For the past six months, Birmingham’s Rickwood Field has been closed to the public.

The historic baseball park has been undergoing a transformative renovation project to get it ready for a special contest between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants on June 20.

Rickwood Field has undergone a spectacular renovation over the past six months. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

America’s oldest professional baseball park

On Aug. 18, 1910, a massive crowd came to see the Birmingham Barons beat the Montgomery Climbers in the first game ever played at Rickwood Field. Built by and named for industrialist Rick Woodward, the park was the home of the Birmingham Barons and Birmingham Black Barons until the late 20th century.

Today, Rickwood Field hosts more than 100 events each year, ranging from baseball camps to home games for the Miles College Golden Bears.

RELATED: Rickwood Field and Major League Baseball are set to put spotlight on Birmingham, Alabama

RELATED: From delivering fastballs to delivering the Gospel: Negro Leagues pitcher William Greason remembers Rickwood Field playing days

In 1992, care of the historic park was passed to Friends of Rickwood Field, a group of passionate fans dedicated to preserving the iconic landmark.

One such fan is Gerald Watkins, who saw his first game at Rickwood when he was 10 years old.

“I’ve loved the game my whole life; I’ve coached my kid and other kids, and I’ve been involved with Friends of Rickwood Field since 1996. Being a part of this is really special,” said Watkins, the organization’s chairman and executive director.

Rickwood Field celebrates its long, rich history. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

Renovating Rickwood Field

In June 2023, Major League Baseball (MLB) confirmed that Rickwood Field would be the site of Thursday’s Cardinals-Giants game. Tickets became available May 6 and sold out in less than an hour.

The game, titled MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues, will see players dressed in throwback uniforms:

• The St. Louis Cardinals will wear uniforms based on the St. Louis Stars, a Negro National League team.
• The San Francisco Giants will wear uniforms based on the San Francisco Sea Lions, a West Coast Negro Baseball League team.

The spectator stands at Rickwood Field. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

To comply with MLB requirements for players and spectators, Rickwood Field has undergone an extensive renovation over the past six months.

These repairs and upgrades were made possible by support from public and private organizations, including the Alabama Power Foundation.

“Rickwood Field is a historic landmark on Birmingham’s west side that provides baseball fans with an experience like no other through its rich history,” said Staci Brown Brooks, president of the Alabama Power Foundation. “We are honored to support the renovations of America’s oldest baseball park, not only for the upcoming MLB game in tribute to the Negro Leagues, but also for the future home of Miles College baseball.”

Watkins said, “Rickwood Field is so blessed and thankful to have corporate partners like Alabama Power support us in this venture. We could not have gotten this ballpark ready without the assistance of Alabama Power, so we thank them for everything they’ve done to support this endeavor.”

The new, expanded dugouts at Rickwood Field. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

What’s new at Rickwood Field

The newly renovated Rickwood Field will be unveiled to the public during a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) game between the Birmingham Barons and the Montgomery Biscuits on Tuesday, June 18.

“When people first step foot in Rickwood Field, the first thing they’re going to notice is the new field. It’ll be lighted, and it’s going to look spectacular. Everything is Major League quality,” Watkins said. “Then, they’re going to look around and see all of the other changes we’ve made, and they’re going to be thrilled. We’ve done a great job of melding the history of this park with the new improvements that set Rickwood Field up for a solid future.”

ADA-compliant seating options have been added to the stands. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

The playing field at Rickwood was lowered by several feet, with new draining and irrigation systems topped by natural turf. In addition:

• Dugouts have been deepened and expanded to fit 20-plus players, training staff, managers and coaches.
• The outfield wall has been altered to include padding, so if a player crashes into the wall, he won’t get hurt.
• Seating options have been upgraded, and ADA-compliant seating options are now available.

“I can’t say that this renovation is a dream come true, because I never could have dreamed anything this big,” Watkins said.

This story originally was published by Bham Now.