CONVERSATIONS
One last thing 

Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
By Russell Cunningham 

Spring has definitely sprung and what could possibly prove that fact more than it is baseball season once again—and that our beloved Birmingham Barons are back on the field. We at the Chamber have a particular fondness for the Barons as we consider them to be one of our oldest, continual members of the Chamber of Commerce.

The Barons were founded in 1885, a scant two years before the Birmingham Chamber was first established. And we know that the Chamber has been involved with and promoted the Barons for as long back as at least 1909. How do we know this? The original blueprint for Rickwood Field that was drawn in 1909 has in the lower left hand corner, in a neat architectural hand, the printed words Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. Why? No one around here knows, but we’re certainly proud of our longtime association.

The Barons’ regular season schedule began last month at beautiful Regions Park as our team seeks to improve on its record of making it to the Southern League playoffs a remarkable six consecutive seasons. It’s a splendidly run operation, made even more so by the purchase in September 2005 by legendary Birmingham businessman Don Logan and his sons Jeff and Stan.
The Chamber is also proud of its longtime support and association with the Friends of Rickwood, the volunteer group charged with maintaining Rickwood Field, the oldest baseball park in America. This year’s annual Rickwood Classic is the 13th edition of the Barons once-a-year pilgrimage to Rickwood. We encourage all our business members to come out on May 28 to see the Barons take on the Jacksonville Suns. First pitch is scheduled at 12:35 pm at the venerable Westside playground.

Of particular interest at this year’s classic is a rare appearance by former Baron Jimmy Piersall. Piersall was an outfielder on the 1951-52 Birmingham teams and a 17-year Major Leaguer who was featured in the hit Hollywood film, When Fear Strikes Out.

The Rickwood Classic has annually been one of the most popular events for baseball fans both in Alabama and across the country. It was ranked fifth on the list of top events in the state in 2008 by the Alabama Tourism Department, and last summer was named one of the “101 Things All Sports Fans Must Experience Before They Die” by ESPN.com.

The Chamber is still soliciting nominations for the IN campaign, letting Birminghamians nominate their favorite places for a Zagat-like guide that will be published later this summer. (It’s not too late to go to www.inbirmingham.org to nominate your favorite place or entity.) You can be sure that the Birmingham Barons will be getting plenty of worthy nominations, as befits this landmark Birmingham franchise.

I enjoyed collaborating with our consummate historian, baseball fan and champion for Birmingham, Tom Cosby, whose participation in drafting this message is apparent and most appreciated.

Russell Cunningham
CEO of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce
November Birmingham, Alabama

  

 
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