WEBVTT

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Okay, welcome to the latest episode of the Dan

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Time Podcast. I'm your host, Dan McCardle. DanTimePod

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at gmail .com is the email address at Dan TimePod

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in the search bar of your favorite or current

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social media site, whichever one you're bouncing

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between. That's going to lead you to the page

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for this podcast. I'm sometimes doing a flurry

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of posts on those pages, sometimes not. depending

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on the guest. Usually with songwriters, for instance,

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I'm trying to draw attention to a body of work

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or an album or various singles. So that's been

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a lot of fun and of special interest to me, the

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singer songwriters and musicians. So I hope you've

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enjoyed those guests. There will be more to come.

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Photojournalist Andy Rice from Birmingham, Alabama

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was my guest last week. Such Great catch -up

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with Andy a guy that I've known but haven't spoken

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to in almost 25 years starting to feel old Make

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sure you play that episode if you missed it last

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week This week we are keeping things in the Magic

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City Birmingham Alabama now I don't talk a lot

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about Birmingham on this show, but as you know

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if you listen to the show I don't talk a lot

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about me unless it's Deep in the conversation,

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but Birmingham is where I spent most of my youth

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from about eight years old forward, spent all

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my twenties there. And I draw on so many memories

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from the iron city, as it's also called Dan wine

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rib. Remember that name, the very first Dan to

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appear on this podcast. He suggested that I reach

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out to his contact, Gerald Watkins. He said,

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you've got to have this guy on the show. So special

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thanks to Dan for the referral and much appreciation

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to Gerald for taking, making time in his very

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busy schedule to speak with me. When I say very

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busy, you're about to find out why. Because of

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Gerald Watkins and the Friends of Rickwood, folks,

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there's going to be a major league baseball game

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played this summer between the San Francisco

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Giants. and the St. Louis Cardinals at historic

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Rick Woodfield in Birmingham. Now, I won't go

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into too much detail because we cover a lot of

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it on this episode, but Rick Woodfield in Birmingham,

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the oldest ballpark in the United States, will

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host a tribute to the Negro Leagues game on June

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20th of this year. The game honors Willie Mays,

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an Alabama native, and at 92, widely considered

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to be the greatest living ballplayer. The game

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will be televised nationally on Fox. Gerald,

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who serves as chairman and executive director

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of Friends of Rickwood, dives into the history

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of Rickwood Field, all sorts of fun facts, the

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renovations that commenced last October and were

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necessary to accommodate this MLB game, and so

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much more. I had a great time talking with Gerald

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and especially towards the end, reminiscing about

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our favorite ballplayers, favorite movies, Take

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a listen. I think you'll enjoy it just as much

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as we did, and it brings you back in time. Speaking

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of time, all right, you know what time it is.

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Today, it is Gerald Watkins time. Gerald, thank

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you so much for making time in your busy schedule

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to talk to me on this podcast. How are you today?

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Dan, I am great. And I appreciate you reaching

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out to me. I really enjoy being able to share

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the stories of Rick Woodfield. And I'm just happy

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to be here, you might say. Thank you for having

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me. And I appreciate my good friend Dan Weinrib

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recommending that we get together. So hopefully

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we'll have a good informative conversation and

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you just fire away and we'll take it from here.

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Well, first of all, Dan, and I'm sure you would

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agree if someone was trying to find somebody

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to say something bad about Dan Weinrib, they'd

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probably need to stop. for lunch, and they'd

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probably need to stop and catch their breath

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if they're running all over town. You're not

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going to find anybody who's got anything bad

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to say about Dan. He's a special guy, and from

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what I understand, I don't know if he's still

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involved at the Rickwood Classic as a scoreboard

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operator. Well, we have had to put the Rickwood

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Classic on hold. And when we do reincorporate

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the classic, I'm sure if Dan wants to go out

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there and handle the manual scoreboard, it's

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his job to lose. Well, Gerald, you guys, everyone

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with Friends of Rickwood have just got to be

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elated that over 30 years of this organization

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being in place and being there to protect Rickwood

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Field, to be hosting a major league baseball

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game. This is the first of its kind in the state

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of Alabama. June 20th, 2024, the San Francisco

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Giants and St. Louis Cardinals will be playing

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a ball game at Rickwood Field. And some of my

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listeners may have been to the Rickwood Classic.

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Some have not, but Gerald, just talk a little

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bit about that and what it takes to just get

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this this place MLB ready? Well, Dan, it is a

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monumental task, no doubt. We started this process

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in early 2021. I reached out to MLB on three

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or four different occasions and never really

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got any traction. And as luck would have it,

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a member of the Mississippi Braves came to visit

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Rick Woodfield in August of 21. And as we were

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talking, he said, you ought to have a field of

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dreams game here. And I said, well, I'd love

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to. I've tried to get in touch with MLB, and

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I haven't been successful. Do you have any ideas?

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And he said, I know a lot of people. Let me make

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some calls. So this gentleman worked for the

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Atlanta Braves, and he was in town visiting the

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Mississippi Braves. and his name was Doug Mancelino

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and Doug was a huge baseball fan and a baseball

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lifer as they called him. And he knew a lot of

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people and he said, I think I could help you.

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So he reached out to MLB and MLB in turn reached

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out to me and they called and they came and visited

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the ballpark in October of 21 with the idea of

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doing some special event. At that point in time,

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there was no name for it or real concept. It

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was just, let's take a look at America's oldest

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ballpark. Let's take a look at one of the last

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places where the Negro leagues played as a home

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field. And let's take a look at the place where

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Willie Mays and Satchel Page and 180 other Hall

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of Famers had played. And so the visits continued

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from that point on. We had to get the city of

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Birmingham involved because they actually own

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the park. We have a lease and we run the park.

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We had to get the city involved because the requirements

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that MLB would put upon us were much too great

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for us to handle on our operating budget. So

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we reached out to the city. We connected the

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city officials, myself, some folks with the barons

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were involved in MLB. And we started talking

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seriously about what would have to happen at

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the ballpark in order to have a big league game.

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And also, it's real important to note that we

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were put in the position of not being able to

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host the Rickwood Classic because of some of

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the deficiencies at the ballpark. And so MLB

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agreed that if we were to get all these things

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repaired and renovated, if you will, that we

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could not only look at hosting the Rickwood Classic

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again, but the potential to have an MLB game.

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And so conversations continued for months on

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end. And I can't really tell you the exact date

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that anything was finalized, but conversations

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were continuing to take place. And finally, Major

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League Baseball said, here are the conditions

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that you need to take care of on the field. And

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if you can do that and get that done by a certain

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date, we can have an MLB game. So we started

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working on that. The great thing was the city

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saw the not only the benefit to Rick Woodfield

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and keeping open America's oldest ballpark, but

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also the economic benefit of having a major league

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baseball game in Birmingham. And so all the dominoes

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fell and Here we are. We are almost six months

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away. Construction started in October and it's

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been amazing. It's hard to imagine what has happened

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since October on the field. The entire playing

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surface was dug up and removed. The irrigation

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system and drainage system are being put in now.

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The dugouts are being built. And there's a host

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of other things going on. So it's just amazing

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what has happened and what will continue to happen

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until we get ready to play the game in June.

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And Gerald, this is, like you said, the oldest

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ballpark in the United States. And in 2020, it

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was actually designated a Major League Baseball

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ballpark. So you could really say it's the oldest

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MLB facility. In the country built in 1910 or

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first game opening day was in 1910 113 almost

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114 years ago. It's got Fenway and Wrigley beat

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by a couple years built of concrete and steel

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It's just a classic early 20th century design.

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You're never gonna see this again unless there's

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some retro version of it, but there's just nothing

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like this park and Ten years after opening day

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1910 Negro League Baseball Began in 1920 and

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I guess that was originally the the Birmingham

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Stars. Is that right? That's right. And then

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I guess another ten or so years later. They were

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the Birmingham Black Barons and really considered

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to be major league caliber competition Well,

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that's true unfortunately The times being what

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they were, African -American players and white

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players were not allowed to play together. But

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the talent was there on both sides. And there

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were some tremendous ballplayers that played

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in the Negro leagues that didn't get the publicity

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and weren't nearly as well known as some of the

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white counterparts. But they were very talented

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ballplayers nonetheless. And sometimes I think

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this gets glossed over where the Negro League

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players of that part of the 20th century, you

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know, number one, they've got the talent, but

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they're having to do a lot of this stuff with,

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you could say one hand tied behind their back.

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They're, they don't, they may know where they're

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sleeping, but they're not getting the same accommodations

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on the road. They're not eating as well as their

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white counterparts. They're having to go out

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there and try to play ball and focus on catching

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a pop fly or Throwing a ball from shortstop to

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first and somebody's hurling insults at them.

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So they're putting up these numbers and playing

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at this high level with all of that noise and

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all of that, uh, anxiety going on. Um, that I

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think, I know it gets mentioned, but I wanted

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to point it out in this show. These guys are

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really legends, special legends of the game for

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performing at that level with all of that raining

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down on them. Well, that's very true the stories

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of the long bus trips and the inability to eat

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at restaurants and stay at nice hotels all those

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things are horrid tales, but thank God they're

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in their past and The best thing we can do now

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is pay tribute to those players whenever we can

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and and go forward I Had a chance. I used to

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have a consecutive game streak with the Rickwood

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Classic, I think going from 07 to maybe 12 and

00:13:16.090 --> 00:13:20.169
then moved to Pensacola and I went to the 2019

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Classic and it was there that I just happened

00:13:22.850 --> 00:13:28.210
to sit next to James Cowboy Atterbury who has

00:13:28.210 --> 00:13:32.470
since passed away. He was with the Philadelphia

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Stars towards the end of the final years of the

00:13:36.370 --> 00:13:39.710
Negro League. and was scouted by Buck O 'Neill,

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drafted by the Cubs, played in the California

00:13:43.450 --> 00:13:46.370
Angels organization, but that was something else.

