SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

2025 BHM WPFG

  • ABOUT BHM 2025
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR TEAM
    • CONTACT US
  • THE GAMES
    • WPFG
  • SPORTS
  • VISITORS & TOURISM
  • GET INVOLVED
    • BECOME A SPONSOR
    • BECOME A VOLUNTEER
    • SHOWCASE EVENTS
CONTACTUs

Birmingham’s Sports Legacy: what you might know and what you might not

Birmingham’s Sports Legacy: what you might know and what you might not

by BHM 2025 Admin / Thursday, 12 August 2021 / Published in BIRMINGHAM

Birmingham’s sports legacy is an interesting mix of things a lot of people know about and things that are familiar to very few. For instance, everyone knows about the intense rivalry between the University of Alabama and Auburn University. But, not everybody knows that the very first “Iron Bowl,” (though it wasn’t known as such then) took place in a field that would be at the corner of 31st Street South and Clairmont Avenue today, were it not for the BBVA Compass building that occupies that space now.

HERE ARE A FEW OTHER SPORTS DESTINATIONS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT…

Rickwood Field

Rickwood Field, our country’s oldest ballpark, can trace its roots back to the days of Babe Ruth. Built originally as the home of the Coal Barons, Rickwood opened on August 18, 1910, an event so significant the entire city shut down. In addition to Babe Ruth, a number of other legendary players graced the Rickwood diamond including: Shoeless Joe Jackson, Pie Traynor, and Dizzy Dean. The Birmingham Black Barons also played there, and, in fact Rickwood is where another familiar baseball great got his start in 1948 – none other than the “Say Hey Kid,” Willie Mays.

The Birmingham Negro Southern League Museum

Formed in 1920 by a group of African-American businessmen, 27 years before Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball race barrier, the Negro Southern League served as a feeder league to the Negro American League and the Negro National League. The Birmingham Negro Southern League Museum honors those pioneers with the largest collection of baseball artifacts from the negro leagues in the country. With 1,500 original signed baseballs, a beautiful collection of artifacts from the early days of baseball, and an on-site research center, The Birmingham Negro Southern League Museum is a must visit. And, while a ticket to a game at neighboring Regions Field might run you a ten spot or more, admission to The Birmingham Negro Southern League Museum is free! Visit birminghamnslm.org for more information.

Barber Motorsports Museum

If baseball is just a tad too tame for you, maybe you should try motorcycles. Opened in 2003, Barber Motorsports Museum is home to more than 1,400 motorcycles spanning more than a century of production. At any one time, you’ll find more than 650 pristine motorcycles on display representing more than 200 manufacturers from 20 countries. You’ll also find a few very special cars at Barber including an extensive Lotus collection, and the 1964 Ferrari F-158, in which John Surtees won the 1964 Formula 1 Driver’s World Championship. Complementing the museum is a first-class research library housing more than 8,000 books, parts catalogs, service manuals, photographs, videos, and back issues of more than 380 different vehicle magazines. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for kids between 4 and 12, and free for kids under 3. And if you call yourself an aficionado and would like to visit more regularly, you can become a member for as low as $60 / year. Visit barbermuseum.org for more information.

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame

All 33,000 square feet of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame are chock full of artifacts celebrating Alabama’s rich sports history. Launched in 1967, the facility houses more than 5,000 artifacts, celebrating distinguished Alabama athletes. Since its inception, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame has inducted 344 people. Mark your calendar for May 3, 2017 if you’d like to see the next class inducted. Plan to spend a day if you decide to visit, and you’ll need no more than $5/.00 per person (adults) to get in. Oh, and there’s no need to pack a lunch, you’ll find excellent fare just a short walk over to Uptown.

That’s Birmingham for you. It’s some of what you know, and a heck of lot of what you don’t.

HERE ARE A FEW OTHER SPORTS-RELATED SITES YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT NEXT TIME YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY:

SEC Headquarters
No, not the Securities and Exchange Commission, we’re talking about THE premier college sports conference- the Southeastern Conference.

Birmingham CrossPlex
An impressive indoor sports facility located in the western part of Birmingham

Regions Field
A beautiful urban baseball park that is the home of the Birmingham Barons

 


Source https://www.birminghamal.org/

0
  • Tweet

About BHM 2025 Admin

What you can read next

The Top 5 Reasons Birmingham is in Travel + Leisure’s “Top 50 Places to Visit in 2021″
This Alabama fire chief has blazed a trail to the top
Jim’s Beer Trail Guide

Recent Posts

  • The World Police and Fire Games Welcome New Competitors With Updated Eligibility Rules

    0...
  • Jim’s Beer Trail Guide

    If you take a notion to try some local brews, t...
  • First Look: Inside Protective Stadium at the BJCC

    Birmingham’s sports scene will soon have ...
  • The Top 5 Reasons Birmingham is in Travel + Leisure’s “Top 50 Places to Visit in 2021″

    Birmingham used to be a well-kept secret. But, ...
  • This Alabama fire chief has blazed a trail to the top

    By Michelle Matthews | mmatthews@al.com Last ye...

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • November 2022
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • April 2021
    • May 2020
    • February 2019

    Categories

    • BHM 2025
    • BIRMINGHAM

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org

    Featured Posts

    • The World Police and Fire Games Welcome New Competitors With Updated Eligibility Rules

      0 comments
    • Jim’s Beer Trail Guide

      0 comments
    • First Look: Inside Protective Stadium at the BJCC

      0 comments
    • The Top 5 Reasons Birmingham is in Travel + Leisure’s “Top 50 Places to Visit in 2021″

      0 comments
    • This Alabama fire chief has blazed a trail to the top

      0 comments

    Quick Links

    • Home
    • About BHM 2025
    • Sports
    • Visitors & Tourism
    • Become a Sponsor
    • Showcase Events
    • Contact Us
    • Shop

    MAILING LIST SIGNUP

    By subscribing to our mailing list you will always be update with the latest news from us.

    We never spam!

    GET IN TOUCH

    Email: info@bhm2025.com

    • GET SOCIAL
    2025 BHM WPFG

    Copyright Notice | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Linking Policy | Refund/Return Policy | Shipping Policy | Help/Contact
    © 2023 Birmingham Host Committee 2025 World Police & Fire Games. All rights reserved.

    TOP Cleantalk Pixel
    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT