ESPN.com's Jim Caple did a piece on Rickwood. Props to Jim for stopping by America's Ballbark. Read the story here. I was ten years old when the Barons moved to the Met - ahem, excuse me, I meant to say Regions Park. Whatever.
Even though my memory doesn't serve as well as it used to, I do remember riding in my dad's '65 Nova SS to games. I remember my great grandfather coming along on occasion. Unfortunately, I was too young to appreciate the gravity of the experience of watching baseball with Granddaddy Bryant (a former ballplayer himself who loved the 
game). However, I was not too young to appreciate the humor at one game when he pointed out to me that a pigeon had dropped an extra topping on the slice of pizza in the hand of the lady sitting in front of us. I can't remember if we stopped her, or if someone else told her, or if she ate it. Good times.
Even though she is still undergoing some renovations, the Met is just, blechhh. HOK Sport built her in the middle of the 80's, the pre-Camden Yards era when high-capacity, sterile facilities were all the rave, kinda like a mini-New Comiskey (pre-U.S. Cellular renovations). The Met has average sightlines, crappy seating, and a concourse that seems to have narrowed over the years (although that aspect may just be a result of me getting fatter). I know they've redone (or redoing) seats and altered the concourse, but she consistently receives disappointing marks by those die-hard baseball traveling bloggers. Here's a blog that kind of sums it up and another webpage that echoes similar sentiment. Just visit Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery or Trustmark Park in Jackson, and you'll understand where they're coming from. Rickwood was a neat old place. (And apparently Jim Caple isn't the only one who appreciates it.) I've driven over there occasionally just to look around (in broad daylight, mind you), she looks pretty good.
Which brings me to my point, we're coming up on the 12th Annual Rickwood Classic, and for the 12th straight year I will probably miss it. I've always been away at college or law school or something. It's always during the day in the middle of the week, it seems like they'd make more money if they had it on a Saturday or something. But anywho, this year I figured I'd make it. No job, nothing to do, perfect. Wrong. I got a mandatory CLE on ethics or something. Well if you want to catch a ballgame, complete with throwback jerseys and old-school ambiance, check out the Rickwood Classic on May 30 at 12:35 p.m. I'll be at the bar center downtown if you want to join me for some ethics & professionalism.