00:13:46.470 --> 00:13:49.789
My buddy, Jim and I, we just moved around during

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the game and we just sat in another area of the

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ballpark and just happened to be sitting next

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to a legend of the Negro Leagues. You know, Dan,

00:14:01.629 --> 00:14:04.429
a lot of those Negro Leaguers came to the classics

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and there were tons of guys that came and were

00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:11.899
here on a regular basis like Jake Sanders and

00:14:11.899 --> 00:14:14.539
Henry Elmore and they all have their stories

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and it's a good thing that they're being remembered

00:14:17.919 --> 00:14:21.320
and it's a tremendous thing that Major League

00:14:21.320 --> 00:14:23.179
Baseball is going to pay tribute to the Negro

00:14:23.179 --> 00:14:27.659
Leagues and shine the light on those guys once

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more. And the greatest living player of all time

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Willie Maze the say hey kid at 17 years old 1948

00:14:38.990 --> 00:14:42.450
played for the Birmingham Black Barons and led

00:14:42.450 --> 00:14:46.710
them to the Negro World Series I Did some further

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research and Willie actually is a young boy His

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dad who worked in the steel mills of Fairfield

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would take him to to ball games But they had

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to sit and what was called the Negro bleachers

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Which as you can imagine was not a desirable

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location probably right in the hot sun Far away

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from home plate, but he fell in love with the

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game. His favorite player was Joe DiMaggio He

00:15:11.820 --> 00:15:15.820
got to watch cool Papa Bell satchel page. I thought

00:15:15.820 --> 00:15:19.899
that was so neat and for Willie to still be Around

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and I think I saw a quote when they announced

00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:24.779
this game was taking place in Birmingham at Rickwood

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He said I can't believe it He was just ecstatic

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and do you have any updates on if the say hey

00:15:31.100 --> 00:15:34.710
kid himself will be at? this very special ball

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game? I know that the powers that be at MLB are

00:15:38.570 --> 00:15:41.149
working on that. A lot has to do with Willie's

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health. I am very, very hopeful that he will

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be able to make it. We'll just have to keep our

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fingers crossed. And we're only six months away,

00:15:51.090 --> 00:15:54.190
so let's hope that Willie is healthy and can

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travel. And his attendance here will be just,

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it'll be the crowning glory to have him back.

00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:06.120
and be here to celebrate that game and also just

00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:09.820
to bring new attention to his career. Willie

00:16:09.820 --> 00:16:13.799
was tremendous and most people who are baseball

00:16:13.799 --> 00:16:16.539
historians would rank Willie as number one two

00:16:16.539 --> 00:16:19.519
or three greatest baseball players of all time

00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:22.919
and it just depends on your your viewpoint or

00:16:22.919 --> 00:16:25.440
your perception whether you like home runs or

00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:28.159
stolen bases or fielding or whatever but Babe

00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:31.460
Ruth Ty Cobb and Willie Mays are generally thought

00:16:31.460 --> 00:16:33.440
to be the three greatest baseball players of

00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:37.360
all time. And who you put it first in that list

00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:40.039
is a personal choice, but Willie is right up

00:16:40.039 --> 00:16:43.960
there. And Gerald, speaking of Ty Cobb, for those

00:16:43.960 --> 00:16:47.179
of you listening across the country, around the

00:16:47.179 --> 00:16:50.019
world, there were some movies filmed at Rickwood

00:16:50.019 --> 00:16:54.139
Field over the years. Cobb was one of them, soul

00:16:54.139 --> 00:16:57.149
of the game. The Jackie Robinson film, 42, and

00:16:57.149 --> 00:16:59.870
then some other documentaries, I believe. Well,

00:16:59.870 --> 00:17:03.929
that's true. The 42 movie was the last big movie

00:17:03.929 --> 00:17:06.430
that was filmed here. And of course, that was

00:17:06.430 --> 00:17:10.069
the story of Jackie Robinson and Chad Boseman

00:17:10.069 --> 00:17:12.670
played Jackie. And unfortunately, Chad has passed

00:17:12.670 --> 00:17:15.650
away. And prior to that, Soul of the Game, which

00:17:15.650 --> 00:17:18.970
was an HBO flick that was never going to the

00:17:18.970 --> 00:17:23.170
big screen, but TV only. And then Cobb and the

00:17:23.170 --> 00:17:25.390
Cobb movie basically saved the ballpark from

00:17:25.390 --> 00:17:28.490
from ruin. The ballpark had been empty for several

00:17:28.490 --> 00:17:31.789
years and the friends of Rick would were formed

00:17:31.789 --> 00:17:35.549
to try to save the ballpark and getting the friends

00:17:35.549 --> 00:17:38.130
Rick would together with Ron Shelton and the

00:17:38.130 --> 00:17:40.950
Hollywood folks basically put the ballpark back

00:17:40.950 --> 00:17:44.109
in the condition that it could be utilized for

00:17:44.109 --> 00:17:46.589
games and the friends of Rick would have marketed

00:17:46.589 --> 00:17:51.259
it and kept it open and. made it a destination

00:17:51.259 --> 00:17:54.559
point for baseball fans for many, many years.

00:17:56.039 --> 00:17:58.920
And all those things probably wouldn't have happened

00:17:58.920 --> 00:18:01.079
without the Cobb movie coming, because that brought

00:18:01.079 --> 00:18:03.359
attention to the ballpark, it brought money to

00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:06.759
the ballpark, and the rest, as they say, is history.

00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:10.299
So here we are many, many years later on the

00:18:10.299 --> 00:18:13.900
cusp of having what I consider the second biggest

00:18:13.900 --> 00:18:16.880
event in the history of the ballpark. The MLB

00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:19.400
game was second only to opening day when the

00:18:19.400 --> 00:18:23.779
ballpark was first open for play in August of

00:18:23.779 --> 00:18:28.680
1910. I remember going to the 2010 Rickwood Classic,

00:18:28.839 --> 00:18:32.319
which was the centennial celebration, just a

00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:35.660
really special event. And at each one of the

00:18:35.660 --> 00:18:38.380
Rickwood Classics, which featured the Birmingham

00:18:38.380 --> 00:18:41.920
Barons versus a Southern League opponent, you

00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:45.630
pay tribute to a different era. that team whoever

00:18:45.630 --> 00:18:49.450
the affiliate was sometimes it may be as far

00:18:49.450 --> 00:18:53.890
back as the 1910s or 20s or is I think one game

00:18:53.890 --> 00:18:59.170
pay tribute to a 1983 Barron's team and uniform

00:18:59.170 --> 00:19:03.049
color scheme and you always have some pretty

00:19:03.049 --> 00:19:05.990
high -profile guests I got to I didn't get his

00:19:05.990 --> 00:19:08.710
autograph but I made eye contact with sweet Lou

00:19:08.710 --> 00:19:11.829
Pennella I'm a Chicago Cubs fan, so that was

00:19:11.829 --> 00:19:14.470
enough for me just to get a wave and a smile

00:19:14.470 --> 00:19:18.490
from Lou. But you've had Dale Murphy there. Run

00:19:18.490 --> 00:19:21.769
through some of the special guests that the Rickwood

00:19:21.769 --> 00:19:25.750
Classic has played host to. Well, I'm a big Yankee

00:19:25.750 --> 00:19:28.750
fan, so I have been fortunate enough to host

00:19:28.750 --> 00:19:32.789
Bucky Dent, Darrell Strawberry, Dwight Gooden.

00:19:33.390 --> 00:19:36.710
We have had Tommy John. We've had Gaylord Perry.

00:19:37.180 --> 00:19:41.579
We've had a host of folks that have come to celebrate

00:19:41.579 --> 00:19:44.440
the Rickwood Classic and just bring additional

00:19:44.440 --> 00:19:46.420
attention to it and give something special to

00:19:46.420 --> 00:19:48.619
the fans because each of those autograph guests

00:19:48.619 --> 00:19:51.619
that you mentioned came and signed autographs

00:19:51.619 --> 00:19:54.079
for free. It was just our way of giving back

00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:58.099
to the fans and we're thankful that the Birmingham

00:19:58.099 --> 00:20:01.539
Barons partnered with us for so many years to

00:20:01.539 --> 00:20:04.490
make that happen. There are a lot of memories

00:20:04.490 --> 00:20:07.089
from the Rickwood Classic both for on the field

00:20:07.089 --> 00:20:09.230
activities and the things that happened behind

00:20:09.230 --> 00:20:12.609
the scenes and a lot of Rickwood lore was developed

00:20:12.609 --> 00:20:14.490
during those times that the Rickwood Classic

00:20:14.490 --> 00:20:17.089
was ongoing and we hope to recapture that in

00:20:17.089 --> 00:20:20.509
years to come. Now this year it's going to be

00:20:20.509 --> 00:20:23.849
a busy week so the classic which is a lot of

00:20:23.849 --> 00:20:26.529
times I think on a Wednesday is going to be on

00:20:26.529 --> 00:20:30.950
Tuesday the 18th then I've heard some talk and

00:20:30.950 --> 00:20:33.930
maybe you can confirm or it's not yet solidified

00:20:33.930 --> 00:20:36.349
yet. There might be a celebrity softball game

00:20:36.349 --> 00:20:40.529
in between on that Wednesday. Any news there?

