Rickwood Field: Difference between revisions

From Bhamwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
 
(18 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 6: Line 6:
The Birmingham Coal Barons baseball team began playing professionally in [[1887]], with their home games at an informal park called "[[Slag Pile Field]]" in West End. In [[1901]] they joined the [[Southern Association]].
The Birmingham Coal Barons baseball team began playing professionally in [[1887]], with their home games at an informal park called "[[Slag Pile Field]]" in West End. In [[1901]] they joined the [[Southern Association]].


A. H. "Rick" Woodward, chairman of [[Woodward Iron Company]] and grandson of pioneer Birmingham industrialist [[Stimson Woodward]], purchased a majority share of the Birmingham Coal Barons baseball team from [[William McQueen]] in [[1909]] while he was still in his 20s. Immediately he began planning a grand showplace for his new team. He contacted Connie Mack for advice on the details, including the field dimensions, which were made similar to those of Shibe Park in Philadelphia (later renamed Connie Mack Stadium). He purchased land in the West End neighborhood of Birmingham from the [[Alabama Central Railroad]]. The $75,000 structure was designed by [[Southeastern Engineering Company]] of Birmingham (a short-lived subsidiary of Pittsburgh's General Fireproofing Company) and completed during the summer of [[1910]]. The 12.7 acre park was flanked along the basepaths by concrete and steel stands. A tile-roofed cupola on the roof behind home plate provided space for the announcer and the press. A newspaper contest produced the name of the stadium, taken from Woodward's first and last names.
A. H. "Rick" Woodward, chairman of [[Woodward Iron Company]] and grandson of pioneer Birmingham industrialist [[Stimson Woodward]], purchased a majority share of the Birmingham Coal Barons baseball team from [[William McQueen]] in [[1909]] while he was still in his 20s. Immediately he began planning a grand showplace for his new team. He contacted Connie Mack for advice on the details, including the field dimensions, which were made similar to those of Shibe Park in Philadelphia (later renamed Connie Mack Stadium) which was 378 feet to left, 515 feet to center, and 340 feet to right. The resulting playing area for Rickwood was 470 feet to left, 500 feet to center, and 335 feet to right field.
 
He purchased land in the West End neighborhood of Birmingham from the [[Alabama Central Railroad]]. The $75,000 structure was designed by [[Southeastern Engineering Company]] of Birmingham (a short-lived subsidiary of Pittsburgh's General Fireproofing Company) and completed during the summer of [[1910]]. The 12.7 acre park was flanked along the basepaths by concrete and steel stands. A tile-roofed cupola on the roof behind home plate provided space for the announcer and the press. A newspaper contest produced the name of the stadium, taken from Woodward's first and last names.


[[Image:Rickwood opening day.jpg|left|375px]]
[[Image:Rickwood opening day.jpg|left|375px]]
Line 19: Line 21:
In [[1931]] in the first game of the [[Dixie Series]] championship, Birmingham's 43-year-old [[Ray Caldwell]] outpitched 22-year-old [[Dizzy Dean]], who had guaranteed a win. The Barons won the series 4 games to 3. In [[1936]], at the suggestion of Woodward's son-in-law [[Jim Burt]], four monumental steel-frame light towers designed and fabricated by the Truscon Steel Company of Youngstown, Ohio were erected, allowing for night games. The gamble paid off with a surge in attendance.
In [[1931]] in the first game of the [[Dixie Series]] championship, Birmingham's 43-year-old [[Ray Caldwell]] outpitched 22-year-old [[Dizzy Dean]], who had guaranteed a win. The Barons won the series 4 games to 3. In [[1936]], at the suggestion of Woodward's son-in-law [[Jim Burt]], four monumental steel-frame light towers designed and fabricated by the Truscon Steel Company of Youngstown, Ohio were erected, allowing for night games. The gamble paid off with a surge in attendance.


On [[February 7]], [[1938]], Woodward sold the park to [[Ed Norton]], a local businessman, for $175,000. In [[1940]] Norton sold it to the Cincinnati Reds. Under their tenure, new outfield fences were built inside the original walls to reduce the field dimensions for the [[1941 Birmingham Barons|1941 season]].
On [[February 7]], [[1938]], Woodward sold the park to [[Ed Norton]], a local businessman, for $175,000. In [[1940]] Norton sold it to the Cincinnati Reds. Under their tenure, new outfield fences were built inside the original walls to benefit hitters for the [[1941 Birmingham Barons|1941 season]]. The new fence was 321 feet to left, 393 feet to center, and 332 feet to right.


