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The San Francisco Giants were at Rickwood Field on Thursday, June 20, to play against the St. Louis Cardinals for the Negro League tribute game. They also shared a moment of silence in honor of Giants legend Willie Mays, who died just a couple of days ago. At Rickwood, several Giants players met legendary Negro Leagues players, like Franklin Swafford and Rendon Marbury Jr.
Quite a few were lined up and wearing their uniforms and hats. Giants players wandered around talking with, shaking hands with, and learning from some of the oldest living baseball players.
The MLB has made a concerted effort to rectify its history with the Negro Leagues. They have integrated stats into one, meaning Negro League records are part of the MLB records now.
The final score was not positive for the Giants, though. They were defeated by the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-5. Brendan Donovan was the star, driving in three runs. He finished a triple shy of the cycle. Heliot Ramos hit a game-tying home run for the Giants early, but they couldn't keep the momentum.
Oli Marmol reflects on Rickwood Field game
While it ended in a win that might have impacted how much fun it truly was, St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said everything was a positive experience for the Rickwood Field game.
Via ESPN, he said:
“It was fun. The pregame ceremony was incredible. I got emotional. Just knowing where you're standing. Just the overall feel of the tribute to Willie Mays. The impact he had on people that he met, but also people he never met. That's when you know you've done it right."
Giants manager Bob Melvin added about the venue:
“One of a kind type of place to play. You look around and kind of can feel what transpired here a long time ago and the players that played on the field. It’d be nice to win the game, but pretty cool experience.”
If the MLB decides to continue this series well into the future, it seems that it would have support from those who played in it this year.
