We’re thrilled to announce the release date of a book that’s been years in the making — 115 years to be exact!
Rickwood Field in Birmingham was built by industrialist Rick Woodward in 1910, so it justly earned the nickname “America’s Oldest Ballpark.” By updating material from the 1995 book Bases Loaded With History by exceptional baseball researcher and writer Tim Whitt, and adding all that has occurred at this baseball palace since (who can forget Major League Baseball’s 2024 tribute to the Negro Leagues and Birmingham’s native son Willie Mays?), this new book provides the park’s definitive history.
Simply entitled Rickwood, this treasure of a book will be eagerly read by baseball fans of all types, particularly those with a thirst for history, including the Negro Leagues. After all, Rickwood Field was the home of the Birmingham Black Barons for four decades.
The projected publication date by the phenomenal team at Stoney Creek Publishing has just been announced: February 24, 2026. Several outlets are accepting pre-orders now:
BARNES & NOBLE paperback and hardcover Note Premium B&N members receive a discount
Note that a very limited number of hardcover editions will be printed, so if you want one, your best bet is to pre-order it now.
I know many of you will be interested in obtaining an autographed copy. That will never happen through Amazon or Walmart, but in February I will set up a “store page” here on my BaseballParks.com site where you can order a personally signed copy.
And I have an ambitious schedule for March, April and May where I will appear at bookstores and merch shops at MLB exhibitions and Minor League games.
So you will definitely have opportunities to get an autographed copy of the book!
So I wanted everyone to know that the book is finished and is awaiting printing. The release date, again, is February 24.
After reading the completed manuscript, some amazing people offered to write a recommendation of Rickwood. Here’s what the illustrious Janet Marie Smith had to say:
“During my time working in baseball, I’ve felt part of my job is to help a ballpark tell its own story. Each one is so distinctive and such a reflection of its city and place in the cultural lore of the land. Now comes Tim Whitt and Joe Mock to serve as the voice for Rickwood Field. And what stories Rickwood Field can tell after over 100 years, from its legacy as the sibling of the storied Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia to the moment when the national spotlight coincided with the passing of Birmingham’s own Willie Mays. This book is about more than baseball; it’s a reflection of the last hundred years of our nation’s cultural history, Birmingham’s place in that story, and a reminder of why baseball is America’s Pastime.”
— Janet Marie Smith, Co-founder of Canopy Team, held executive Planning and Development roles in working on Camden Yards, Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park, Turner Field, State Farm Arena and Polar Park