00:20:41.269 --> 00:20:43.809
Well, first of all, there will be a minor league

00:20:43.809 --> 00:20:47.630
game between the Birmingham Barons and the Montgomery

00:20:47.630 --> 00:20:52.470
Biscuits on Tuesday, June the 18th. Now, Major

00:20:52.470 --> 00:20:56.150
League Baseball is running that. So it may have

00:20:56.150 --> 00:20:58.869
a name, but as of now, we don't know that it

00:20:58.869 --> 00:21:01.930
would be called the Rickwood Classic. So the

00:21:01.930 --> 00:21:04.430
Major League Baseball will handle that and we'll

00:21:04.430 --> 00:21:08.210
know about that in due time. But it will be six

00:21:08.210 --> 00:21:11.279
o 'clock in the afternoon or evening. Then on

00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:14.299
the next day, on Wednesday, there is talk about

00:21:14.299 --> 00:21:17.440
a celebrity softball game. Details are not readily

00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:19.279
available at this point. They're still in the

00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:22.140
works, but we're told that if they do pull that

00:21:22.140 --> 00:21:24.640
off, there'll be some really A -list talent here.

00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:27.380
Not necessarily baseball talent, but just star

00:21:27.380 --> 00:21:31.279
power to come in and make it just a continuous

00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:34.920
week of baseball. And then the big event, of

00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:37.059
course, is June the 20th, and that will be the

00:21:37.059 --> 00:21:40.039
Giants versus the Cardinals. And we're hoping

00:21:40.039 --> 00:21:42.180
both of those teams make some good moves in the

00:21:42.180 --> 00:21:46.200
off season and come in really strong and put

00:21:46.200 --> 00:21:48.220
on a really good show for the fans in Birmingham

00:21:48.220 --> 00:21:51.380
and across the world because Fox will be broadcasting

00:21:51.380 --> 00:21:56.000
that game to 55 countries. Although the crowd

00:21:56.000 --> 00:22:00.039
will not be nearly as big as most of the baseball

00:22:00.039 --> 00:22:02.920
games the major leagues played, we will have

00:22:02.920 --> 00:22:04.839
a sellout, I'm sure, and it'll be somewhere between

00:22:04.839 --> 00:22:08.220
8 ,000 and 9 ,000 people. And by the way, just

00:22:08.220 --> 00:22:10.700
in case anyone's curious, we, the Friends of

00:22:10.700 --> 00:22:13.680
Rickwood, will not be selling or giving away

00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:16.880
tickets at any level. So reach out to Major League

00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:18.900
Baseball, the Cardinals, or the Giants for any

00:22:18.900 --> 00:22:22.200
ticket requests you have. I'm glad you mentioned

00:22:22.200 --> 00:22:26.079
that because I'm sure as we get to March and

00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:29.380
April and certainly May, Some phones will be

00:22:29.380 --> 00:22:32.180
lighting up and somebody having to man those

00:22:32.180 --> 00:22:34.740
phones saying no Let me you need to reach out

00:22:34.740 --> 00:22:37.700
over here because it's gonna be a hot ticket

00:22:37.700 --> 00:22:42.140
and Everybody listening if you're a huge baseball

00:22:42.140 --> 00:22:45.579
fan like I am You'd obviously love to go to this

00:22:45.579 --> 00:22:48.660
game. There's a good chance. You just may not

00:22:48.660 --> 00:22:51.799
be able to get into the game It's just that big

00:22:51.799 --> 00:22:56.380
of an occasion but the city of Birmingham and

00:22:56.380 --> 00:23:00.920
just being around the ballpark or taking in some

00:23:00.920 --> 00:23:04.140
of what Birmingham has to offer in the way of

00:23:04.140 --> 00:23:08.240
museums, restaurants, other attractions, I guess

00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:10.839
speak a little bit to, I grew up there. I've

00:23:10.839 --> 00:23:12.759
been gone for about 10 years, but what's happening

00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:16.039
that might be fun for folks or maybe they could,

00:23:16.259 --> 00:23:20.700
you know, if there is that softball game or the

00:23:20.700 --> 00:23:23.880
Barrens and Biscuits contest might be possible,

00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:26.529
but What are some things around town that might

00:23:26.529 --> 00:23:30.250
make a trip to Birmingham worthwhile? Well, if

00:23:30.250 --> 00:23:32.569
you're a baseball fan, I would point out the

00:23:32.569 --> 00:23:35.369
Negro Southern League Museum. I would point out

00:23:35.369 --> 00:23:39.049
the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. And of course,

00:23:39.210 --> 00:23:41.450
Birmingham is a foodie town. There are great

00:23:41.450 --> 00:23:45.130
restaurants here. If somebody is coming to town

00:23:45.130 --> 00:23:47.289
and has time and wants to take in some of the

00:23:47.289 --> 00:23:50.210
natural sights, then there's always Oak Mountain

00:23:50.210 --> 00:23:53.289
and Ruffer Mountain parks that they can go to.

00:23:54.170 --> 00:23:57.509
Birmingham has a lot to offer, and one of the

00:23:57.509 --> 00:24:01.630
best things about this Major League game is that

00:24:01.630 --> 00:24:03.630
people are going to see a new Birmingham. What

00:24:03.630 --> 00:24:08.349
they hear over the airwaves and what they see

00:24:08.349 --> 00:24:11.329
is going to be totally different than maybe their

00:24:11.329 --> 00:24:14.130
perception. And we have guests here, Dan, all

00:24:14.130 --> 00:24:17.009
the time. Just yesterday, we had a couple that

00:24:17.009 --> 00:24:20.170
were here from San Francisco, and they were just

00:24:20.170 --> 00:24:22.230
wanting to see what the ballpark would look like.

00:24:22.539 --> 00:24:24.579
They don't anticipate they'll be able to get

00:24:24.579 --> 00:24:26.640
back for the game, but they just came to Birmingham

00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:29.940
for the sole purpose of seeing this ballpark

00:24:29.940 --> 00:24:32.539
and seeing where their beloved Giants are going

00:24:32.539 --> 00:24:35.720
to be playing in six months. And they'll take

00:24:35.720 --> 00:24:37.920
back some really nice stories about Birmingham.

00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:39.859
They love the tour that we were able to give

00:24:39.859 --> 00:24:42.779
them, although it was very limited. I know they

00:24:42.779 --> 00:24:44.819
had some food at some of our great restaurants

00:24:44.819 --> 00:24:48.180
and there's a lot to offer here that people are

00:24:48.180 --> 00:24:52.109
not really aware of and hopefully. this ball

00:24:52.109 --> 00:24:53.849
game will shine a new light on the Birmingham

00:24:53.849 --> 00:24:57.569
area. Not only from the baseball fans perspective,

00:24:57.670 --> 00:25:00.589
but for the general tourist and and folks that

00:25:00.589 --> 00:25:03.890
just want to come and experience something something

00:25:03.890 --> 00:25:07.730
else. And we look forward to having we as a community.

00:25:07.769 --> 00:25:11.710
Birmingham is known for being just a great place

00:25:11.710 --> 00:25:15.369
for tourists and people love being here. They

00:25:15.369 --> 00:25:18.009
always talk about how nice everyone is and so

00:25:18.359 --> 00:25:21.579
We have a lot to show off, and this ball game

00:25:21.579 --> 00:25:23.720
is going to give us a chance to do that. Yeah,

00:25:23.720 --> 00:25:26.279
it's a real family -friendly town. Whether you

00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:29.819
visit downtown, there's other nature activities,

00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:34.279
great restaurants all across downtown. Now, if

00:25:34.279 --> 00:25:38.279
folks want to land in Birmingham that week, is

00:25:38.279 --> 00:25:40.839
there an opportunity on Friday or the following

00:25:40.839 --> 00:25:44.779
Monday or Tuesday to tour the facility? Are there

00:25:44.779 --> 00:25:46.519
some closed off dates where there's not going

00:25:46.519 --> 00:25:50.430
to be? It will not be accessible. Well, once

00:25:50.430 --> 00:25:55.509
the ballgame is over, the MLB folks and all the

00:25:55.509 --> 00:26:00.130
associated vendors and the TV production area,

00:26:00.230 --> 00:26:03.089
all that stuff will begin to be taken down and

00:26:03.089 --> 00:26:05.990
moved off. So I can't really say how available

00:26:05.990 --> 00:26:08.509
the ballpark will be two or three or four days

00:26:08.509 --> 00:26:11.890
after the game. But if they can check our website

00:26:11.890 --> 00:26:15.099
and they can call. We can give them some information

00:26:15.099 --> 00:26:16.940
that would be more relevant at that time, but

00:26:16.940 --> 00:26:20.140
at this point at this point I can't say this

00:26:20.140 --> 00:26:23.160
production of having a major league game is huge

00:26:23.160 --> 00:26:26.859
and there will be probably three to five hundred

00:26:26.859 --> 00:26:29.200
people that will be part of just putting the

00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:33.299
game on and That's the Fox TVs folks. That's

00:26:33.299 --> 00:26:36.099
the concessionaires That's everybody that will

00:26:36.099 --> 00:26:38.059
play a part in putting on a big league game and

00:26:38.059 --> 00:26:40.299
so there's gonna be a lot of activities and a

00:26:40.299 --> 00:26:43.410
lot of people will be here and I just can't say

00:26:43.410 --> 00:26:45.829
how quickly all of that will be broken down and

00:26:45.829 --> 00:26:50.009
moved away. But once it is, then Rick Wood will

00:26:50.009 --> 00:26:53.529
return to hosting travel ball games. We have

00:26:53.529 --> 00:26:57.069
a home run derby. We have a fantasy camp. All

00:26:57.069 --> 00:27:00.710
those things that we've had in the past will

00:27:00.710 --> 00:27:03.690
continue. We just put everything on hold until

00:27:03.690 --> 00:27:06.670
after the big league game. So I'm anticipating

00:27:06.670 --> 00:27:09.430
probably about July 1st, the ballpark will be

00:27:09.430 --> 00:27:14.470
open for visitors for sure. And then we'll go

00:27:14.470 --> 00:27:18.190
on about our regular business. And Gerald, also

00:27:18.190 --> 00:27:21.710
putting on or getting the field MLB ready and

00:27:21.710 --> 00:27:23.710
everything that's been taking place since late

00:27:23.710 --> 00:27:27.029
October, all the construction going on. I'm sure

00:27:27.029 --> 00:27:31.269
that you're looking ahead to 2025, 2026. This

00:27:31.269 --> 00:27:34.750
is not planned to be a one and done. I'm sure

00:27:34.750 --> 00:27:37.390
everyone with friends Rickwood and other interests

00:27:37.390 --> 00:27:41.869
would love to make this an ongoing. tradition,

00:27:41.910 --> 00:27:45.730
maybe. Well, Dan, we hope to have a second game.

