Today’s guest columnist is Maury Shevin.
Birmingham has done it!
After decades of stagnation and missteps, Birmingham continues to make decisions that prove to the world that we are not the Birmingham of old.
Birmingham has lived with an inferiority complex for a long time.
Ever since the coal, iron and steel barons refused to move down from Pittsburgh, and instead took a train weekly down to their “colony” in Birmingham; ever since the powers-that-be in Montgomery refused to allow Birmingham self-rule; ever since Bull Conner punished Delta Airlines for wanting to integrate a plane terminal and drove Delta to Atlanta; and ever since the powers-that-be in Birmingham refused to desegregate and instead closed—well—everything; we have had an inferiority complex. Sure, we have had some serious winners—UAB, the Bruno family, and others—but these have too often been the exception rather than the rule.
Yes, we have had a serious inferiority complex.
However…depending upon how you measure time, the “Birmingham complex” has been waning. I’ve written about our progress before. Whether one credits the overcoming of our “troubles” to the revitalization of Parkside, Woodlawn, the City Center or Avondale, there is no denying our accomplishments.
And, June 20, 2024, when Major League Baseball came to Rickwood Field, will for me, forever be the point in time when Birmingham put the nail in the Birmingham complex coffin.
MLB at Rickwood Field, celebrated the contribution to baseball of the Negro Leagues. It was a truly stellar event. It could not have been better—from the logistics, the revitalization of Rickwood Field, the national TV audience, the appearance of scores of celebrities, the attendance of former Negro Leagues players and the absolutely incredibly cooperative June weather—well, it was a magical evening.
The entire week leading up to the game including the dedication of the Willie Mays Mural at 18th Street & 1st Avenue North, that coincided with celebrating the life and death of Mays, made for a glorious time in Birmingham.
But understand. This week was so much more than about a baseball game. It was a reckoning with our history. It was a welcoming of the Negro Leagues into the MLB family—yes it came late—but it came; and it came in Birmingham, Alabama. The old Birmingham and Alabama paradigm of “you will have to make me,” was put to rest on June 20th. Birmingham and its rich baseball tradition, extended the warmest of welcomes to the Negro Leagues into the MLB family. And, we did it on a national stage. And, we didn’t miss a step.
To say that I am proud of Birmingham is an understatement. I am proud for our people. I am proud for the foresight of our leadership. And, I am proud for our ex-patriots—who stood up throughout the country to be recognized as proudly being from Birmingham.
Birmingham is building on its successes—in a measured way—not in an Atlanta, Georgia way. As our friend Bill Smith, founder of Shipt and Landing, is fond of saying, “Birmingham is big enough to matter, but not so big that you don’t matter.” MLB at Rickwood Field showed the country what Birmingham is today.
And, let’s admit it: We are all looking for a little good news these days.
Maury Shevin—passionate about the City of Birmingham–lives, works, thinks and plays on Birmingham’s Southside.
David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown. He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).
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Invite David to speak for free to your group about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. dsher@comebacktown.com.
If Rickwood Field is historic and worthy of preservation because Willie Mays and other baseball legends played there, why wasn’t Candlestick Park in San Francisco where Willie Mays and other baseball and football legends played, preserved?
1. Candlestick is San Francisco’s problem not Birmingham’s.
2. Lots of classic parks like Forbes, Ebbets, Shibe, Tiger, etc. were torn down. Candlestick wasn’t nearly as old and any of those (or Rickwood) since it opened in 1960. It wasn’t even a classic ballpark. It was a multipurpose dump in a terrible location. The 2 ballparks that replaced it for the Giants and 49ers were significant upgrades.
Are you really asking this goofy question? Candlestick Park was built in 1960 and has no where near the history of Rickwood Field.
Mr. Shevin has precisely captured my own feelings about Thursday night. And the challenge, as always, is to take those feelings of pride, run with them, and see how far it can take the city in an ever-positive direction.
AMEN! Now, will this pride ignite our citizens to ardently desire, vividly imagine and enthusiastically act – to make us one great city?
Brother Shevin is very much on point!
I watched the game on TV while I heard from some of my NYC friends who thought WOW maybe they need to relocate to the Birmingham of 2024!!!
The “miracle” at Rickwood was indeed a triumph. All who organized it are to be congratulated and honored.
But…Why did it take the MLB to pay for the “restoration?” Is not cleaning up and maintaining the park and its use by Miles College and others the tax-paid responsibility of the city of Birmingham?The question is: Why did the City of Birmingham let Rickwood decay…? Ask someone who was there* about the antique bathrooms. Every celebrity, MLB executive, major league team member, and the public forced to use porta-potties. I have Miles and Ramsey High School alum who remember the water being turned off during games and no where to go to the bathroom.
* My neighbor’s children (one who plays for Miles) reported the bathrooms out-of-order.
The city of Birmingham could not possibly be expected to keep a 115 year old baseball stadium in good condition. This is the oldest ballpark in America only because other cities have had the good sense to tear down their older ballparks.
What a celebratory event – and an exceptionaly upbeat commentary.
Thank you Maury!
I think that the renewal of the Rickwood Classic and, especially, the MLB Cards/Giants game were terrific events that should cement in the minds of the nation’s sports fans from now on (1) the memory of Willie Mays and his Birmingham roots, (2) the history of the Nego Leagues, and (3) Rickwood’s clear claim to be the oldest professional baseball park in the nation.
Kudos to MLB, the Friends of Rickwood, and the City for their work in making these events happen.
My biggest disappointment regarding these two events was the ridiculously too high pricing of the tickets, which resulted in a significant number of empty seats at both events
I am sure the city will soon upgrade the rest room facilities and modernize Rickwood Field!!!
Maury Shevin wrote the eloquent truth. As a Birmingham ex-pat, I too was so proud of my home town.
Rickwood is and has been a lifelong memory for me. And a good one. And private citizens also helped get it renovated years ago.
I remember going to games with a prominent Birmingham lawyer friend. We sat in the press box (up on the roof). This goes back to before it was integrated. Great games. Great people, upstairs and downstairs! Memories, memories. (Wish we had managed to save terminal station!)
The entire week at Rickwood was tremendous. Thursday night’s game was secondary to being able to listen to those who played for the Black Barons or even those who played at Rickwood as part of the Barons. Unfortunately the number of Black Barons are dwindling each year and when theyare gone only the ghosts of Rickwood will remain.
I would have loved for current city, state, and federal governmental officals to use this game as more than a photo-op. This could have been a time for listening, emphathy, and healing.
I would have loved to have any city, state, orfederal governmental offical listen the Reggie Jackson talk about his Best Day at Rickwood or about the struggle he had just to live everyday life in the city. I would have loved for anyone to have said, “I’m sorry you had to experience that. We are working to change so that never happens to anyone again.”
Unfortunately the people of Birmingham that I spoke to were embarassed about the discussions of racism. They wished it had never been brought up. Much like this article and blog in general, the author only wants to look at the surface but not at any real issues. Let’s be honest for once. Education issues in Birmingham is rooted in “white flight”. White flight is rooted in racism. Crime is rooted in race issues including red-lining.
Let’s move beyond a ballgame and talk about what really has & is happening to our city.