The Major League Baseball (MLB) is paying tribute to the Negro Leagues with a special game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama in June 2021. The game will honor the legendary Willie Mays, who played for the Birmingham Black Barons in 1948.
The Negro Leagues were formed in the early 1900s as a way for African-American players to play professional baseball. The leagues were segregated from the MLB, which did not allow African-American players until 1947. Despite the segregation, the Negro Leagues produced some of the greatest players in baseball history, including Willie Mays.
The tribute game will be held on June 19, 2021 at Rickwood Field, which was the home of the Birmingham Black Barons from 1910 to 1960. The game will feature current MLB players and will be broadcast nationally.
The tribute game is part of MLB’s ongoing effort to recognize and honor the contributions of African-American players to the game of baseball. In 2020, MLB created the Negro Leagues Legacy Program, which includes a special patch that all teams will wear on their uniforms during the 2021 season.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement, “We are proud to honor the legacy of Willie Mays and the Negro Leagues with this special game at Rickwood Field. This is an important step in our ongoing effort to recognize and celebrate the contributions of African-American players to our game.”
The tribute game is sure to be a memorable event and a fitting tribute to Willie Mays and the Negro Leagues. It will be a chance for fans to honor and celebrate the legacy of African-American players in baseball and recognize their immense contribution to the game.