Rickwood Field, December 2003
Rickwood Field is the oldest professional ballpark still in use in the United States. It is one of Birmingham’s true jewels, and has the singular distinction of being the place where I learned to love baseball watching my hometown Birmingham Barons.
After a brief absence, The Barons moved back to Rickwood Field in the summer of 1981, when I was two years old. They moved to a new home in the suburbs in 1988, one year after my family did the same.
Today Rickwood looks much different than it did in the 80’s. The local advertisements along the outfield fence have been replaced with fake ads intended to make the ballpark feel like it would’ve in the 50’s, presumably a concession to the period films that have been made there. The bright yellow and orange seats have been painted a uniform grey (although the original colors can be seen where the new paint has chipped). I don’t like the fake-feeling gloss that now covers the park, but I am comforted that someone is looking after it.