Rickwood hosted game 7 of the [[1943 Negro World Series]] between the [[1943 Birmingham Black Barons|Black Barons]] and Homestead Grays. 10,000 fans packed the stands to see what turned into a pitchers' duel between [[Johnny Markham]] and Roy Partlow. [[Ed Steele]] drove in [[Leonard Lindsay]] in the 11th to tie the series at 3-3. The Grays went on to win the series in Game 8 at the Crampton Bowl in Montgomery two days later.
Rickwood hosted game 7 of the [[1943 Negro World Series]] between the [[1943 Birmingham Black Barons|Black Barons]] and Homestead Grays. 10,000 fans packed the stands to see what turned into a pitchers' duel between [[Johnny Markham]] and Roy Partlow. [[Ed Steele]] drove in [[Leonard Lindsay]] in the 11th to tie the series at 3-3. The Grays went on to win the series in Game 8 at the Crampton Bowl in Montgomery two days later.


Birmingham restaurateur [[Gus Jebeles (Barons owner)|Gus Jebeles]] purchased the Barons and their home park in [[1944]]. The ballpark hosted the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus in October [[1945]]. A ladies' rest room was added and the outfield fence reduced again in [[1948]]. In [[1949]] ownership changed hands again, going to a partnership of [[Al DeMent]], [[Al Belcher]], and [[Rufus Lackey]]. They added a small '''Dugout Restaurant''' in the entrance building in [[1950]] and installed additional box seats, necessitating the relocations of the dugouts farther down the baselines. In [[1958]] Belcher gained a majority share and control of the park.
Birmingham restaurateur [[Gus Jebeles (Barons owner)|Gus Jebeles]] purchased the Barons and their home park in [[1944]]. The ballpark hosted the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus in October [[1945]]. A ladies' rest room was added and the outfield fence reduced again in [[1948]].


==Closure==
In [[1949]] ownership changed hands again, going to a partnership of [[Al DeMent]], [[Al Belcher]], and [[Rufus Lackey]]. They added a small '''Dugout Restaurant''' in the entrance building in [[1950]] and installed additional box seats, necessitating the relocations of the dugouts farther down the baselines. In [[1958]] Belcher gained a majority share and control of the park.
 
===Closure===
Following the [[1961 Birmingham Barons|1961 season]], the Southern Association folded and, for the first time in 52 years, there would be no professional baseball at Rickwood. A proposal was floated for the [[City of Birmingham]] to purchase the facility and adapt it for use as a high school football stadium, but that idea was not pursued.
Following the [[1961 Birmingham Barons|1961 season]], the Southern Association folded and, for the first time in 52 years, there would be no professional baseball at Rickwood. A proposal was floated for the [[City of Birmingham]] to purchase the facility and adapt it for use as a high school football stadium, but that idea was not pursued.


Line 49: Line 53:
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Current status==
===Cobb===
Since [[1992]] the ballpark has been under the care of the [[Friends of Rickwood]] who are slowly but surely restoring each part of the facility while also hosting frequent amateur, police and semi-pro games and opening the gates to frequent visitors who can walk in any day and explore the grandstands or run the basepaths.
[[Image:Cobb still.jpg|thumb|right|375px|Still from "Cobb", with Roger Clemons on the mound portraying Ed Walsh and Tommie Lee Jones as Ty Cobb, about to steal third.]]
Though it lacked a revenue-generating tenant, Rickwood remained open, hosting frequent amateur, police and semi-pro games. The city also kept the gates open daily for visitors to walk in and explore the grandstands or run the base paths.
 
In [[1992]] an advance location team from Regency Enterprises scouted the then-dormant Rickwood Field as a possible location for an upcoming biographical feature film about Ty Cobb. On the night they first visited, rain was pouring through so many holes in the roof that there was nowhere to stand and talk. The producers were eager to make use of the park, and their interest spurred the formation of the [[Friends of Rickwood]] nonprofit to undertake its preservation and restoration. They gathered enough funding to stabilize the property enough to allow for film production. Graphic designer Ted Haigh prepared drawings for [[1992 Rickwood Field period ads|period-style advertisements]] on the outfield wall, many recognizing contributors to the preservation, which were executed by [[Skidmore Sign Company]]. The resulting [[List of feature films shot in Birmingham|feature]], entitled ''[[Cobb]]'' and starring Tommie Lee Jones opened in [[1994]]. The stadium also served as a location for the [[1995]] HBO movie ''[[Soul of the Game]]''.


Every summer since [[1996]], Rickwood Field has hosted the Barons for a "throwback game" in which both teams wear period uniforms. Each [[Rickwood Classic]] has honored a different era in Birmingham baseball history.
===Rickwood Classic===
In [[1996]], Rickwood Field began hosted the Barons for a "throwback game" in which both teams wear period uniforms. Each [[Rickwood Classic]] has honored a different era in Birmingham baseball history.


