Two days before Major League Baseball plays at the historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, fans at the ballpark took the time to honor the late Willie Mays.
Mays, the 24-time MLB All-Star, died on Tuesday at 93, leaving the baseball world devastated.
Rickwood — the former home of the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues — played host to the Double-A Birmingham Barons and Montgomery Biscuits on Tuesday, two days before the Giants and Cardinals come to the 114-year-old ballpark — the oldest professional baseball stadium in the country.
During the game, an announcement was made over the public address system that honored his life and legacy in baseball and beyond.
“Willie Mays, one of the greatest players in the history of our game has passed away at the age of 93,” the PA announcer said. “He was born here in Alabama, and he got his start here in this very ballpark. Thrilled generations of baseball fans with his brilliant play, and we will always cherish the memory and life of Willie Mays.”
Fans inside the ballpark — which contains the Willie Mays Pavilion — then stood and cheered, with some tipping their hats and chanting “Willie, Willie!” to honor the two-time National League MVP.
Players also doffed their caps and applauded the Hall of Fame outfielder.
Mays, a Westfield, Alabama native, played for the Black Barons — as a 17-year-old — for one year in 1948 before embarking on his historic big league career that saw him hit 660 home runs.
Before his death, Mays put out at a statement this week that he would not be attending the game at his old home ballpark, but said the venue was a place he would always cherish in his life.
“I wish I could come out to Rickwood Field this week to be with you all and enjoy that field with my friends, Rickwood’s been part of my life for all of my life,” Mays said in the statement. “Since I was a kid. It was just ‘around the corner there’ from Fairfield, and it felt like it had been there forever. Like a church.
“The first big thing I ever put my mind to was to play at Rickwood Field. It wasn’t a dream. It was something I was going to do. I was going to work hard to be one of the Birmingham Black Barons and play ball at Rickwood Field. That’s what I did. It was my start. My first job. You never forget that.
“Rickwood Field is where I played my first home game, and playing there was IT — everything I wanted. I’d like to be there, but I don’t move as well as I used to. So I’m going to watch from my home. But it will be good to see that. I’m glad that the Giants, Cardinals and MLB are doing this, letting everyone get to see pro ball at Rickwood Field.
“Good to remind people of all the great ball that has been played there, and all the players.”
MLB Network announcer Rich Waltz, calling the Double-A game on Tuesday night, seemingly fought back tears as he read a statement with “heavy heart” from the San Francisco Giants about Mays’ death.
Friday’s game between the Giants and Cardinals will start at 7:15 p.m. Eastern.