Rickwood turns 110!

September 2020

On August 10, 2020, America’s Oldest Ballpark turned 110. Rickwood is 2 years older than Fenway Park and 4 years older than Wrigley Field, which are the two oldest ballparks in the major leagues.

Back in 1910, the stores in Biringham closed early as the entire community celebrated the arrival of the first concrete and steel ballpark in the south. At 3:00 that afternoon, Rickwood opened to great fanfare before a partisan crowd estimated at 12,000.

Birmingham’s colorful owner, A.H. “Rick” Woodward, wearing a Barons’ uniform, walked out to the mound and threw out the first pitch — as in literally. The umpire called it a ball and Woodward was immediately relieved by Harry Covaleski, who “closed” for the next 9 innings. Manager Carlton Molesworth, who also played in the game as a center fielder, scored the first run in the history of Rickwood in the 6th, and the Barons managed to eek out a win over the Montgomery Climbers, 3-2.