[[Image:Cobb still.jpg|thumb|right|375px|Still from "Cobb", with Roger Clemons on the mound portraying Ed Walsh and Tommie Lee Jones as Ty Cobb, about to steal third.]]
''[[42]]'' ([[2013]]) were filmed at Rickwood Field. Those productions contributed to the recreation of the scoreboard and pressbox, and the addition of 1940s period style advertisements on the outfield fences. Some of those retro-style ads have been sponsored by real Birmingham businesses, including a section sponsored by the descendants of Rick Woodward advertising the long-gone Woodward Iron Co. The outfield signs were designed by  
Scenes from the films ''[[Cobb]]'' ([[1994]]) and ''[[Soul of the Game]]'' ([[1995]]) were filmed at Rickwood Field. Those productions contributed to the recreation of the scoreboard and pressbox, and the addition of [[1940s]] period style advertisements on the outfield fence. Some of these retro-style ads have been sponsored by real Birmingham businesses, including a section sponsored by the descendents of Rick Woodward advertising long-gone Woodward Iron Co. The outfield signs were designed by Ted Haigh, a Los Angeles-based graphic designer and executed by [[Skidmore Sign Company]] of Birmingham.


As of [[2005]], the Friends of Rickwood had spent around $2 million refurbishing the grandstands, pressbox, locker rooms, roof and main entrance to the park. In December [[2007]] Birmingham mayor [[Larry Langford]] said he wanted to begin discussing the creation of a [[Negro and Southern Leagues Hall of Fame]] celebrating the contributions of African-Americans to the sport of baseball. In April [[2009]] he unveiled a proposal for a $7.5 million project that would include construction of the museum, additional renovations to the historic ballpark, and a skywalk connecting the two. City funding for the project was approved in May and contracts with [[Davis Architects]] for the renovations and with [[Exford Architects]] for the museum were approved in July. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on [[August 12]].
By [[2005]], the Friends of Rickwood had spent around $2 million refurbishing the grandstands, pressbox, locker rooms, roof and main entrance to the park. In December [[2007]] Birmingham mayor [[Larry Langford]] said he wanted to begin discussing the creation of a [[Negro and Southern Leagues Hall of Fame]] celebrating the contributions of African-Americans to the sport of baseball. In April [[2009]] he unveiled a proposal for a $7.5 million project that would include construction of the museum, additional renovations to the historic ballpark, and a skywalk connecting the two. City funding for the project was approved in May and contracts with [[Davis Architects]] for the renovations and with [[Exford Architects]] for the museum were approved in July. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on [[August 12]]. Langford was convicted in federal court on charges of fraud and bribery that October, and work on that project was set aside.


ESPN Classic broadcast a re-enactment of a Negro League game played at Rickwood on [[February 26]], [[2006]]. It featured teams wearing the uniforms of the Bristol Barnstormers and Birmingham Black Barons.
ESPN Classic broadcast a re-enactment of a Negro League game played at Rickwood on [[February 26]], [[2006]]. It featured teams wearing the uniforms of the Bristol Barnstormers and Birmingham Black Barons.
Line 63: Line 70:
In [[2014]] [[Alagasco]] donated salvaged materials from the demolition of the downtown [[Birmingham Southern Railroad freight depot]] for use in reconstructing the stadium's batting building. Rickwood Field was set to receive $500,000 for facility upgrades from the city's "[[Phase II Bond Projects]]" in [[2016]]. That money was instead used for emergency repairs to the structure. The [[Birmingham City Council]] approved a $1 million no-bid contract for [[J. J. Morley Enterprises]] to perform the repairs in early [[2018]].
In [[2014]] [[Alagasco]] donated salvaged materials from the demolition of the downtown [[Birmingham Southern Railroad freight depot]] for use in reconstructing the stadium's batting building. Rickwood Field was set to receive $500,000 for facility upgrades from the city's "[[Phase II Bond Projects]]" in [[2016]]. That money was instead used for emergency repairs to the structure. The [[Birmingham City Council]] approved a $1 million no-bid contract for [[J. J. Morley Enterprises]] to perform the repairs in early [[2018]].


On [[June 20]], [[2024]] Major League Baseball held the "[[MLB at Rickwood Field|MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues]]" regular-season game between the St Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at the stadium. Turf upgrades, expanded dugouts, new netting and alterations to the outfield wall were made to meet MLB requirements for player and spectators. Those improvements were also expected to allow the Southern League, part of the MLB's Professional Development League since [[2021]], to resume using the field for the Rickwood Classic. They would also make the field more suitable for college baseball. [[Trawick Contractors]] was awarded a $553,477 contract for repairs to the stadium in June [[2023]].
===MLB at Rickwood===
On [[June 20]], [[2024]] Major League Baseball held the "[[MLB at Rickwood Field|MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues]]" regular-season game between the St Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at the stadium. Major renovations were undertaken to adapt the stadium to meet MLB requirements for player and spectators. Consultants reassured preservationists that the ballpark would be kept in its "authentic state as much as possible."
 
MLB's field consultant Murray Cook supervised the alterations, which were planned with participation from the Friends of Rickwood. The playing field was entirely excavated for new subsurface drainage and irrigation, then topped with new clay and 120,000 square feet of Tahoma31 bermudagrass. The formerly mounded infield was flattened, home plate was pulled back about 10 feet closer to the backstop, and the angle of the diamond was shifted slightly counterclockwise. The resulting field dimensions from the new home plate are 325 feet to left, 400 feet to center, and 332 feet to right.
 
The grandstand was also modified, with new, much-larger dugouts, netting for the length of the foul line, and new foul poles. The outfield wall was replaced with protective padding, with new vintage style advertising screen-printed onto the surface. A "batter's eye" wall was added at center field. The glass lamps and lenses were removed from the 1930s lighting structures for safety. Temporary light towers were brought in for the event. The bullpen was moved
 
Those improvements also allowed the Southern League, part of the MLB's Professional Development League since [[2021]], to resume using the field for the Rickwood Classic, and also made the field more suitable for college baseball.
 
Birmingham's [[Public Athletic, Cultural and Entertainment Facilities Board]] issued $4.5 million in bonds through [[PNC Bank]] to fund renovations at Rickwood Field. The [[City of Birmingham]] appropriated more than $2.5 million toward the project. The Friends of Rickwood also led a 2024 Capital Campaign which brought in significant donations from the [[Alabama Power Foundation]], [[Jefferson County Commission]], [[Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau]], [[Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama]], [[Protective Life]], [[Regions Bank]], [[American Cast Iron Pipe Co.]], and [[Encompass Health]], along with in-kind donations from [[Protective Coatings Inc.]], [[Sherwin-Williams]], and [[Vulcan Materials]].
 
[[Trawick Contractors]] was awarded an $553,477 contract for initial repairs to the stadium in June [[2023]]. [[A. G. Gaston Construction]] performed additional work under contract to Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM).
 
The overall price tag for upgrades relating to the MLB at Rickwood game was around $5 million to 6 million.