00:27:46.150 --> 00:27:48.730
When MLB did the field of dreams game in Iowa,

00:27:48.730 --> 00:27:51.430
they did two years. So we're hoping they'll do

00:27:51.430 --> 00:27:54.769
the same here. And I think what what needs to

00:27:54.769 --> 00:27:57.529
happen is Birmingham as a city needs to rise

00:27:57.529 --> 00:27:59.990
up and show its hospitality. We need to handle

00:27:59.990 --> 00:28:03.440
the traffic, the security. All those things need

00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:05.759
to be done first class and I'm sure they will

00:28:05.759 --> 00:28:07.960
because as I said before Birmingham has a way

00:28:07.960 --> 00:28:10.140
of showing its hospitality and rising to the

00:28:10.140 --> 00:28:13.859
occasion. The city has been great at every level

00:28:13.859 --> 00:28:16.319
and I'm sure they'll continue to do that. They'll

00:28:16.319 --> 00:28:19.119
do their part. The Friends of Rickwood will do

00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:22.640
ours and everybody that has a chance to be a

00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:24.660
part of it will do everything they can to make

00:28:24.660 --> 00:28:28.700
it a success and if it is very successful then

00:28:28.700 --> 00:28:32.220
we certainly hope MLB will come back. One of

00:28:32.220 --> 00:28:35.220
the other conditions is that once MLB leaves,

00:28:35.819 --> 00:28:38.079
we have to keep the field up at major league

00:28:38.079 --> 00:28:41.079
quality. So we'll have to be very careful about

00:28:41.079 --> 00:28:43.440
how many games we continue to play on the field.

00:28:43.940 --> 00:28:46.559
And we'll have to make, again, every effort to

00:28:46.559 --> 00:28:50.359
keep the ballpark in the same shape going forward

00:28:50.359 --> 00:28:53.000
as it will be by the time the MLB game comes.

00:28:53.220 --> 00:28:56.910
And we have people that are MLB. associates and

00:28:56.910 --> 00:28:59.630
affiliates that are going to give us some consultation

00:28:59.630 --> 00:29:01.990
and advice on what to do and how to handle that.

00:29:02.289 --> 00:29:04.670
And so our very, very best hope is that we will

00:29:04.670 --> 00:29:08.309
have that game a second year. However, we're

00:29:08.309 --> 00:29:10.670
working on some other things. We have been speaking

00:29:10.670 --> 00:29:13.910
with folks connected to Japanese baseball about

00:29:13.910 --> 00:29:16.650
having an exhibition game of Japanese teams to

00:29:16.650 --> 00:29:19.650
come in. We have been talking to the SWAC conference

00:29:19.650 --> 00:29:23.059
about having a SWAC championship game. There

00:29:23.059 --> 00:29:25.000
are other things that we're going to have. And

00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:27.799
MLB has told us, and I'm sure they've told other

00:29:27.799 --> 00:29:30.059
people as well, they are looking at ways to expand

00:29:30.059 --> 00:29:33.140
their reach and do things to grow the game. And

00:29:33.140 --> 00:29:36.779
so once they have our facility to their liking,

00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:38.920
they're going to give us an opportunity to host

00:29:38.920 --> 00:29:41.380
other things. And so this is just the beginning

00:29:41.380 --> 00:29:44.660
of a new era in Rickwood's history. And the MLB

00:29:44.660 --> 00:29:47.099
game is going to be special. And then there are

00:29:47.099 --> 00:29:48.900
going to be some very, very special events that

00:29:48.900 --> 00:29:52.640
happen after that. And not to be lost in this

00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:55.359
is our local teams. We are the home team for

00:29:55.359 --> 00:29:58.980
Miles College. Miles College plays about 20 games

00:29:58.980 --> 00:30:03.240
a year here. And once 25 gets here and they start

00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:04.920
putting their schedule into play, they're going

00:30:04.920 --> 00:30:08.819
to have a field that will be the envy of college

00:30:08.819 --> 00:30:11.880
baseball all over the world. And that's going

00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:14.460
to be a great recruiting tool for Miles. It's

00:30:14.460 --> 00:30:17.670
going to bring a lot of new eyes to the ballpark.

00:30:17.829 --> 00:30:19.490
I mean it's gonna be great and then we'll still

00:30:19.490 --> 00:30:22.390
continue to have some high school games and we'll

00:30:22.390 --> 00:30:25.829
have a ton of travel ball games and again people

00:30:25.829 --> 00:30:27.549
from all over the country have been coming to

00:30:27.549 --> 00:30:29.549
Rickwood for travel ball anyway but when they

00:30:29.549 --> 00:30:32.349
get a chance to come and play on the oldest baseball

00:30:32.349 --> 00:30:35.890
park in America but with the newest grounds the

00:30:35.890 --> 00:30:39.430
newest baseball grass and infield dirt and all

00:30:39.430 --> 00:30:41.569
that they're gonna find it a spectacular place

00:30:41.569 --> 00:30:43.420
and we're just gonna have We're going to have

00:30:43.420 --> 00:30:46.539
a stream of interest in the ballpark that we

00:30:46.539 --> 00:30:48.900
never could have imagined without this MLB game.

00:30:49.960 --> 00:30:52.940
Well, you've just got to be so satisfied with

00:30:52.940 --> 00:30:55.380
what the organization, Friends of Rickwood, has

00:30:55.380 --> 00:31:00.119
been able to accomplish since 1992. It was 87

00:31:00.119 --> 00:31:04.140
when the Birmingham Barons moved to the Hoover

00:31:04.140 --> 00:31:07.799
Metropolitan Stadium. At that time, a wonderful

00:31:07.799 --> 00:31:10.779
complex still is, multi -purpose facility, but

00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:13.259
There was those period of dormant years, like

00:31:13.259 --> 00:31:16.240
you referred to early in the episode, where if

00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:19.220
you all had not stepped in, it's really sad to

00:31:19.220 --> 00:31:22.859
imagine what might have happened to this baseball

00:31:22.859 --> 00:31:27.480
cathedral. I'm just, I feel gratified for you

00:31:27.480 --> 00:31:31.619
to be nearing this event and seeing this transformation.

00:31:32.140 --> 00:31:35.380
And I know I meant to make a plug here for Steve

00:31:35.380 --> 00:31:37.900
today's podcast, Leadership Lessons from the

00:31:37.900 --> 00:31:40.420
Negro Leagues. Folks, make sure you listen to

00:31:40.420 --> 00:31:43.039
that episode that Gerald Watkins appeared on.

00:31:43.460 --> 00:31:47.539
He talked about the irrigation upgrades, the

00:31:47.539 --> 00:31:51.799
turf upgrades, but also you had to kind of, as

00:31:51.799 --> 00:31:54.619
you said, grin and bear it with the old dugouts

00:31:54.619 --> 00:31:58.200
coming off the field and new dugouts being installed

00:31:58.200 --> 00:32:02.000
that can accommodate Major League Baseball standards.

00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:06.480
I guess all in all, though, the totality of what's

00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:10.869
taking place there. How thrilled are you? Well,

00:32:11.029 --> 00:32:17.430
I can't imagine what it would be like if we hadn't

00:32:17.430 --> 00:32:19.869
done what has happened over the years. If the

00:32:19.869 --> 00:32:22.089
Friends of Rickwood were not formed to keep this

00:32:22.089 --> 00:32:25.069
park available and open, I can't imagine where

00:32:25.069 --> 00:32:27.569
we would be now. But I will say this, for the

00:32:27.569 --> 00:32:30.490
longest time, Birmingham had a tradition of just

00:32:30.490 --> 00:32:33.150
doing away with old historic buildings. And we

00:32:33.150 --> 00:32:36.279
had a wonderful terminal building. I remember

00:32:36.279 --> 00:32:38.759
going to that when I was a kid and we let that

00:32:38.759 --> 00:32:42.180
get away. And I'm glad that the people with the

00:32:42.180 --> 00:32:44.599
friends of Rick Wood, the founders got together

00:32:44.599 --> 00:32:46.460
when they did and said, we're not gonna let that

00:32:46.460 --> 00:32:49.319
happen to Rick Woodfield. And so their efforts

00:32:49.319 --> 00:32:51.599
have been followed up by a lot of different people

00:32:51.599 --> 00:32:54.579
who have joined our group over the years. And

00:32:54.579 --> 00:32:57.819
here we are and we're on the cusp of something

00:32:57.819 --> 00:33:00.960
really, really special and people like Dan Weinrib

00:33:00.960 --> 00:33:03.910
and a lot of other folks. have been out here

00:33:03.910 --> 00:33:07.349
painting and cleaning toilets and picking up

00:33:07.349 --> 00:33:10.869
trash, giving up many, many weekends for many,

00:33:10.930 --> 00:33:15.650
many years so that someday we would be able to

00:33:15.650 --> 00:33:19.109
host something very special. And I don't think

00:33:19.109 --> 00:33:22.769
it was really ever imagined that it would get

00:33:22.769 --> 00:33:25.529
to the point where it is. I think everybody thought,

