San Francisco Giants Legend Won't Be Able to Attend Rickwood Field Game

Former San Francisco Giants great Willie Mays talks about the Rickwood Field game on Thursday.

Aug 11, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; Former San Francisco Giants great Willie Mays speaks at the ceremony to retire the number 25 of his godson, Barry Bonds, before a Major League Baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Giants at AT&T Park. / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants will have an incredible opportunity on Thursday night. Playing a game at Rickwood Field against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Giants will celebrate the history of the Negro League.

Former Giants all-time great Willie Mays started his baseball career as a teenager with the Negro League Birmingham Black Barons in 1948.

Mays had the chance to play at Rickwood Field, and he views it as a very special place in his heart.

He talked about it in a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle.

“Rickwood Field? I knew about it as a kid,” Mays said. “It was always there. As common as a church or a school or a movie theater. I grew up with Rickwood around the corner there, meaning nearby and within reach."

He added an inspiring story, talking about how Jackie Robinson changed the game and allowed him to dream big.

"The majors? I didn’t dream about the impossible. I was taught to see your goal in your mind and work toward it. I could work toward getting to Rickwood Field and the Birmingham Black Barons. I didn’t need to dream for that.

"For that, I needed to work hard, so I did. Rickwood became my training ground, my start, my first job. When things changed in ‘47 with Jackie (Robinson) coming in? Well, then I started to dream big."

Sadly, Mays won't be able to attend the game this year, but will be watching it from the Bay Area.

“I’m not able to get to Birmingham this year but will follow the game back here in the Bay Area. My heart will be with all of you who are honoring the Negro League ballplayers, who should always be remembered, including all my teammates on the Black Barons."

He also gave thanks to San Francisco and the Cardinals, as well as Major League Baseball, for putting this game together.

If it weren't for the Negro League, perhaps the baseball world would never have gotten to know Mays, an icon in the game for many reasons.

The Hall of Famer is one of the best players in MLB history, earning 24 All-Star nods in his career.

Major League Baseball has been looking for ways to incorporate the history of the Negro League into the game, and there's no better way to do that than by playing at Rickwood Field.