==References==
==References==
Line 69: Line 89:
* Greenhill, Scott (September 27, 1973) "[http://bplonline.cdmhost.com/u?/p4017coll2,1302 Park board bans rock concerts at Rickwood Field]" {{BPH}} - via {{BPLDC}}
* Greenhill, Scott (September 27, 1973) "[http://bplonline.cdmhost.com/u?/p4017coll2,1302 Park board bans rock concerts at Rickwood Field]" {{BPH}} - via {{BPLDC}}
* Benson, Michael (1989). ''Ballparks of North America: A Comprehensive Historical Reference to Grounds, Yards, and Stadiums, 1845-Present''. McFarlands. ISBN 9780899503677
* Benson, Michael (1989). ''Ballparks of North America: A Comprehensive Historical Reference to Grounds, Yards, and Stadiums, 1845-Present''. McFarlands. ISBN 9780899503677
* Wainwright, Paige. (Fall 1995) “Rickwood Field: Grand Old Lady of Baseball.” ''Alabama Heritage''.
* Wainwright, Paige (Fall 1995) “Rickwood Field: Grand Old Lady of Baseball.” ''[[Alabama Heritage]]''.
* Whitt, Timothy (1995). ''Bases Loaded with History: The Story of Rickwood Field: America’s Oldest Baseball Park''. Birmingham, Alabama: R. Boozer Press. ISBN 0963612816.
* {{Whitt-1995}}
* United States Geological Survey (2006). "Rickwood Field". Retrieved February 1, 2006. [http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=115:3:10788549947682169962::NO::P3_FID:125622]
* {{Cook-2005}}
* [[Ben Cook|Cook, Ben]] (2005). ''Good Wood: A Fan's History of Rickwood Field.'' Birmingham, Alabama: R. Boozer Press.  ISBN 0963612832
* United States Geological Survey (2006) "[http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=115:3:10788549947682169962::NO::P3_FID:125622 Rickwood Field]" - accessed February 1, 2006
* Brewer, David (2006) "[https://www.hpef.us/take-me-out-to-the-ballpark Take Me Out to the Ball Park: The Restoration and Revitalization of Rickwood Field]." in Deborah Slaton, Chad Randl & Lauren Van Damme, eds. ''Preserve and Play: Preserving Historic Recreation and Entertainment Sites." Historic Preservation Education Foundation, National Council for Preservation Education
* Caple, Jim (May 11, 2007) "[http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/columns/story?columnist=caple_jim&id=2545695 Caple: Rickwood Field a Nod to an Earlier Era]" ESPN.com
* Caple, Jim (May 11, 2007) "[http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/columns/story?columnist=caple_jim&id=2545695 Caple: Rickwood Field a Nod to an Earlier Era]" ESPN.com
* Bryant, Joseph D. (April 2, 2009) "Birmingham considering museum, restoration at Rickwood Field." {{BN}}
* Bryant, Joseph D. (April 2, 2009) "Birmingham considering museum, restoration at Rickwood Field." {{BN}}
Line 80: Line 101:
* {{Barra-2010}}
* {{Barra-2010}}
* Carlton, Bob (August 18, 2010) "Happy Birthday, Rickwood Field! Birmingham's ballpark, America's oldest, hits 100." {{BN}}
* Carlton, Bob (August 18, 2010) "Happy Birthday, Rickwood Field! Birmingham's ballpark, America's oldest, hits 100." {{BN}}
* Dean, Charles J. (March 27, 2014) "[https://www.al.com/wire/2014/03/mark_brewer_and_alvin_harris_m.html David Brewer and Alvin Harris: makeup artists to an aging star -- Rickwood Field]." {{BN}}
* Wray, Cheryl (June 1, 2017) "Birmingham promises $500,000 to repair Rickwood Field, return Barons to historic park in 2018." {{BN}}
* Wray, Cheryl (June 1, 2017) "Birmingham promises $500,000 to repair Rickwood Field, return Barons to historic park in 2018." {{BN}}
* Harksen, Lauren (June 14, 2023) "Birmingham City Council approves $500,000 bid for Rickwood Field improvements." WBRC.com
* Harksen, Lauren (June 14, 2023) "Birmingham City Council approves $500,000 bid for Rickwood Field improvements." WBRC.com
Line 85: Line 107:
* Waldstein, David (June 20, 2023) "[https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/20/sports/baseball/rickwood-field-giants-cardinals.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare Going Back in Time, M.L.B. Will Play a Game at Rickwood Field]." ''The New York Times''
* Waldstein, David (June 20, 2023) "[https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/20/sports/baseball/rickwood-field-giants-cardinals.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare Going Back in Time, M.L.B. Will Play a Game at Rickwood Field]." ''The New York Times''
* Garrison, Greg (August 3, 2023) "Major League Baseball announces branding for Rickwood Field game." {{AL}}
* Garrison, Greg (August 3, 2023) "Major League Baseball announces branding for Rickwood Field game." {{AL}}
* Brewer, Jerry (August 27, 2023) "[https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/08/27/rickwood-field-birmingham/ Birmingham's Rickwood Field is the best kind of monument: A real one]." ''The Washington Post''
* Martin, Virginia (September 5, 2023) "Birmingham City Council OKs $4.5M More for Rickwood Field Improvements." ''[[BirminghamWatch]]''
* Garrison, Greg (October 30, 2023) "Rickwood Field under construction, historic dirt dug up." {{AL}}
* Chandler, Courtney (January 3, 2024) "Rickwood Field preparing for historic MLB game." CBS42.com
* Casagrande, Michael (February 6, 2024) "Don’t take Rickwood Field for granted, Birmingham." {{AL}}
* Watson, Nathan (June 13, 2024) "[https://bhamnow.com/2024/06/13/first-look-rickwood-field-renovation-nearly-complete-in-time-for-mlb-game/ Rickwood Field renovation nearly complete, in time for MLB game]." {{BNow}}
* Markusen, Bruce (June 13, 2024) "[https://www.birminghamtimes.com/2024/06/how-birminghams-rickwood-field-became-one-of-the-finest-ballparks-in-the-u-s/ Birmingham’s Rickwood Field Has Been Billed as ‘The Finest Minor League Ballpark Ever.’ Here’s Why]." {{BT}}
* "BrightView Transforms Historic Rickwood Field for MLB Special Game." (June 19, 2024) BrightView press releases / BusinessWire
* Verducci, Tom (June 19, 2024) "[https://www.si.com/mlb/rickwood-field-history-negro-league-willie-mays-tribute Rickwood 101: Everything to Know Before MLB’s Negro League Tribute Game]." ''Sports Illustrated''


==External links==
==External links==

Latest revision as of 16:31, 25 June 2024

Entrance to Rickwood Field in 2010
A plan of Rickwood Field (HABS 1993)

Rickwood Field, located at 1137 2nd Avenue West, at the corner of 12th Street West in Rising-West Princeton, is the oldest surviving professional baseball park in the United States. It was built for the Birmingham Barons in 1910 by industrialist and team-owner Rick Woodward and served as the home park for the Barons and for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. The Barons moved their home games to the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in 1987. Since then, Rickwood Field has been preserved and is undergoing continual restoration. A museum to house the Negro and Southern Leagues Hall of Fame has been proposed for a site next door to the park.

