“Willie was just welcoming me into the Giants’ organization, and he treated me like I was family,” Span said. “We had a good time, lots of laughs and storytelling. It was a treat to go to work in San Francisco, because most home games, he had his room in the clubhouse, and I could go in, spend a little time with him, ask for advice and shoot the breeze.”
Former pitcher Jake Peavy, who won a 2014 World Series ring with the Giants and is from Mobile, Ala., participated in last year’s Rickwood activities and will play in the June 19 game.
“This is just a beautiful thing,” Peavy, 43, said in a phone interview. “I don’t know if I’ve been part of anything in baseball that was as special as what happened at Rickwood Field last year. It warmed my heart. It warmed everybody’s heart. So much progress was made last year, including incorporating Negro League stats and making sure they were part of our told history.
“It’s critical we keep the momentum going with the East-West Classic. It’s very cool that MLB is continuing to make sure that the legacy of what happened last year is going to be something that’s sustainable, that we can rally round and talk about for years to come.”
Last year, the inaugural East-West Classic was played at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, adjacent to the Hall of Fame, and Ryan Howard’s three-run homer gave the East a 5-4 win. Howard will suit up again this year and be accompanied by CC Sabathia, who’ll be inducted into the Hall on July 27, Gary Sheffield, Curtis Granderson, Andruw Jones, Prince Fielder, Nick Swisher, Chris Young, Adam Jones, Matt Kemp, Dexter Fowler, Jason Kendall, and many others.
Brothers Jerry Hairston Jr. and Scott Hairston, whose grandfather, Sam, played in the Negro Leagues and appeared in an East-West All-Star Game, will also play. The first East-West All-Star Game was played Sept. 10, 1933, two months after MLB’s first All-Star Game, both at Chicago’s Comiskey Park.
Former Giants manager, Dusty Baker, has accepted an assignment to manage one of the teams for the game.
A home run contest will precede the June 19 game. Jones won it last year. It’s a cheap ticket, just $12 at mlb.com/rickwood. Behind-the-scenes stories from the day will be highlighted June 29 on MLB Network.
Furthermore, MLB is following up on another promise from June, which was to renovate Willie Mays Park in nearby Fairfield, Mays’ hometown. As part of Tuesday’s announcement, the league will detail its plans to unveil a refurbished baseball and softball field at Willie Mays Park on June 19, great news for locals after the facility had fallen into disrepair for many years.