00:33:25.529 --> 00:33:28.789
oh, that would be cool. But until they did the

00:33:28.789 --> 00:33:30.849
Field of Dreams game, nobody really thought about

00:33:30.849 --> 00:33:33.640
it. about doing something like that here or if

00:33:33.640 --> 00:33:35.420
they did think about it they didn't think about

00:33:35.420 --> 00:33:38.299
it seriously because why why would they why would

00:33:38.299 --> 00:33:42.839
mlb come here but we gave them uh all the education

00:33:42.839 --> 00:33:46.299
we could on the history of the ballpark and the

00:33:46.299 --> 00:33:48.599
legendary guys who played here both in the negro

00:33:48.599 --> 00:33:51.339
leagues and in the minor leagues and in the tons

00:33:51.339 --> 00:33:53.480
and tons and tons of exhibition games that have

00:33:53.480 --> 00:33:57.380
been played here 182 hall of famers have played

00:33:57.380 --> 00:33:59.539
or coached on this field and that's babe ruth

00:33:59.539 --> 00:34:02.480
and say catch up paid and Jackie Robinson and

00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:05.599
Willie Mays and probably a stream ski and all

00:34:05.599 --> 00:34:07.220
those guys. I mean, there are tons of people

00:34:07.220 --> 00:34:09.980
that played here. And I forgot to say Hank Aaron,

00:34:10.099 --> 00:34:13.320
Hank Aaron, those guys played here and being

00:34:13.320 --> 00:34:17.980
able to tell their stories and keep this park

00:34:17.980 --> 00:34:22.159
open and then get to the point where we are now

00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:25.199
again, less than six months away from having

00:34:25.199 --> 00:34:27.460
a big league game here. It's an incredible story.

00:34:27.460 --> 00:34:29.940
And The Friends of Rickwood, the founders of

00:34:29.940 --> 00:34:34.500
the group that Dan and I are part of, really,

00:34:35.119 --> 00:34:36.900
the community should take their hats off to the

00:34:36.900 --> 00:34:38.960
Friends of Rickwood, because without the efforts

00:34:38.960 --> 00:34:43.079
of all those guys over the years, we wouldn't

00:34:43.079 --> 00:34:47.320
be where we are today. And we are looking forward

00:34:47.320 --> 00:34:49.820
to a great future. And the things that have been

00:34:49.820 --> 00:34:52.539
done to the ballpark have changed the character

00:34:52.539 --> 00:34:54.420
a little bit. Yes, the dugouts are going to be

00:34:54.420 --> 00:34:56.800
different. But the dugouts have been changed

00:34:56.800 --> 00:34:59.619
three or four times over the course of 114 years.

00:34:59.719 --> 00:35:03.380
And so it's not new to make changes. It's just

00:35:03.380 --> 00:35:05.599
people have grown accustomed to what we had.

00:35:05.659 --> 00:35:08.340
And when they see some of the new things, some

00:35:08.340 --> 00:35:11.239
people are going to wish that it hadn't happened.

00:35:11.280 --> 00:35:14.300
But for the most part, it's just like a lot of

00:35:14.300 --> 00:35:16.239
things. You have to accept change. And without

00:35:16.239 --> 00:35:20.159
change, we were struggling. The city of Birmingham

00:35:20.159 --> 00:35:23.480
has really been so huge in everything they've

00:35:23.480 --> 00:35:26.719
done. And then the corporate community, Alabama

00:35:26.719 --> 00:35:31.820
Power, Regions Bank, Blue Cross, Protective Life,

00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:35.519
Encompass, Assepco. All those companies have

00:35:35.519 --> 00:35:40.480
chipped in and have made this possible. So without

00:35:40.480 --> 00:35:43.159
all those folks, we wouldn't be where we are

00:35:43.159 --> 00:35:47.139
today. And I just I can't wait for June to get

00:35:47.139 --> 00:35:50.380
here and just see it all unfold before our very

00:35:50.380 --> 00:35:54.349
eyes. Birmingham is going to be the the focal

00:35:54.349 --> 00:35:56.809
point for baseball fans across the world for

00:35:56.809 --> 00:36:01.230
a week and And we'll see what happens after that

00:36:01.230 --> 00:36:05.090
well, it is just a wonderful culmination of events

00:36:05.090 --> 00:36:09.969
and People in the early 90s. I'm sure must have

00:36:09.969 --> 00:36:12.590
been asking some of you guys. Why are you doing

00:36:12.590 --> 00:36:15.250
this? Why is it worth it? Are you sure you want

00:36:15.250 --> 00:36:18.929
to take this on? There must have been some naysayers,

00:36:18.929 --> 00:36:22.300
but really an old ballpark like this, especially

00:36:22.300 --> 00:36:25.840
in Birmingham, well, historical sites preserve

00:36:25.840 --> 00:36:27.980
history. And if they're still standing and you

00:36:27.980 --> 00:36:31.099
can still look at it and walk through it, then

00:36:31.099 --> 00:36:34.460
you're in touch with the past. And the civil

00:36:34.460 --> 00:36:38.280
rights history in Birmingham needs to be preserved.

00:36:38.599 --> 00:36:41.460
It's the Birmingham Black Barons history needs

00:36:41.460 --> 00:36:44.519
to be preserved. You can go online and read about

00:36:44.519 --> 00:36:48.150
things. But it's no substitute for actually being

00:36:48.150 --> 00:36:52.730
able to walk into and experience something like

00:36:52.730 --> 00:36:57.130
Rickwood Field. It truly is. You know, I've been

00:36:57.130 --> 00:37:00.630
to Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. It's a very

00:37:00.630 --> 00:37:02.849
moving experience when you walk into an old ballpark

00:37:02.849 --> 00:37:05.989
like that. But Rickwood Field, it's just something

00:37:05.989 --> 00:37:09.030
magical. Would you agree though that the, when

00:37:09.030 --> 00:37:12.349
people ask, why would you do this going way back

00:37:12.349 --> 00:37:16.920
30 years? And the answer is... I think is to

00:37:16.920 --> 00:37:21.039
protect history and to remind people that these

00:37:21.039 --> 00:37:25.360
teams existed, these players existed. And actually,

00:37:25.699 --> 00:37:28.800
like you said, with Miles College and the ballplayers

00:37:28.800 --> 00:37:33.119
who play there, the players who will sign with

00:37:33.119 --> 00:37:36.480
Miles versus another school, this is changing

00:37:36.480 --> 00:37:39.949
lives. Well, it can be. It certainly can be.

00:37:40.170 --> 00:37:43.210
And one thing I like to share whenever I can,

00:37:43.329 --> 00:37:46.409
Dan, is the people. The people that I meet, and

00:37:46.409 --> 00:37:48.590
not only me, but the other members of the Friends

00:37:48.590 --> 00:37:50.570
of Rickwood, the people that we meet throughout

00:37:50.570 --> 00:37:55.349
the year who come here, and they walk in, and

00:37:55.349 --> 00:37:57.530
they're just amazed that they can get that close,

00:37:57.769 --> 00:37:59.789
that they can walk out on that field. And we're

00:37:59.789 --> 00:38:04.449
very... very open about the ballpark. We let

00:38:04.449 --> 00:38:07.329
people come out and borrow old gloves from the

00:38:07.329 --> 00:38:10.349
1930s and 40s and play catch on our field, and

00:38:10.349 --> 00:38:13.190
those kind of things, those make memories just

00:38:13.190 --> 00:38:16.469
like the memories that I had and many of the

00:38:16.469 --> 00:38:18.230
Friends of Rickwood members had when they were

00:38:18.230 --> 00:38:20.969
coming here as kids. I mean, we saw Reggie Jackson

00:38:20.969 --> 00:38:25.789
play. We saw, gosh, Gene Tennyson, Bobby Brooks,

00:38:25.989 --> 00:38:29.250
and we saw Jose Kinseko and Mark McGuire play

00:38:29.250 --> 00:38:32.409
here. We saw we saw all those people and that's

00:38:32.409 --> 00:38:34.670
a part of our childhood that we don't want to

00:38:34.670 --> 00:38:37.469
give away and so we're able to revisit that anytime

00:38:37.469 --> 00:38:40.329
we come on the field and there's just so much

00:38:40.329 --> 00:38:42.590
history as you said and when you walk out there

00:38:42.590 --> 00:38:44.909
and you can stand in the batter's box and have

00:38:44.909 --> 00:38:46.889
your picture made or you can walk out by the

00:38:46.889 --> 00:38:49.809
big scoreboard and you can imagine that you're

00:38:49.809 --> 00:38:52.610
standing on the same on the same field as all

00:38:52.610 --> 00:38:56.429
those greats and it's just a an experience that

00:38:56.429 --> 00:38:58.610
you can't get anywhere else i mean yankee stadium

00:38:58.610 --> 00:39:02.039
is great Dodger Stadium is great. But how many

00:39:02.039 --> 00:39:04.460
how many fans can actually go out on the mound

00:39:04.460 --> 00:39:08.340
and say they they got to pitch where Satchel

00:39:08.340 --> 00:39:10.760
Paige did or something like that. It's just it's

00:39:10.760 --> 00:39:13.079
a great experience. I am blessed to be a part

00:39:13.079 --> 00:39:16.480
of it. And the people that I have met and the

00:39:16.480 --> 00:39:18.159
people that are part of our group here, the Friends

00:39:18.159 --> 00:39:21.519
of Rick would have made this such a rewarding

00:39:21.519 --> 00:39:25.619
experience. And gosh, I may have mentioned earlier,

00:39:25.619 --> 00:39:29.570
we've had guests from 28 states. and eight or

00:39:29.570 --> 00:39:32.510
nine foreign countries this year, including New

00:39:32.510 --> 00:39:36.050
Zealand and Japan. This place is like a magnet.