History

The Birmingham Coal Barons baseball team began playing professionally in 1887, with their home games at an informal park called "Slag Pile Field" in West End. In 1901 they joined the Southern Association.

A. H. "Rick" Woodward, chairman of Woodward Iron Company and grandson of pioneer Birmingham industrialist Stimson Woodward, purchased a majority share of the Birmingham Coal Barons baseball team from William McQueen in 1909 while he was still in his 20s. Immediately he began planning a grand showplace for his new team. He contacted Connie Mack for advice on the details, including the field dimensions, which were made similar to those of Shibe Park in Philadelphia (later renamed Connie Mack Stadium) which was 378 feet to left, 515 feet to center, and 340 feet to right. The resulting playing area for Rickwood was 470 feet to left, 500 feet to center, and 335 feet to right field.

He purchased land in the West End neighborhood of Birmingham from the Alabama Central Railroad. The $75,000 structure was designed by Southeastern Engineering Company of Birmingham (a short-lived subsidiary of Pittsburgh's General Fireproofing Company) and completed during the summer of 1910. The 12.7 acre park was flanked along the basepaths by concrete and steel stands. A tile-roofed cupola on the roof behind home plate provided space for the announcer and the press. A newspaper contest produced the name of the stadium, taken from Woodward's first and last names.

Rickwood opening day.jpg

Opening day on August 18, 1910, was celebrated by businesses closing all over town to allow fans to fill the park for the first pitch at 3:30 P.M. Over 10,000 people attended that first game in which the Barons defeated the visiting Montgomery Climbers 3-2. Throughout the first half of the 20th century Rickwood Field hosted sellout crowds for the Barons and the Black Barons who played on alternate weekends.

In 1912 a spring tornado tore through the field, pulling up the outfield fence. Two years later Woodward felt the need to have electric fans installed in the grandstands for the comfort of the crowd. On February 1, 1913 the stadium hosted a soccer match between "All-Star" teams from Atlanta, Georgia and the Birmingham District. Birmingham won 4-0. On August 18, 1915 Rickwood hosted a "Suffrage Day" 1-inning game between all-female baseball teams from Birmingham and Bessemer in support of the Alabama Equal Suffrage Association. Carlton Molesworth served as umpire.

During the 1920s Rickwood Field also hosted college football games. In 1921 the outfield fence was damaged in a tornado and quickly rebuilt. In October 1924 the Robert E. Lee Klan No. 1 hosted a rally which filled the grandstands with more than 23,000 people. Attendees saw an effigy of Senator Oscar Underwood buried under the platform at center field.

In 1924-1927 the infield bleachers were covered with a steel-framed roof designed by Denham, VanKeuren & Denham, Architects of Birmingham. Shortly after, In 1928 a new Mission style entry structure with offices was built to the designs of Paul Wright & Co., Engineers of Birmingham. A new concrete outfield wall replaced the original fence.

In 1931 in the first game of the Dixie Series championship, Birmingham's 43-year-old Ray Caldwell outpitched 22-year-old Dizzy Dean, who had guaranteed a win. The Barons won the series 4 games to 3. In 1936, at the suggestion of Woodward's son-in-law Jim Burt, four monumental steel-frame light towers designed and fabricated by the Truscon Steel Company of Youngstown, Ohio were erected, allowing for night games. The gamble paid off with a surge in attendance.

On February 7, 1938, Woodward sold the park to Ed Norton, a local businessman, for $175,000. In 1940 Norton sold it to the Cincinnati Reds. Under their tenure, new outfield fences were built inside the original walls to benefit hitters for the 1941 season. The new fence was 321 feet to left, 393 feet to center, and 332 feet to right.

Rickwood hosted game 7 of the 1943 Negro World Series between the Black Barons and Homestead Grays. 10,000 fans packed the stands to see what turned into a pitchers' duel between Johnny Markham and Roy Partlow. Ed Steele drove in Leonard Lindsay in the 11th to tie the series at 3-3. The Grays went on to win the series in Game 8 at the Crampton Bowl in Montgomery two days later.

