Willie Mays' Hall of Fame Plaque Makes Historic Journey to Rickwood Field

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – In 1948, a teenager named Willie Mays debuted in the Negro American League for the Birmingham Black Barons, thrilling fans at Rickwood Field.

Seventy-six years later, Mays’ Hall of Fame plaque will journey from Cooperstown to Birmingham as Major League Baseball returns to Rickwood Field for the June 20th matchup between the Giants and the Cardinals.

Mays, currently the oldest living Hall of Famer at 93 years old, tallied his first MLB hits in 13 games with Birmingham in 1948. He would debut for the New York Giants three years later, embarking on a legendary career that saw him win 12 Gold Glove Awards in center field, earn 24 All-Star Game selections and win two National League Most Valuable Player Awards. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1979, and his bronze plaque has adorned the oak walls in Cooperstown ever since.

To celebrate the game at the oldest professional ballpark in the United States, Mays’ plaque will be at Rickwood Field June 19 and 20 as part of the festivities surrounding this special regular season contest. Fans planning visits to Cooperstown during these times should be advised that a photographic image of Mays’ plaque will be featured in its usual place in the Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery, featuring a full replication of the plaque. Mays’ plaque will return to exhibit during the afternoon of Friday, June 21.

The Museum paid tribute to the heroes of Black baseball last month with the opening of The Souls of the Game exhibit on May 25. Located on the Museum’s second floor in the Yawkey Gallery, The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball covers stories of early Black baseball, the Negro Leagues era, the complexities of reintegration, Jackie Robinson, post-reintegration progress and retrogress, and calls for change in today’s game while celebrating the newest superstars of the era. Meaningful stories from Black baseball are also being added to other exhibits throughout the Museum.

The exhibit is part of the Hall of Fame’s Black Baseball Initiative that includes additional outreach programs, educational materials and virtual programming. The exhibit opening was part of a historic weekend celebrating the history of Black baseball that also included the dedication of a new Hank Aaron statue in the Museum featured the Hall of Fame East-West Classic legends game. Hall of Famers on hand for the celebration included Harold Baines, Rollie Fingers, Pat Gillick, Ken Griffey Jr., Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Fred McGriff, Eddie Murray, Jim Rice, Ryne Sandberg, Bud Selig, Lee Smith, Ozzie Smith, Joe Torre and Dave Winfield.