excellent. It was so powerful shedding Willie so near the sport, however the timing was excellent as a result of we have been all right here to speak about it.”
There wasn’t a soul on the Rickwood Sport – with the Cardinals profitable 6-5 – who will neglect it.
“It was unbelievable,” stated Cardinals assistant coach Willie McGee, one in all solely 4 Black gamers and coaches on the sector. “I used to be capable of ask a few of the (Negro League) gamers about their barnstorming and the way aggressive it was. They advised me there are such a lot of guys who might most likely have competed at that degree and by no means acquired an opportunity.”
The spotlight for McGee was pushing Greason’s wheelchair onto the sector and thanking him for opening the doorways for himself and all Black gamers.
“Anytime you’ll be able to meet historical past, man, what an honor,” McGee stated. “Folks earlier than you probably did issues and helped push issues ahead. It wasn’t simply one in all them, it was all of them. They opened doorways on each shore for individuals to come back and play. The sport is multicultural now, and also you noticed every kind of (ethnic teams) within the stands.”
The Highway to Rickwood was initially designed to be a tribute to the Negro Leagues, taking part in the place Mays began his skilled profession with the Birmingham Black Barons in 1948. When Mays died Tuesday at 93, it turned an excellent celebration of his life too.
“I’ve come to phrases that I consider that it was for a cause,” Giants proper fielder Mike Yastrzemski stated, “in order that he may very well be right here spiritually. He may very well be right here with us, and he wasn’t going to have the ability to make it in any other case.
“As a lot because it hurts to lose a legend like that, we gained an angel and a saint above us to be right here for this.”
Barry Bonds, baseball’s all-time dwelling run chief, was in an excessive amount of ache to speak about his godfather. Nonetheless, he was in attendance, believing he wanted to be at Rickwood to honor Mays and the Negro Leagues.
“I knew I wanted to come back right here,” Bonds stated. “That is what he would have needed.”
Bonds even stood for 10 minutes subsequent to Mays’ Corridor of Fame plaque, inviting practically a dozen former gamers to take photos with him. They lined up as in the event that they have been children working as much as Santa Claus on the mall. Ken Griffey Jr., Pujols, Sabathia, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Dexter Fowler, LaTroy Hawkins and extra all stood subsequent to Bonds.
“It’s fairly cool being right here,” Bonds stated. “I admire what’s occurring.”
The sold-out crowd of about 8,300 arrived hours earlier than the sport to see the pageantry, with Giants and Cardinals gamers escorting greater than 50 Negro League gamers to seats alongside the baselines, led by Greason.
“That was such a thrill, so cool simply to listen to all of these tales,” stated 37-year-old Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn. “You understand what they went by way of, the way it all went down, and what this evening meant. It was actually an honor to be right here.”
The groups stood and watched a six-minute video tribute to Mays on the scoreboard. They watched Mays’ son, Michael, stroll onto the sector, escorted by Bonds and Griffey, and converse.
Michael Mays was already in Birmingham on Tuesday when he acquired the information at 5 p.m. CT that his father had died. He instantly took a flight again to San Francisco, kissed his father, prayed for his soul and returned to Birmingham.
“Birmingham, I’ve been telling ya’ll if there’s any approach on earth my father might come down right here, that he would,” Mays stated. “Nicely, he discovered one other approach. He already stands at your toes. Let him hear you. He’s listening.”
The gang stood, cheered louder and louder, after which chanted, “Will-ie! Will-ie! Will-ie!”
The sport was entertaining, with Giants heart fielder Heliot Ramos doing his personal Willie Mays’ impression with a three-run homer, whereas Alabama native Brendan Donovan hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals, however the sport was actually an afterthought, besides within the standings.
The Giants and Cardinals every wore throwback Negro League uniforms, with the Giants representing the San Francisco Sea Lions and the Cardinals the St. Louis Stars. The Giants even took it a step additional by sporting Black Barons jerseys and caps on the bus to the sport.
“I assumed it was actually cool to put on the hat and the jersey on the bus,” stated Giants pitcher Jordan Hicks, one in all solely three Black gamers on the 2 groups’ energetic rosters. “It’s actually cool to honor him that approach.”
Giants supervisor Bob Melvin, who grew up within the Bay Space and idolized Mays, gathered his group earlier than the sport, eager to share his personal Mays tales and welcoming others to talk.
It was the primary time the group had an opportunity to speak about Mays collectively since his demise. They have been taking part in an evening sport in opposition to the Chicago Cubs when the Giants introduced Mays’ demise and performed a day sport the next day at Wrigley Discipline.
“I needed to speak about simply how particular he was,” Melvin stated, “not solely in baseball, however simply in life on the whole. And what he meant to me, what he meant to the group, what he meant to the Bay Space, what he meant to baseball. He’s only a true icon on the earth. I needed to share a few tales and the way particular it’s to be taking part in on this area. Principally, this area is the Holy Grail of baseball.”
Whereas Corridor of Famers Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, Jackson and Griffey roamed the sector earlier than the sport, Yastrzemski slowly took an emotional stroll into left area. That is the place his grandfather, Corridor of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, performed an exhibition sport with the Boston Purple Sox in opposition to the New York Yankees in 1971, and his dad, Mike, performed within the minor leagues in 1986 with the Birmingham Barons, the Class AA group for the Chicago White Sox.