00:39:36.230 --> 00:39:39.570
It draws you in and once you're here, you just,

00:39:39.570 --> 00:39:42.110
you become a part of the history. And it's just

00:39:42.110 --> 00:39:43.769
something we know we're gonna be able to continue

00:39:43.769 --> 00:39:46.590
for a long time to come since the city of Birmingham

00:39:46.590 --> 00:39:48.690
has stepped up so big along with our corporate

00:39:48.690 --> 00:39:52.110
partners to make the field readily available

00:39:52.110 --> 00:39:55.250
for continual play and visitors for the next

00:39:55.250 --> 00:39:58.639
many, many years. Now I know we're running out

00:39:58.639 --> 00:40:00.619
of time here, but a couple things I want to cover

00:40:00.619 --> 00:40:03.760
make sure that I plug here We mentioned Rick

00:40:03.760 --> 00:40:07.340
wood comm the website Anybody can become a member

00:40:07.340 --> 00:40:10.119
and there's different membership levels So if

00:40:10.119 --> 00:40:13.440
you can contribute 25 bucks, you still get a

00:40:13.440 --> 00:40:15.800
certificate and a sticker you can contribute

00:40:15.800 --> 00:40:19.159
on up 50 hundred five hundred dollars There's

00:40:19.159 --> 00:40:22.440
various levels, but make sure to visit Rick wood

00:40:22.440 --> 00:40:26.480
comm very easy site to navigate tab over to donate

00:40:26.750 --> 00:40:31.309
or membership levels Now just speaking about

00:40:31.309 --> 00:40:33.789
Your interest in the game growing up as a little

00:40:33.789 --> 00:40:36.489
kid. I know that you you and your brother I read

00:40:36.489 --> 00:40:40.210
about Your experience with Charlie Finley's AIDS

00:40:40.210 --> 00:40:43.289
and he got it's a remarkable story. I think your

00:40:43.289 --> 00:40:46.329
little brother Charlie actually picked him up

00:40:46.329 --> 00:40:49.969
and carried him into the dugout and Talk about

00:40:49.969 --> 00:40:51.809
that for just a second. Then I also want to ask

00:40:51.809 --> 00:40:56.340
you about the the Yankees legends game Well,

00:40:56.340 --> 00:41:01.079
it was actually an exhibition game and it was

00:41:01.079 --> 00:41:04.440
the Baltimore Orioles. And so I brought my brother

00:41:04.440 --> 00:41:06.860
here, my younger brother, who was 10 years old.

00:41:07.019 --> 00:41:10.539
And we had seats right next to the dugout. I

00:41:10.539 --> 00:41:15.039
said, Charlie Finley, I think I misspoke. That's

00:41:15.039 --> 00:41:19.380
OK. So it was the Orioles and there was an exhibition

00:41:19.380 --> 00:41:21.639
game and I left my little brother in the seat

00:41:21.639 --> 00:41:24.739
to go get a hot dog and coke and what have you.

00:41:24.760 --> 00:41:28.320
When I came back he was gone and I freaked out.

00:41:28.420 --> 00:41:30.599
Some people sitting around said look he's on

00:41:30.599 --> 00:41:34.519
the field and Earl Weaver the manager of the

00:41:34.519 --> 00:41:36.980
Orioles at the time had picked up my little brother

00:41:36.980 --> 00:41:39.659
lifted him over the fence and he was on the field

00:41:39.659 --> 00:41:44.860
in the dugouts with gosh Brooks Robinson. I can't

00:41:44.860 --> 00:41:47.900
even remember all the players but he was in there

00:41:47.900 --> 00:41:52.059
getting autographs and just. I had no idea what

00:41:52.059 --> 00:41:57.440
he was doing. Weaver saw me and got my little

00:41:57.440 --> 00:42:00.380
brother and put him back in the seed and just

00:42:00.380 --> 00:42:04.400
a memory I'll never forget. And it's just one

00:42:04.400 --> 00:42:08.260
of the many memories that I share with people

00:42:08.260 --> 00:42:10.099
and people share their stories with me about

00:42:10.099 --> 00:42:12.179
Rickwood Field and it just makes it so special.

00:42:12.840 --> 00:42:16.099
And I was a baseball fan from the moment I crawled

00:42:16.099 --> 00:42:17.980
out of the crib, I guess. I don't ever remember

00:42:17.980 --> 00:42:20.860
not being a fan. I played Little League ball,

00:42:21.039 --> 00:42:25.199
I collected cards, played Sandlock ball, probably

00:42:25.199 --> 00:42:27.619
a lot more Sandlock ball than I ever did, just

00:42:27.619 --> 00:42:30.059
Little League ball. But I always loved the game.

00:42:30.179 --> 00:42:32.460
I watched it on TV, I read everything I could

00:42:32.460 --> 00:42:36.539
read about it, and probably did every book report

00:42:36.539 --> 00:42:39.380
on baseball players that I could back in grade

00:42:39.380 --> 00:42:43.860
school. And just continued to be a fan over the

00:42:43.860 --> 00:42:47.539
years. I've been very fortunate to have a lot

00:42:47.539 --> 00:42:50.420
of experiences that I could share. I don't have

00:42:50.420 --> 00:42:55.179
time for all of that. But in about 2015, my wife

00:42:55.179 --> 00:42:59.539
and I went to a charity fundraiser that was put

00:42:59.539 --> 00:43:02.000
on by Chris Hammond, former big league ball player.

00:43:02.280 --> 00:43:04.159
And Chris has become a friend over the years

00:43:04.159 --> 00:43:06.679
and I think the world of him. But one of the

00:43:06.679 --> 00:43:09.480
prizes in the auction was a chance to go and

00:43:09.480 --> 00:43:14.239
play in an exhibition game with members of the

00:43:14.239 --> 00:43:17.230
New York Yankees. retired members, of course.

00:43:17.769 --> 00:43:20.710
And my wife did and won the opportunity for me

00:43:20.710 --> 00:43:23.750
to go to that game. And so I went to Scranton,

00:43:23.909 --> 00:43:27.250
Pennsylvania. I took my son with me. And on Father's

00:43:27.250 --> 00:43:31.050
Day of 2015, I got to suit up and actually play

00:43:31.050 --> 00:43:33.969
in a game on their minor league field there in

00:43:33.969 --> 00:43:38.690
Scranton. And the Yankee legends were there.

00:43:39.289 --> 00:43:41.530
Reggie Jackson was there. Don Larson, who pitched

00:43:41.530 --> 00:43:46.360
the perfect game in 1956. Bucky Dent, Chris Chambliss,

00:43:47.099 --> 00:43:50.179
Joe Pepitone, Bobby Richardson, John Monofisco,

00:43:50.639 --> 00:43:53.900
and I mean, there were 30 or 35 former Yankees

00:43:53.900 --> 00:43:57.539
and then there were four civilians, myself and

00:43:57.539 --> 00:44:00.340
three others. We each got to play in the game,

00:44:00.659 --> 00:44:03.400
played the entire six innings before 9 ,000 people.

00:44:03.940 --> 00:44:06.960
I was blessed to get a hit, also grounded into

00:44:06.960 --> 00:44:09.519
a double play, caught two flies in the outfield.

00:44:10.329 --> 00:44:14.170
War No. 44 in Lockard and sat next to Rach Jackson.

00:44:15.090 --> 00:44:17.789
It was almost something that could have happened

00:44:17.789 --> 00:44:20.289
only on Fantasy Island, but it happened to me,

00:44:20.309 --> 00:44:22.550
and thanks to my wife, I got to do something

00:44:22.550 --> 00:44:26.929
that was so special that I'll never forget it.

00:44:27.889 --> 00:44:32.150
And it's funny that in the years after that,

00:44:32.289 --> 00:44:34.230
Bucky Dent came to the Rickwood Classic, and

00:44:34.230 --> 00:44:36.429
I reminded Bucky that we had played together.

00:44:38.159 --> 00:44:40.480
He said he remembered and I took him in his word.

00:44:40.519 --> 00:44:44.139
So it was a great experience. One of many great

00:44:44.139 --> 00:44:46.239
experiences I've had being a part of the game

00:44:46.239 --> 00:44:51.139
of baseball and it's a game that you can play

00:44:51.139 --> 00:44:54.280
no matter how old you are or how big you are

00:44:54.280 --> 00:44:56.019
or how fast you are, how strong you are. You

00:44:56.019 --> 00:44:59.099
can play baseball at some level and I continue

00:44:59.099 --> 00:45:04.400
to throw the ball around every chance I get and

00:45:04.400 --> 00:45:08.480
just encourage everybody else to So just enjoy

00:45:08.480 --> 00:45:11.699
the game. Don't worry about the time clock. Don't

00:45:11.699 --> 00:45:13.699
worry about the way the game has changed. Just

00:45:13.699 --> 00:45:16.179
enjoy the game, because it's still played between

00:45:16.179 --> 00:45:18.019
the white lines. It's still throwing and hitting

00:45:18.019 --> 00:45:20.800
and catching. And it's just the most wonderful

00:45:20.800 --> 00:45:25.579
game in the world. Well, I concur wholeheartedly.