Birmingham restaurateur Gus Jebeles purchased the Barons and their home park in 1944. The ballpark hosted the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus in October 1945. A ladies' rest room was added and the outfield fence reduced again in 1948.

In 1949 ownership changed hands again, going to a partnership of Al DeMent, Al Belcher, and Rufus Lackey. They added a small Dugout Restaurant in the entrance building in 1950 and installed additional box seats, necessitating the relocations of the dugouts farther down the baselines. In 1958 Belcher gained a majority share and control of the park.

Closure

Following the 1961 season, the Southern Association folded and, for the first time in 52 years, there would be no professional baseball at Rickwood. A proposal was floated for the City of Birmingham to purchase the facility and adapt it for use as a high school football stadium, but that idea was not pursued.

Instead, Belcher bought up the remaining stock in the stadium. Later that year he teamed up with Kansas City A's owner Charlie Finley to bring the Barons back for the 1964 season as a AA team in the newly-formed Southern League. Belcher had the stadium refurbished and painted in the new team colors of green and gold. Finley served as honorary bat boy for the first three innings of the Barons' opening night loss to the Asheville Tourists.

In 1964, General Manager Glynn West purchased 1000 wooden seats from New York's Polo Grounds and installed them at the park.

After declining attendance in the 1965 season, Belcher suspended play for the 1966 season, and Finley transferred his AA franchise to Mobile. Belcher put the park up for sale for $500,000 and threatened to demolish it for the salvage value. In 1966 he reached an agreement with the City of Birmingham, retaining a lease for the remainder of that year.

Later in 1966, the lease was transferred to Finley, who brought Kansas City's AA farm team back to Birmingham for the 1967 season, dubbed the "Birmingham A's". That year is also remembered for the day that 14,000 disappointed fans were sent home early when the Atlanta Braves vs. Southern League All-Stars exhibition game was called "on account of tornado." Neighborhood complaints led the Park & Recreation Board to prohibit rock concerts at the stadium in 1973. Nevertheless, Lynyrd Skynyrd headlined a July 4 show at Rickwood in 1975.

After increasingly dismal attendance numbers, the [now] Oakland Athletics ended its affiliation with Birmingham following the 1975 season. Except for the abortive 5-game run for the Freedom Baseball League's Alabama Barons on July 2-4, 1978, the stadium went six more years without a home team. Between 1979 and 1980 the wooden seats were replaced with plastic seats in the box areas and metal bleachers under the grandstands.

In 1981 Art Clarkson brought minor league baseball back to Rickwood. Clarkson purchased the Detroit Tigers' AA affiliate Montgomery Rebels in the Southern League and moved them to Birmingham, renaming them the Barons. Clarkson also had a new electronic scoreboard installed at the park. The Barons would change affiliations in 1985 to the Chicago White Sox, and would remain in Rickwood until 1987.

In 1987 the Barons moved to the new Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, in the suburb of Hoover.

Cobb

Still from "Cobb", with Roger Clemons on the mound portraying Ed Walsh and Tommie Lee Jones as Ty Cobb, about to steal third.

Though it lacked a revenue-generating tenant, Rickwood remained open, hosting frequent amateur, police and semi-pro games. The city also kept the gates open daily for visitors to walk in and explore the grandstands or run the base paths.

In 1992 an advance location team from Regency Enterprises scouted the then-dormant Rickwood Field as a possible location for an upcoming biographical feature film about Ty Cobb. On the night they first visited, rain was pouring through so many holes in the roof that there was nowhere to stand and talk. The producers were eager to make use of the park, and their interest spurred the formation of the Friends of Rickwood nonprofit to undertake its preservation and restoration. They gathered enough funding to stabilize the property enough to allow for film production. Graphic designer Ted Haigh prepared drawings for period-style advertisements on the outfield wall, many recognizing contributors to the preservation, which were executed by Skidmore Sign Company. The resulting feature, entitled Cobb and starring Tommie Lee Jones opened in 1994. The stadium also served as a location for the 1995 HBO movie Soul of the Game.

Rickwood Classic

In 1996, Rickwood Field began hosted the Barons for a "throwback game" in which both teams wear period uniforms. Each Rickwood Classic has honored a different era in Birmingham baseball history.

