Coverage Starts on Fox at 7 p.m. .
MLB’s tribute to the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, culminates tonight with a historic regular-season matchup between the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals. Rickwood, which is America’s oldest ballpark, has hosted 181 Hall of Famers since opening in 1910, including Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, and Reggie Jackson. To commemorate the occasion, the teams will wear throwback uniforms that pay homage to the Negro Leagues in San Francisco and St. Louis. Sixty former Negro League players are scheduled to be in attendance at the stadium, which has a capacity of 8,300.
The game will be a special one for the players taking part. “It means the world to me, and to my stepdad, who came into my life early on and taught me about the history of Black baseball players and their significance in our community,” Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn told MLB.com. “So, playing in this game, it’s going to be amazing.”
The event will also include a unique tribute to former Birmingham Black Baron and San Francisco Giant Willie Mays, who passed away on Tuesday. “He probably inspired me to play baseball and like it as much as I did,” Giants manager Bob Melvin told MLB.com. “I was a huge Willie Mays fan. For us to be able to go to Rickwood and celebrate that game where he played and all that’s involved now with the Negro Leagues and the stats being incorporated, I think we’re a perfect team to go there.”
Tonight’s game will air exclusively on FOX starting at 7:15 p.m. EST.
