BARONS SET TO TAKE ON TRASH PANDAS IN THE RICKWOOD CLASSIC
JUNE 4, 2025 - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
By Jesse Kelley
The Birmingham Barons will take on the Rocket City Trash Pandas today at Rickwood Field in the Rickwood Classic. A tradition that began in 1996, the Birmingham Barons pay tribute to the oldest professional ballpark in America by playing one "turn back the clock" game to honor the history of baseball in Birmingham.
"When we first returned to Rickwood for an annual game from 1996 to 2019," said General Manager of the Birmingham Barons Jonathan Nelson. "We, along with the Friends of Rickwood, created a special baseball game that allows us to celebrate and truly honor legendary teams, players, and eras of the Black Barons, A's, and Barons' history." The city of Birmingham and Rickwood Field caught the eyes and attention of the entire baseball world last June with the playing of the MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues specialty game between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals.
A few days before the game, Willie Mays passed away at 93. Commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred released a statement after Mays' death: "Thursday's game at historic Rickwood Field was designed to celebrate Willie Mays and his peers. With sadness in our hearts, it will now also serve as a national remembrance of an American who will forever remain on the short list of the most impactful individuals our great game has ever known." When game day came around, members of the grounds crew at Rickwood Field painted the number "24" behind home plate to pay homage to Mays and his lasting impact on the game of baseball, his home state of Alabama, and all of the lives that he impacted both on and off the diamond.
The Cardinals defeated the Giants that night, 6-5, in front of nearly 9,000 people at Rickwood Field. The game was the first-ever MLB regular season game played in Alabama. Enterprise, Alabama native Brendan Donovan produced a 3-for-4 night at the plate with a home run and three RBI. Nearly every living baseball legend was in attendance for the game, with all living Negro League players receiving an invitation to the matchup. One of the game's more impactful and memorable moments came moments before the two teams took the field. Bill Greason, 99-year-old World War II veteran and former Birmingham Black Baron and St. Louis Cardinal, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Greason was a teammate of Mays on the Black Barons and lived across the street from Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta. Greason is the oldest living Negro League ballplayer.
The Barons have a record of 28-23 and claim the top spot in the Southern League North standings. Their counterparts from Huntsville are last in the division and league, with an overall record of 19-31. The Rickwood Classic's first pitch is set for 12:30 p.m.; tickets are still available for purchase at the link here.