(Birmingham) Willie Mays will not be on hand when the San Francisco Giants play the St. Louis Cardinals at Rickwood Field on Thursday in the game to honor him and the Negro Leagues.
Mays, who began his career at Alabama with the Black Barons and played for the Giants from 1951 to 1972, told the San Francisco Chronicle he was going to watch the game from the comfort of his home.
“I’m not able to travel to Birmingham this year, but I’ll watch from here,” Mays said in a statement provided to the newspaper Monday. My heart will be with all of you as you honor the Negro Leagues players we must forever remember, including my Black Barons teammates.
“I would like to thank Major League Baseball, the Giants, the Cardinals and all the fans who will be at Rickwood or watching the game. It will be a special day and I hope the young people will enjoy and be inspired by it. »
MLB worked with the city of Birmingham and the Friends of Rickwood charity group to renovate the 114-year-old, 10,800-seat stadium, making it the oldest professional stadium in the United States.
There will also be a AA match between the Birmingham Barons and the Montgomery Biscuits of the Southern League on June 18.