42 (2013) were filmed at Rickwood Field. Those productions contributed to the recreation of the scoreboard and pressbox, and the addition of 1940s period style advertisements on the outfield fences. Some of those retro-style ads have been sponsored by real Birmingham businesses, including a section sponsored by the descendants of Rick Woodward advertising the long-gone Woodward Iron Co. The outfield signs were designed by

By 2005, the Friends of Rickwood had spent around $2 million refurbishing the grandstands, pressbox, locker rooms, roof and main entrance to the park. In December 2007 Birmingham mayor Larry Langford said he wanted to begin discussing the creation of a Negro and Southern Leagues Hall of Fame celebrating the contributions of African-Americans to the sport of baseball. In April 2009 he unveiled a proposal for a $7.5 million project that would include construction of the museum, additional renovations to the historic ballpark, and a skywalk connecting the two. City funding for the project was approved in May and contracts with Davis Architects for the renovations and with Exford Architects for the museum were approved in July. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on August 12. Langford was convicted in federal court on charges of fraud and bribery that October, and work on that project was set aside.

ESPN Classic broadcast a re-enactment of a Negro League game played at Rickwood on February 26, 2006. It featured teams wearing the uniforms of the Bristol Barnstormers and Birmingham Black Barons.

In 2014 Alagasco donated salvaged materials from the demolition of the downtown Birmingham Southern Railroad freight depot for use in reconstructing the stadium's batting building. Rickwood Field was set to receive $500,000 for facility upgrades from the city's "Phase II Bond Projects" in 2016. That money was instead used for emergency repairs to the structure. The Birmingham City Council approved a $1 million no-bid contract for J. J. Morley Enterprises to perform the repairs in early 2018.

MLB at Rickwood

On June 20, 2024 Major League Baseball held the "MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues" regular-season game between the St Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at the stadium. Major renovations were undertaken to adapt the stadium to meet MLB requirements for player and spectators. Consultants reassured preservationists that the ballpark would be kept in its "authentic state as much as possible."

MLB's field consultant Murray Cook supervised the alterations, which were planned with participation from the Friends of Rickwood. The playing field was entirely excavated for new subsurface drainage and irrigation, then topped with new clay and 120,000 square feet of Tahoma31 bermudagrass. The formerly mounded infield was flattened, home plate was pulled back about 10 feet closer to the backstop, and the angle of the diamond was shifted slightly counterclockwise. The resulting field dimensions from the new home plate are 325 feet to left, 400 feet to center, and 332 feet to right.

The grandstand was also modified, with new, much-larger dugouts, netting for the length of the foul line, and new foul poles. The outfield wall was replaced with protective padding, with new vintage style advertising screen-printed onto the surface. A "batter's eye" wall was added at center field. The glass lamps and lenses were removed from the 1930s lighting structures for safety. Temporary light towers were brought in for the event. The bullpen was moved

Those improvements also allowed the Southern League, part of the MLB's Professional Development League since 2021, to resume using the field for the Rickwood Classic, and also made the field more suitable for college baseball.

Birmingham's Public Athletic, Cultural and Entertainment Facilities Board issued $4.5 million in bonds through PNC Bank to fund renovations at Rickwood Field. The City of Birmingham appropriated more than $2.5 million toward the project. The Friends of Rickwood also led a 2024 Capital Campaign which brought in significant donations from the Alabama Power Foundation, Jefferson County Commission, Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Protective Life, Regions Bank, American Cast Iron Pipe Co., and Encompass Health, along with in-kind donations from Protective Coatings Inc., Sherwin-Williams, and Vulcan Materials.

Trawick Contractors was awarded an $553,477 contract for initial repairs to the stadium in June 2023. A. G. Gaston Construction performed additional work under contract to Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM).

The overall price tag for upgrades relating to the MLB at Rickwood game was around $5 million to 6 million.

References

External links

Birmingham Barons
Birmingham Black Barons * Managers * Records * Rickwood Classic * Teams
Venues: Slag Pile Field, Rickwood Field, Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, Regions Field
Managers: Harry Vaughn, Carlton Molesworth, Rick Woodward, Phil Cavaretta, Terry Francona
Barons: Jeff Abbott, Wilson Alvarez, Sal Bando, Jason Bere, Vida Blue, Mark Buehrle, Mike Cameron, Joe Crede, Rob Dibble, Ray Durham, Scott Eyre, Rollie Fingers, John Garland, Burleigh Grimes, Roberto Hernandez, Catfish Hunter, Bo Jackson, Reggie Jackson, Howard Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tony LaRussa, Carlos Lee, Rube Marquard, Jack McDowell, Miguel Olivo, Magglio Ordonez, Aaron Rowand, Pie Traynor, Bob Wickman, Bobby Thigpen, Frank Thomas, Robin Ventura
Black Barons: Lorenzo "Piper" Davis, Willie Foster, Willie Mays, Satchel Paige, Willie Wells
Retrieved from "http://bhamwiki.com/w/index.php?title=Rickwood_Field&oldid=218236"