DALLAS — Willie Mays’ legacy was celebrated closely in 2024, and in 2025, Main League Baseball will proceed to honor his life by specializing in the very subject the place he began his baseball journey.
Since 2012, MLB has held a charity public sale on the Winter Conferences that raises funds for a particular trigger. This 12 months’s on-line public sale, which launched Monday, will function a continuation of the memorable effort of final June’s MLB at Rickwood Area expertise. Proceeds will profit Willie Mays Park in Mays’ hometown of Fairfield, Ala., a subject that has served generations of aspiring youth baseball gamers within the space.
The sphere has fallen into some disrepair and has been unusable for best ranges of the sport. The cash raised this week in the course of the public sale will go straight towards refurbishing this subject.
“We by no means noticed our time there as a one-time engagement for our sport, that’s why we’re excited to have this present alternative proper in entrance of us proper now,” mentioned April Brown, MLB’s senior vice chairman of social duty. “Proper within the city the place the good Willie Mays grew up, at a subject that was named in his honor in 1985. A subject that — after a couple of many years of wear and tear and tear and use — might use slightly love.”
The public sale, which is now dwell at MLB.com/wintermeetingsauction till Thursday, Dec. 12 at 10 p.m. ET, supplies a various providing of memorable baseball experiences for everybody, together with particular interactions with Main League stars, corresponding to Mike Trout; VIP experiences at MLB and MiLB ballparks, and unimaginable on-field alternatives, corresponding to ceremonial first pitches.
Different examples of things up for bid embrace:
All objects and experiences have been donated by all 30 MLB golf equipment, greater than 40 Minor League golf equipment, the Workplace of the Commissioner, MLB Community and the Baseball Corridor of Fame & Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. A full itemizing of all objects out there will be discovered right here.
The Giants and Cardinals performed a regular-season recreation final June at Rickwood Area, the oldest ballpark in baseball historical past and the previous dwelling of the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. Rickwood was Mays’ first skilled ballpark — he performed for the Black Barons for 13 video games in 1948 whereas he was nonetheless in highschool.
Willie Mays Park, close to the place Mays grew up, is close by in Fairfield, Ala.
“The story of this park isn’t nearly Fairfield,” mentioned Cedric Norman, Councilman of District 4 in Fairfield. “ It’s about preserving the spirit of baseball itself. It’s about creating an area for the following technology of gamers and followers to really feel impressed by the greatness of Willie Mays and the values he stood for: laborious work and perseverance.
“We want your assist to carry new life into this park, to the fields the place youngsters can play and honor the legacy of the person who confirmed what greatness appears to be like like. Willie was a powerful supporter of his hometown … baseball has all the time been about neighborhood. That is our probability to show it.”
Michael Mays, Willie’s son, was closely concerned with the Rickwood Recreation final summer time. His presence there was much more poignant after information emerged that the Corridor of Fame outfielder handed away the day earlier than the sport was to be performed at age 93.
Michael Mays joined a panel of dignitaries in Dallas on Monday morning to introduce the Winter Conferences charity public sale and advocate for the fundraising side of the occasion.
“I couldn’t consider a greater method or a greater place to jumpstart these initiatives than with MLB and Rickwood,” Michael Mays mentioned. “My father left me with a easy job: carry as a lot camaraderie and assist to struggling youth as we are able to.”
Former MLB pitcher Jake Peavy, an Alabama native who spent ample time with Mays throughout his time enjoying for the Giants towards the top of his profession, has been a vocal proponent of renovating areas in his dwelling state the place Mays grew up. Peavy was an enormous presence on the Rickwood Recreation and the weeks main as much as it and has vowed to proceed assist efforts within the space.
“As an Alabama native who’s now again in Alabama, the sport at Rickwood was as particular as something I’ve been part of in baseball,” Peavy mentioned. “Video games should be continued to be performed at Rickwood. I’m honored to face right here and announce this, to face alongside Michael and his household to see this turn into all it may be.”