“It was such an honor to have that piece of historical past right here,” Yastrzemski stated, “however I do suppose there’s larger issues which are occurring right here, and there’s an even bigger message that must be portrayed. So there’s a little bit piece of my having fun with that, however there’s additionally the larger piece that’s understanding the historic monument of this ballpark.”
Dusty Baker, the previous managerial nice who was near Mays, was not feeling effectively and couldn’t keep for the sport, however he nonetheless left his resort room to stroll exterior of Rickwood Discipline, take photos, after which shortly popped into the best area bleachers to say howdy to McGee.
“A variety of recollections right here,” stated Baker, who performed on the sector whereas within the minor leagues. “I needed to pay my respects.”
Former longtime umpire Ed Montague, who was a visitor of the Giants, grew teary-eyed simply strolling onto the sector and searching into the stands. That is the place his father sat and scouted Mays, signing him for $4,000 and a $250 month-to-month wage with the New York Giants in 1951.
“I’m attempting to image him again there proper now,” Montague stated. “I can think about myDad sitting again there with the opposite scouts sporting a fedora, a cigar in his mouth and a stopwatch in his hand.
“I keep in mind he got here down right here to have a look at Alonzo Perry, a primary baseman, and when he noticed Willie at 17, he forgot about Alonzo and went after Willie. He stated he virtually fell out of stands watching him play.
“My Dad went to Willie’s home, and met together with his dad and his aunt Sarah, had a fried rooster dinner, and signed Willie to a contract.”
This was additionally the primary time in Main League Baseball historical past a sport had an all-Black umpiring crew: crew chief and first base umpire Adrian Johnson; dwelling plate umpire Alan Porter; second base umpire C.B. Bucknor; and third base umpire Malachi Moore, with Jeremie Rehak within the replay sales space.
“It’s superb, overwhelming,” stated Johnson, who had by no means even been to Alabama. “It’s such a historic place and with the ability to meet a few of the Negro League gamers. It’s rather a lot to soak up. It was surreal.”
There have been 11 Black umpires in MLB historical past, and the umpiring crew honored Emmett Ashford, the primary Black umpire in 1966, sporting “EA” patches.
“To have the ability to area 5 Black umpires, it’s fairly particular,” stated Johnson, who has by no means had a couple of Black umpire on his crew. “Birmingham clearly has plenty of historical past, good and dangerous. However we’re specializing in the nice proper now.
“I feel the sport of baseball is sort of a therapeutic course of for lots of people now.”
Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn, who hit a double off the long-lasting left area scoreboard and scored two runs, stated that he and his stepfather needed to combat again tears simply touring to Birmingham to play the sport.
“After I noticed him this morning,” stated Winn, “he was virtually delivered to tears simply being right here and being a part of this. It was fairly emotional for me, a fairly particular honor, being one of many solely Black gamers out right here and representing the Black neighborhood.
“There will not be plenty of brothers in baseball, so I feel it’s essential being an inspiration not solely to children round St. Louis, however all around the world, attempting to get extra coloration in baseball.”
Cardinals infielder Brandon Crawford, who spent the primary 13 years of his profession within the Giants group, introduced eight members of his household to the sport and wore a mic for posterity. It was the primary time Crawford performed in opposition to the Giants, and his first skilled sport at third base, and to do it at Rickwood made it surreal.
“Enjoying right here at Rickwood, particularly with Willie passing away, made this particular,” Crawford stated. “I do know he hasn’t been doing effectively for some time, nevertheless it’s all the time unhappy when that day comes. You simply sort of replicate in your relationship and take a look at to consider a few of the good occasions.”
Crawford’s favourite story, he stated, was in spring coaching one yr, with Mays speaking with Giants greats Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey and Gaylord Perry.
“Any individual requested Willie what he would do when he went right into a hunch, how he would work his approach out of it,” Crawford stated. “He was like, ‘I don’t suppose I ever had a hunch earlier than. I feel I went oh-for-4 one time.’ That was basic Willie.”
Hunter Pence, a retired two-time World Collection champion with the Giants, remembers saddling as much as Mays someday, and stated, “Willie, I’ve acquired to ask you, what’s the farthest dwelling run you ever hit?”
Replied Mays: “What the heck you speaking about. It doesn’t matter how far you hit it. Hit within the first row, and it’s nonetheless a house run. You hit it too far, and also you’re not going to hit as many.”
“He all the time actually had nice insights,” Pence stated, “however that was one that basically impacted me.”
Giants six-time All-Star first baseman Will Clark remembers a time within the late ’80s, when Mays was practically 60 years previous, when teammate Kevin Mitchell was teasing Mays whereas standing behind the batting cage. Mitchell was virtually taunting him, as if Mays would one way or the other battle to hit in at the moment’s sport.
“Willie had sufficient, and he stated, ‘Give me a bat!’” Clark stated. “I gave him my bat, and he stated, ‘I don’t need this piece of crap. So Kevin gave him his bat, which was massive, 35 ounces. And the third swing, Willie hit one out over the fence in useless heart.
“I stated to Kevin, ‘Will you cease pissing off one of the best that’s ever been. He’s doing stuff at 50-something years previous that we are able to’t do and we’re a hell of rather a lot youthful and we play every single day.”
The tales continued all through the day and evening, and because the Giants left Rickwood to board group buses for the airport, a number of nonetheless wore their Birmingham Black Baron jerseys.
“I’m positive he’s right here,” Michael Mays stated. “He found out a strategy to be the focal point like he all the time did. He’s the star of the present.
“Hey, he’s Willie Mays.”