00:45:25.940 --> 00:45:29.059
Even the 2019 classic, me and my buddy Jim, like

00:45:29.059 --> 00:45:31.539
you said, you can go down on the field after

00:45:31.539 --> 00:45:34.829
the game. Was running the bases like I was 10

00:45:34.829 --> 00:45:37.190
years old I actually got Jim to take a video

00:45:37.190 --> 00:45:39.630
of me and we got some guy that we didn't even

00:45:39.630 --> 00:45:42.750
know To pretend like he was the third base coach

00:45:42.750 --> 00:45:45.650
waving me home and we got that in the video It

00:45:45.650 --> 00:45:49.289
was pretty comical but just like you said play

00:45:49.289 --> 00:45:51.889
and catch You never get tired of just putting

00:45:51.889 --> 00:45:55.010
that glove on and if if you've still got a little

00:45:55.010 --> 00:45:57.389
bit of arm strength Throwing the ball around

00:45:57.389 --> 00:46:00.030
especially with someone that's special to you,

00:46:00.030 --> 00:46:03.820
whether it's your dad a brother, a sister, you

00:46:03.820 --> 00:46:06.059
just never get tired of that. In that Legends

00:46:06.059 --> 00:46:08.539
game, I imagine you're getting to swing a wooden

00:46:08.539 --> 00:46:13.599
bat and crack the ball. Is that right? Oh, yeah.

00:46:13.619 --> 00:46:16.579
I wouldn't have had it any other way. Everything

00:46:16.579 --> 00:46:22.940
was just in full uniform. Absolutely. And when

00:46:22.940 --> 00:46:27.079
I had number 44 and when the game was over, I

00:46:27.079 --> 00:46:30.860
got Reggie Jackson to sign my jersey and it hangs

00:46:30.860 --> 00:46:36.119
proudly, uh, in my man cave at home. Now, Gerald,

00:46:36.619 --> 00:46:38.840
just a couple of quick baseball questions. Is

00:46:38.840 --> 00:46:40.599
there a movie? I know we talked about the ones

00:46:40.599 --> 00:46:43.659
filmed at Rickwood, but do you have a baseball

00:46:43.659 --> 00:46:46.840
movie that is so special to you and you might

00:46:46.840 --> 00:46:50.519
actually well up a little bit watching certain

00:46:50.519 --> 00:46:53.579
moments of the movie? I've got an answer, but

00:46:53.579 --> 00:46:56.840
what's your favorite baseball film of all time?

00:46:57.519 --> 00:47:01.119
I really love the natural, but For some reason,

00:47:01.260 --> 00:47:03.280
a baseball movie that really struck a chord with

00:47:03.280 --> 00:47:06.780
me was For the Love of the Game. And that's Kevin

00:47:06.780 --> 00:47:09.840
Costner. And I always appreciated Kevin Costner

00:47:09.840 --> 00:47:14.179
doing baseball movies because he for a Hollywood

00:47:14.179 --> 00:47:18.280
guy, he could play and he looked real. And so

00:47:18.280 --> 00:47:23.440
those two. And then, of course, gosh, Feel the

00:47:23.440 --> 00:47:27.269
Dreams is wonderful. But You put them in a hat

00:47:27.269 --> 00:47:29.789
and pick one out and turn it on and I'll watch

00:47:29.789 --> 00:47:32.210
whatever shows up. I think for the love of the

00:47:32.210 --> 00:47:36.570
game, because it really does resonate with how

00:47:36.570 --> 00:47:39.170
much the game can get inside of you and how much

00:47:39.170 --> 00:47:43.730
it means on so many levels. And maybe one day

00:47:43.730 --> 00:47:45.630
they'll make another good baseball movie. We'll

00:47:45.630 --> 00:47:48.909
see. I need to go back and watch some of those

00:47:48.909 --> 00:47:51.610
older ones. I really, when I was a little kid,

00:47:51.690 --> 00:47:54.690
my dad wouldn't let me watch Bull Durham. I think

00:47:54.690 --> 00:47:57.550
he saw it in the theaters. It's not that racy,

00:47:57.550 --> 00:48:00.869
but maybe a little more adult themed. But I do

00:48:00.869 --> 00:48:03.369
like Bull Durham now and the rookie with Dennis

00:48:03.369 --> 00:48:07.230
Quaid. Just a really unique story there. And

00:48:07.230 --> 00:48:10.889
since you brought it up, the 61, the story of

00:48:10.889 --> 00:48:12.989
Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle's historic year

00:48:12.989 --> 00:48:15.650
was wonderful. And the Bronx is Burning, which

00:48:15.650 --> 00:48:19.550
mixes in culture and current events along with

00:48:19.550 --> 00:48:23.690
the tumultuous period of Reggie Jackson's era

00:48:23.690 --> 00:48:26.849
in New York. So there's a lot of good good movies

00:48:26.849 --> 00:48:29.969
out there. Some are not so good. But I think

00:48:29.969 --> 00:48:34.110
if they if they portray baseball action in a

00:48:34.110 --> 00:48:36.710
believable way, that really helps. And obviously,

00:48:36.789 --> 00:48:39.010
there are lots of good stories surrounding baseball.

00:48:39.070 --> 00:48:41.389
And it's just a matter of who tells it and how

00:48:41.389 --> 00:48:45.369
they tell it to make it appealing. And did you

00:48:45.369 --> 00:48:48.010
I'm sure you probably did collect baseball cards

00:48:48.010 --> 00:48:51.150
as a kid. And if so, Do you have some of your

00:48:51.150 --> 00:48:55.630
original cards still in your collection? I have

00:48:55.630 --> 00:48:59.170
them all, Dan. All right. For some reason or

00:48:59.170 --> 00:49:01.429
another, I never wanted to let them go or get

00:49:01.429 --> 00:49:03.909
rid of them. And the ones I collected as a kid,

00:49:03.909 --> 00:49:06.809
I still have. And they are very dear to my heart.

00:49:08.170 --> 00:49:10.489
When you were a kid and you opened the baseball

00:49:10.489 --> 00:49:13.050
card pack with the gum, did you chew the gum?

00:49:13.489 --> 00:49:16.349
Did you like it or did you discard it? That's

00:49:16.349 --> 00:49:17.909
something that kids these days, they don't have

00:49:17.909 --> 00:49:22.820
the... super hard stick of pink gum anymore,

00:49:22.840 --> 00:49:29.239
but Well, I absolutely chewed it Yeah, I put

00:49:29.239 --> 00:49:33.079
the cards in the shoe box and Thank goodness.

00:49:33.079 --> 00:49:35.159
I didn't put rubber bands around them. So the

00:49:35.159 --> 00:49:37.619
ones I have from that era are still in pretty

00:49:37.619 --> 00:49:40.960
good shape Okay, and then finally favorite Yankee

00:49:40.960 --> 00:49:43.559
of all time. You probably you probably mentioned

00:49:43.559 --> 00:49:46.420
it but All -time favorite Yankee and maybe a

00:49:46.420 --> 00:49:49.210
current Yankee that you like watching Well, like

00:49:49.210 --> 00:49:52.389
a lot of people who are my age, born in the 50s,

00:49:52.610 --> 00:49:54.730
Mickey Mantle is my favorite Yankee of all time.

00:49:55.969 --> 00:49:59.849
And really, no one is close. I tend to pick a

00:49:59.849 --> 00:50:02.889
different period and have a different Yankee

00:50:02.889 --> 00:50:05.869
from each period. Obviously, Babe Ruth, Mickey

00:50:05.869 --> 00:50:09.090
Mantle, after Mickey, Reggie Jackson was my favorite

00:50:09.090 --> 00:50:12.360
Yankee, and then Derek Jeter. Now, I guess it

00:50:12.360 --> 00:50:15.099
would be Aaron Judge and Derek Cole. So it's

00:50:15.099 --> 00:50:17.579
just whatever the era is, there's going to be

00:50:17.579 --> 00:50:19.679
different players with different skills. You're

00:50:19.679 --> 00:50:22.019
going to know different things about them. But

00:50:22.019 --> 00:50:24.980
Mickey Mantle was the idol for so many kids growing

00:50:24.980 --> 00:50:29.300
up in the 60s. And just like Derek Jeter is the

00:50:29.300 --> 00:50:31.440
idol of so many kids that grew up in the late

00:50:31.440 --> 00:50:34.300
90s and the 2000s. And so it's just a matter

00:50:34.300 --> 00:50:39.780
of the era. And I don't really dwell on on one,

00:50:39.780 --> 00:50:42.860
uh, beyond Mickey Mantle, but Mickey was the

00:50:42.860 --> 00:50:47.579
first huge, huge TV baseball star, I guess. And,

00:50:47.579 --> 00:50:50.320
uh, you know, the name sounded so cool and the

00:50:50.320 --> 00:50:53.380
prodigious long home runs and, and, uh, stories

00:50:53.380 --> 00:50:54.960
that was playing with pain and all that, all

00:50:54.960 --> 00:50:57.820
those things just, uh, combined to make Mickey

00:50:57.820 --> 00:51:00.360
almost a mythical figure for myself and millions

00:51:00.360 --> 00:51:04.159
of other boys. And so it's hard to top Mickey,

00:51:04.199 --> 00:51:07.800
so. I agree. What about, who was your favorite?

00:51:08.030 --> 00:51:11.809
My favorite well growing up a Cubs fan. I kind

00:51:11.809 --> 00:51:14.510
of alternated now This would have been the late

00:51:14.510 --> 00:51:19.230
80s early 90s. So I love Ryan Sandberg Mark Grace

00:51:19.230 --> 00:51:22.909
Andre Dawson and then into the 90s. I mean Sosa

00:51:22.909 --> 00:51:25.769
Sammy Sosa, of course, you know You're starting

00:51:25.769 --> 00:51:29.289
to get into the steroid era there then but I

00:51:29.289 --> 00:51:32.889
do still like Sammy Sosa Greg Maddox played of

00:51:32.889 --> 00:51:37.019
course with Atlanta and Chicago Carrie wood It's

00:51:37.019 --> 00:51:40.460
hard for me to pin it down. Mark Grace, I really

00:51:40.460 --> 00:51:43.559
enjoyed watching him play. He was one of the

00:51:43.559 --> 00:51:46.440
few modern players that I don't think he ever

00:51:46.440 --> 00:51:48.639
wore batting gloves. I'm not really sure why,

00:51:49.079 --> 00:51:52.239
but if you go back and watch highlights of Mark

00:51:52.239 --> 00:51:55.320
Grace, I loved his stance, even though I was

00:51:55.320 --> 00:51:58.380
a righty and he's a lefty. I remember being a

00:51:58.380 --> 00:52:01.280
kid, and I'm sure you do too. Did you try to

00:52:01.280 --> 00:52:04.280
emulate the stance of your favorite player when

00:52:04.280 --> 00:52:07.070
you were playing? I'd try to do it with Dawson

00:52:07.070 --> 00:52:09.909
also because he would kick the left leg out.

