Rickwood Field, a time capsule of opportunity and oppression, welcomes MLB for Negro Leagues tribute

By ALANIS THAMES
AP Sports Writer

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Rickwood Field will host an MLB game between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants on Thursday. It’s the oldest professional ballpark in the U.S. and former home to baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays and the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. It’s a time capsule of opportunity and oppression, a site for social gatherings and political events, as well as baseball achievements in the 20th century. The game meant to honor Mays and many other Negro Leaguers will be both somber and reminiscent. Mays, the electrifying center fielder who left an enduring mark on baseball, died Tuesday afternoon.