New MLB game coming to Rickwood Field on Juneteenth

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Major League Baseball is returning to Birmingham’s Rickwood Field on Juneteenth weekend. The nation’s oldest ballpark, which hosted 2024’s nationally televised Rickwood Classic, will host MLB’s East-West game on June 19th.

The East West Classic is a 5-inning exhibition that will feature 30 retired superstars like C.C. Sabbathia, Gary Sheffield, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, and Alabama native Jake Peavy.

The game will honor the East-West Negro League ballgames that started in the 1930s.

Friends of Rickwood Field Executive Director Gerald Watkins says the $12 tickets will provide a lot of value.

“A long baseball game can you know, take two or three hours” says Watkins. “This is gonna be two hours max. And I think it will provide a lot of fun. The players are gonna be serious when they get to the plate or they get on base, but there’ll be a lot of, a lot of cutting up and clowning around and they’ll have a good time with it. And that’s what it’s all about. We want the fans to see something fun and I think they will.”

Watkins says while MLB has not committed to any events beyond this year, the East West Classic continues the relationship with Rickwood that began with last year’s game honoring Willie Mays and the Negro Leagues and followed considerable financial investment from the City of Birmingham to bring the field up to major league specs.

“When MLB came, they saw the effort the city put into the game last year, and the friends of Rickwood as well. And they, they wanted to develop a long-lasting relationship and come back and they wanted to celebrate the history of the ballpark as America’s oldest ballpark, the last ballpark standing that served as a home for the Negro Leagues. There’s so much history and I think they wanna help us keep that alive. So, they were looking for another opportunity. And this game last year was played at Cooperstown and I think they saw that this might be a very inviting place to bring it to.”

Tickets are $12 dollars and are available at mlb.com/rickwood. Before the game, MLB says league officials will join city officials from Fairfield to unveil a renovated Willie Mays Park, near where the legendary centerfielder grew up.

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