00:52:11.170 --> 00:52:13.570
I've never really did that. Mickey Mantle, of

00:52:13.570 --> 00:52:16.869
course, he had a very classic stance. There was

00:52:16.869 --> 00:52:20.809
nothing tricky or new or weird about it. So I

00:52:20.809 --> 00:52:24.489
never really tried to copy him. I just, when

00:52:24.489 --> 00:52:27.750
I played ball, I just kind of developed my own

00:52:27.750 --> 00:52:30.230
and there was nothing special about it. But there

00:52:30.230 --> 00:52:32.250
was nothing special about Mickey's. Mickey was

00:52:32.829 --> 00:52:36.289
Very traditional, very, very fundamentally sound

00:52:36.289 --> 00:52:41.929
in every way. And so, um, nothing like, uh, some

00:52:41.929 --> 00:52:45.570
of the guys, Stan Musial had a very uncharacteristic

00:52:45.570 --> 00:52:48.849
stance or a few others, but, uh, for that part,

00:52:48.849 --> 00:52:52.110
I didn't really do anything different. Yeah.

00:52:52.110 --> 00:52:54.710
And I also like Bob Gibson. If just going back

00:52:54.710 --> 00:52:57.909
to players who played well before my time, so

00:52:57.909 --> 00:53:00.130
dominant wish I could have seen Satchel Paige

00:53:00.130 --> 00:53:02.360
throw. I mean, he. from everything I read, he

00:53:02.360 --> 00:53:05.820
just made people look silly and just had his

00:53:05.820 --> 00:53:10.539
way with hitters. And well into his 40s. Folks

00:53:10.539 --> 00:53:14.260
listening, do some light reading on Satchel Page.

00:53:14.820 --> 00:53:16.199
I don't even think he reached the big leagues

00:53:16.199 --> 00:53:20.260
until his late 40s or something like that. It's

00:53:20.260 --> 00:53:24.019
just amazing what he accomplished. And Babe Ruth,

00:53:24.179 --> 00:53:27.380
like you said, doing book reports. If you had

00:53:27.380 --> 00:53:29.300
a chance to do it on the ballplayer, you did.

00:53:29.719 --> 00:53:33.019
I was so fascinated with Babe Ruth and still

00:53:33.019 --> 00:53:36.820
am. That's what makes being a baseball fan so

00:53:36.820 --> 00:53:38.920
much fun. Like we've talked about on this episode,

00:53:39.480 --> 00:53:42.739
the history of baseball. It's so compelling.

00:53:43.360 --> 00:53:45.659
It's, you know, it's not like the NFL's history

00:53:45.659 --> 00:53:49.139
is not compelling or the NBA or NHL, but there's

00:53:49.139 --> 00:53:52.380
something about baseball that it just, you dive

00:53:52.380 --> 00:53:54.900
into it more often. You want to check into it.

00:53:54.980 --> 00:53:58.420
You're nostalgic. all the time with baseball.

00:53:58.699 --> 00:54:02.840
It's just a wonderful sport, hobby, fascination,

00:54:02.900 --> 00:54:06.320
whatever you want to call it. I could talk baseball

00:54:06.320 --> 00:54:09.219
for half the day, but we can't do a four hour

00:54:09.219 --> 00:54:12.860
episode. But Gerald, I have so enjoyed this conversation.

00:54:12.940 --> 00:54:16.500
I hope you have too. I have Dan. And just like

00:54:16.500 --> 00:54:18.820
you said, I love talking baseball and I would

00:54:18.820 --> 00:54:22.559
be talking about it all day long and into the

00:54:22.559 --> 00:54:25.489
night if I could. You know, that's one of the

00:54:25.489 --> 00:54:27.210
best things about being here at Rickwood Field

00:54:27.210 --> 00:54:31.090
is I get to do that every day. Well, I look forward

00:54:31.090 --> 00:54:34.849
to seeing you and whether it's this summer or

00:54:34.849 --> 00:54:37.349
2025, I believe there's great things to come

00:54:37.349 --> 00:54:41.110
at Rickwood Field and folks listening just circle

00:54:41.110 --> 00:54:45.230
Birmingham, Alabama on your map or put a note

00:54:45.230 --> 00:54:49.070
in. It's a city you need to visit and this is

00:54:49.070 --> 00:54:50.690
an event that you won't want to miss even if

00:54:50.690 --> 00:54:54.139
you just see it on TV. I'm so thrilled. that

00:54:54.139 --> 00:54:56.860
this is happening in the city that I grew up

00:54:56.860 --> 00:55:01.239
in? It's going to be special. And once the ball

00:55:01.239 --> 00:55:03.659
game is over, if you don't get a chance to see

00:55:03.659 --> 00:55:06.760
the park during one of those three days, come

00:55:06.760 --> 00:55:09.179
out. We'll make you feel very welcome. And you'll

00:55:09.179 --> 00:55:12.300
enjoy the visit, I promise. And there's no cost

00:55:12.300 --> 00:55:14.679
to it. It's one of the few things you can do

00:55:14.679 --> 00:55:18.460
and enjoy as much as possible. And it's totally

00:55:18.460 --> 00:55:22.019
free. Well Gerald is there anything else that

00:55:22.019 --> 00:55:24.500
you'd like to promote or plug that we haven't

00:55:24.500 --> 00:55:28.239
covered Well, I'll just say this we have a website

00:55:28.239 --> 00:55:30.679
and we have a web store. We have some really

00:55:30.679 --> 00:55:34.800
cool merchandise We have a very limited edition

00:55:34.800 --> 00:55:39.500
shirt right now and it reads MLB is coming to

00:55:39.500 --> 00:55:43.000
BHM. So we have a limited number of those and

00:55:43.000 --> 00:55:45.500
when they're gone, they're gone So if anyone

00:55:45.500 --> 00:55:48.809
is interested they can reach out by email, text

00:55:48.809 --> 00:55:51.050
or telephone, or they can drop by during the

00:55:51.050 --> 00:55:56.650
week from 10 till 4 and check us out. And anything

00:55:56.650 --> 00:55:59.590
that anybody does, spending money at Rickwood

00:55:59.590 --> 00:56:01.869
Field, buying merchandise or anything else, all

00:56:01.869 --> 00:56:06.429
of those things are in support of the 501C3 friends

00:56:06.429 --> 00:56:08.929
of Rickwood Field. So we appreciate any kind

00:56:08.929 --> 00:56:12.250
of help and more than anything else, tell people

00:56:12.250 --> 00:56:14.570
about us and enjoy your time at the ballpark.

00:56:15.350 --> 00:56:18.210
All right. Well, that's it for this episode of

00:56:18.210 --> 00:56:21.769
Dan time with a very special guest Gerald Watkins

00:56:21.769 --> 00:56:25.030
the chairman and executive director of the Friends

00:56:25.030 --> 00:56:28.630
of Rickwood organization rickwood .com r -i -c

00:56:28.630 --> 00:56:34.829
-k -w -o -o -d check it out and remember You're

00:56:34.829 --> 00:56:38.489
never too old to put a glove on your non throwing

00:56:38.489 --> 00:56:44.489
hand Put a bat in your hands sometimes Mobility

00:56:44.489 --> 00:56:46.630
becomes a problem. Sometimes the arm strength

00:56:46.630 --> 00:56:50.349
just isn't there but if you can still do it if

00:56:50.349 --> 00:56:53.190
you can still do it find someone to go play catch

00:56:53.190 --> 00:56:58.670
with and Make sure if whether it's this year

00:56:58.670 --> 00:57:02.670
or a future year you visit Birmingham Alabama

00:57:02.670 --> 00:57:05.929
Rickwood field check it out and I hope you guys

00:57:05.929 --> 00:57:09.769
have a wonderful week make sure To make a difference

00:57:09.769 --> 00:57:12.739
in somebody's life this week and into the new

00:57:12.739 --> 00:57:16.139
year. I forgot to tell you, Gerald, happy new

00:57:16.139 --> 00:57:20.519
year. Happy 2024. What an exciting year for your

00:57:20.519 --> 00:57:23.400
organization. Well, thank you. Happy new year

00:57:23.400 --> 00:57:26.500
to you too. And to all the folks out there listening,

00:57:26.739 --> 00:57:29.760
I hope to see you at the ballpark. All right.

00:57:29.800 --> 00:57:31.719
Thank you, Gerald. I hope that in the future

00:57:31.719 --> 00:57:34.440
we can reconnect and do another baseball themed

00:57:34.440 --> 00:57:37.980
episode. Dan, anytime, anytime. And it's good

00:57:37.980 --> 00:57:40.199
to connect with you and let's stay in touch.

00:57:40.320 --> 00:57:48.280
Okay. Alright. If you love that episode, if you're

00:57:48.280 --> 00:57:51.400
enjoying the Dan Time podcast, be sure to download

00:57:51.400 --> 00:57:54.239
and subscribe so you never miss an episode. I

00:57:54.239 --> 00:57:57.400
appreciate you as a listener. Hope you have a

00:57:57.400 --> 00:57:59.059
great week. I'll see you next Sunday.