Major League Baseball recently announced ‘BARNSTORM BIRMINGHAM,’ a Juneteenth celebration at Rickwood Field in conjuntion with UNINTERRUPTED. The event will be centered on Fam Jam, a celebrity softball game, followed by an electric performance by global music superstar Metro Boomin. Launched by former All-Star pitcher CC Sabathia and UNINTERRUPTED co-founder Maverick Carter, UNINTERRUPTED Fam Jam is a celebrity event.
The initial list of celebrities and athletes scheduled to play in the game include Birmingham’s own and Emmy nominated writer, stand-up and Actor Roy Wood Jr., former National League MVP & World Series Champion Ryan Howard, former NBA Champion Stephen Jackson, comedian and actor DC Young Fly, NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens, NFL Quarterback & former Florida State University baseball star Jameis Winston, and comedian and actor Sam Jay. More participants will be announced leading up to the event.
Tickets for the general public became available for sale in early June, and included a bundled ticket offer to the MiLB at Rickwood game being held the day prior. The prices for BARNSTORM BIRMINGHAM tickets are $24 in a nod to Birmingham’s own, the great Willie Mays. This event at Rickwood Field, the country’s oldest ballpark, is the latest added alongside on MiLB at Rickwood (Tuesday, June 18th) and MLB at Rickwood (Thursday, June 20th), all of which are in tribute to the Negro Leagues and its players, including Mays. As with both games, MLB will make a select amount of tickets for Barnstorm Birmingham available for free to local youth and community groups.
Barnstorming was an integral practice of Negro Leagues baseball in an era when teams and players in the Leagues traveled to different communities to promote their style of baseball. Existing and future information on these events can be found at MLB.com/rickwood.
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