Rickwood reborn: A timeline of America's oldest ballpark's rise, fall and rejuvenation
Updated: 6:49 PM CDT Jun 7, 2024
Rickwood reborn: A timeline of America's oldest ballpark's rise, fall and rejuvenation
Updated: 6:49 PM CDT Jun 7, 2024
MEANS TO THE PEOPLE WE SPOKE WITH. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME. TAKE ME OUT WITH THE CROWD. WE ARE SO HONORED AND PLEASED TO BRING A MAJOR LEAGUE GAME TO THE OLDEST BALLPARK IN AMERICA, TO RICKWOOD FIELD. IT鈥橲 JUST THE WAY BASEBALL USED TO BE PLAYED. BACK IN THE BACK IN THE 60S. AND THAT FROM WHEN I REMEMBER IT, I REMEMBER COMING OUT HERE AND WATCHING REGGIE JACKSON HIT HOME RUNS. I REMEMBER GENE TENACE IN 1969. THOSE ARE MY BEST MEMORIES AS MOST PEOPLE THAT WENT TO RICKWOOD WENT THERE. NOT ONLY TO WATCH A BALL GAME, BUT TO ENJOY IT AND HAVE A GOOD TIME AND TALK TO PEOPLE. YOU COULD TALK TO PEOPLE. IT WAS SO SPECIAL. OUR KIDS, UM, GREW UP OUT THERE AND THE FRIENDS YOU WOULD MAKE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, WE鈥橠 SIT NEXT TO THE SAME PEOPLE SEASON AFTER SEASON. BUT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE GENERATIONS OF GRANDFATHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, THE GRANDSON AND GRANDDAUGHTERS, UM, AND SO MANY OTHER FOLKS THAT JUST BE ABLE TO AGAIN, ENJOY AMERICA鈥橲 PASTIME IN THE MOST PUREST SENSE. IT鈥橲 BEEN IT鈥橲 BEEN HERE FOREVER. IT鈥橲 THE OLDEST. SO SO IT鈥橲 SOMETHING THAT STANDS SOME OF THE GREATEST BASEBALL PLAYERS TO EVER WALK THE FACE OF THE EARTH, WALK THAT DIAMOND. AND SO IT鈥橲 LIKE A SHRINE OF AMERICA CULTURE. AND IT EXISTS RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM. THREE STRIKES. YOU鈥橰E OUT AT THE OLD BALL GAME.
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Rickwood reborn: A timeline of America's oldest ballpark's rise, fall and rejuvenation
Updated: 6:49 PM CDT Jun 7, 2024
Watch full special - "Rickwood Field: Return to Glory"If the walls at Rickwood Field could talk, what would they say?Would they discuss the seemingly endless stream of baseball stars that rounded its bases, like Babe Ruth and Willie Mays? Would they ponder their position in history as a cornerstone of both the civil rights and women's suffrage movements? Or would they simply remember the thousands upon thousands of friends and families that shared in the great American pastime in the Magic City? If Rickwood's walls could talk, walls older than World War I and the sinking of the Titanic, what would they say?Let's start at the beginning.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't see the timeline? Click here.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
Watch full special - "Rickwood Field: Return to Glory"
If the walls at Rickwood Field could talk, what would they say?
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Would they discuss the seemingly endless stream of baseball stars that rounded its bases, like Babe Ruth and Willie Mays?
Would they ponder their position in history as a cornerstone of both the civil rights and women's suffrage movements?
Or would they simply remember the thousands upon thousands of friends and families that shared in the great American pastime in the Magic City?
If Rickwood's walls could talk, walls older than World War I and the sinking of the Titanic, what would they say?
Let's start at the beginning.
Can't see the timeline? Click here.