Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Monday Inspiration - Rickwood Field
Earlier this week there was a professional baseball game played at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The park is the oldest professional ballpark in the United States, holds about 10,000 people, and is full of stories and history. The St. Louis Cardinals played as the St. Louis Stars of the Negro National League and the San Francisco Giants played as the San Francisco Sea Lions of the West Coast Negro Baseball League.
Willie Mays played there when he was 17 years old and was expected to be a big part of this very special event, but unfortunately he passed away just a few days earlier. This, of course, added a bit of a sombre and spiritual mood to the evening.
As part of the pre-game ceremonies (live on FOX and the link is in the first comment), former baseball player and star Alex Rodriguez asked Reggie Jackson about his feelings in coming back to Rickwood Field (he played for the Birmingham A's in 1967).
So first let's put a little bit of context around this. Reggie was 21 years old in 1967, in his second year of professional baseball. He had been drafted second the year before, surrounded by rumors that he was not picked first because of his white girlfriend. Oh, did I mention Reggie was black?
Now Reggie has never been shy about stating his opinion, and he welcomed the opportunity with "Coming back here is not easy" and "...I wouldn't wish it on anybody". And then he provided millions of people with a first-hand report of exactly what it was like to be refused food and lodging because he was black (he actually used the N-word). Luckily, his white friends and his manager protected him and the team acted as one, refusing to stay or eat anywhere Reggie wasn't welcome. And he was smart enough to know that they probably saved his life. Had he been able to fight back, he figured he would have found himself "in an oak tree somewhere".
WOW. Thank you Reggie for reminding us of the senseless attitudes of the day and the pain they caused. And thank you for standing up and telling it like it was. Millions of people needed to hear it.
See you on the diamond.
Michael Gauthier
(NDY) Not Done Yet
Owner, Pickleball Strokes
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