Birmingham Barons visit Rickwood Field to see renovations before MLB's Tribute to the Negro Leagues game

GOOD EVENING. I’M SHERI FALK. I’M GUY RAWLINGS TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME. THE BIRMINGHAM BARONS VISITING HISTORIC RICKWOOD FIELD AFTER A WIN AGAINST THE CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS. �� 13 AARON LLEWELLYN WAS THERE FOR THE TEAM’S VISIT AS THEY GOT AN INSIDE LOOK AT ALL OF THE RENOVATIONS AHEAD OF SOME BIG GAMES. THE ANTICIPATION FOR BASEBALL LOVERS BUILDS JUST WALKING OUT ONTO THIS FIELD. YOU FEEL THIS NOSTALGIA. YOU FEEL THE THE ENERGY. IT’S ALMOST HAUNTING THE BIRMINGHAM BARONS GETTING A LOOK AT ALL THE UPGRADES INSIDE THE HISTORIC RICKWOOD FIELD, THE SIGNS IN THE BACKGROUND, THE CLUBHOUSE THAT WE JUST GOT TO WALK INTO, THE, FOR THE MOST PART, THE DUGOUTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. IT’S VERY SIMILAR AND YOU JUST GET A REAL TASTE OF WHAT IT USED TO BE LIKE. BACK IN THE DAY, THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ORGANIZATION IS BEING TIGHT LIPPED ABOUT THE RENOVATIONS, BUT SOME PLAYERS, LIKE OUTFIELDER TERRELL TATUM, ARE EXCITED TO SEE THE PROGRESS. WHEN I FIRST WALKED UP, I ACTUALLY SAID I WOULD LOVE TO PLAY HERE. I WOULD LOVE TO PLAY MORE THAN JUST ONE GAME HERE BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY LOOKS A LOT BETTER. IT ALMOST LOOKS BETTER THAN OUR FIELD. HONESTLY. TATUM IS HONORED TO BE BACK IN THE HOUSE WHERE IT ALL STARTED FOR THE TEAM, ESPECIALLY BEING AN AFRICAN AMERICAN BASEBALL PLAYER, IT’S REALLY NICE TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THAT I AM ABLE TO PLAY IN THE SAME STEPS AND THE SAME PLACES THAT ALL OF THOSE PLAYERS DID. PITCHING COACH FOR THE BARONS JOHN ELI SAYS WHEN HE WAS A PLAYER, HE GOT TO LEARN FROM SOME OF THOSE LEGENDARY PITCHERS. WILLIE MAYS, SWEET LOU ROBINSON AND MAURY WILLS. I WAS WATCHING WHEN THE WHITE SOX WERE PLAYING AND TIM ANDERSON WAS ABLE TO HIT THE WALK OFF, AND IT WAS A REALLY EXCITING MOMENT FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SEE A GUY LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING SO SPECIAL, AND IT’S SUCH AN EVENT LIKE THAT. THE BARONS WILL TAKE RICKWOOD FIELD AGAINST THE MONTGOMERY BISCUITS ON JUNE 18TH. IN JUST TWO DAYS LATER, THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS AND THE SAINT LOUIS CARDINALS WILL PLAY IN THE TRIBUTE TO THE -- LEAGUES GAME. TATUM HOPES THE GAME WILL INSPIRE YOUNG PLAYERS TO CHASE THEIR DREAMS LIKE HE WAS WATCHING THE 2021 FIELD OF DREAMS, KNOWING THAT THE GUYS LIKE THAT GOT TO PLAY HERE AND I GOT TO BE ON THE SAME FIELD AND BE AT GRACE, THE SAME MOUND AS SOME OF THE GREATS THAT THAT GREW UP IN THAT ERA, THAT PITCHED IN THAT ERA. IT’S IT’S REALLY I CAN’T EXPLAIN IT WITH WORDS. IN BIRMINGHA

The Birmingham Barons visited Rickwood Field after a 6-5 win against the Chattanooga Lookouts on Wednesday. The team got an inside look at the field during renovations before the Major League Baseball Tribute to the Negro Leagues game next month.Players told �� 13 they were excited to come back here and see the progress made since renovations started. Many of them said they were just here last season in September, and a lot can happen in a matter of months. Staff at Rickwood and the MLB are keeping the renovations under wraps. Crews are upgrading the field, clubhouse and the dugouts �� and the Barons got to see everything. Birmingham Barons first baseman Tim Elko is honored to be back in the house where it all started for the team.“Just to kind of get a little bit of a little history lesson on where we’re going to be playing here in a month or so,�� he said. “Kind of learn a lot of the guys that played here and kind of just what this field means to not only to the MLB, but just to just people in general. So many amazing people played here and got to experience this, and it’s just going to be a special moment when we get to play here.”The Barons will take Rockwood Field against the Montgomery Biscuits on June 18, and just two days later, the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals will play in the Tribute to the Negro Leagues game. Birmingham Barons outfielder Terrell Tatum hopes the games will inspire young players to chase their dreams like he was watching the 2021 Field of Dreams game.“I was watching when the White Sox were playing,�� he said, “and Tim Anderson was able to hit the walk-off. It was a really exciting moment for me to be able to see a guy like TA do something so special and such an event like that.”Pitching coach for the Barons John Eli said when he was a player, he got to learn from some of legendary players who pitched on the same mound as Willie Mays, Sweet Lou Robinson and Maury Willis.“Knowing that guys like that got to play here and I got to be on the same field and graced the same mound as some of the greats that grew up in that era, that pitched in that era �� I can’t explain it with words,�� he said.Tickets for the Tribute to the Negro Leagues game are sold out, but tickets for the Barons game against the Biscuits on June 18 are still available.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

Players told �� 13 they were excited to come back here and see the progress made since renovations started. Many of them said they were just here last season in September, and a lot can happen in a matter of months.

Staff at Rickwood and the MLB are keeping the renovations under wraps. Crews are upgrading the field, clubhouse and the dugouts �� and the Barons got to see everything. Birmingham Barons first baseman Tim Elko is honored to be back in the house where it all started for the team.

“Just to kind of get a little bit of a little history lesson on where we’re going to be playing here in a month or so,�� he said. “Kind of learn a lot of the guys that played here and kind of just what this field means to not only to the MLB, but just to just people in general. So many amazing people played here and got to experience this, and it’s just going to be a special moment when we get to play here.��

The Barons will take Rockwood Field against the Montgomery Biscuits on June 18, and just two days later, the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals will play in the Tribute to the Negro Leagues game. Birmingham Barons outfielder Terrell Tatum hopes the games will inspire young players to chase their dreams like he was watching the 2021 Field of Dreams game.

“I was watching when the White Sox were playing,�� he said, “and Tim Anderson was able to hit the walk-off. It was a really exciting moment for me to be able to see a guy like TA do something so special and such an event like that.��

Pitching coach for the Barons John Eli said when he was a player, he got to learn from some of legendary players who pitched on the same mound as Willie Mays, Sweet Lou Robinson and Maury Willis.

“Knowing that guys like that got to play here and I got to be on the same field and graced the same mound as some of the greats that grew up in that era, that pitched in that era �� I can’t explain it with words,�� he said.

Tickets for the Tribute to the Negro Leagues game are sold out, but tickets for the Barons game against the Biscuits on June 18 are still available.

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Birmingham Barons visit Rickwood Field to see renovations before MLB's Tribute to the Negro Leagues game

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