4 Birmingham restaurants gifted with pieces of Rickwood history

BIRMINGHAM -- Much of the battle for recognizing the Negro Leagues has been rooted in the urge to ensure that the history of our predecessors doesn’t fall to the wayside. Prior to Tuesday’s matchup between the Montgomery Gray Sox and the Birmingham Black Barons -- a special MiLB tribute to the Negro Leagues between the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays’ Double-A affiliate) and Birmingham Barons (White Sox Double-A) -- tangible memories were passed along, kept for safekeeping.

Restaurant owners from four Birmingham establishments were gifted framed replica Gray Sox and Black Barons jerseys, matching the ones worn in Tuesday’s game. The four restaurants -- SLEEK Sports Bar, Denim on 7th, Continental Drift and Uptown Jazz Lounge -- will be hosting watch parties for Thursday night’s MLB at Rickwood Field Game between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals. And now they’ll have a piece of material history on their walls to match.

• Everything you need to know about the 2024 MLB game at Rickwood Field

“It’s absolutely awesome,” said Patrick Chatman, one of the owners of Uptown Jazz Lounge, who was present for the pregame ceremony. “Back in high school, I actually played here. And to come out today and see how gorgeous the renovation has been -- it’s almost like a brand-new ballpark! But it’s exciting to see, you know? It's been a long time coming, as far as the recognition. And I’m excited to be a part of it in some way.”

Representatives from the restaurants met former MLB outfielder Chris Young for the pregame ceremony, posing with Rickwood Field’s iconic black-and-white scoreboard looming in the background. Family members flocked to the front-row seats and the warning track, snapping way more pictures than most people assume that they need. But somehow it still feels like it's never enough.

With the way that history long ignored the impact and power of the Negro Leagues, the push to record and preserve the stories of those who barnstormed and played is more urgent than ever -- especially as the former players continue to age. The way we pass along stories to our loved ones through physical pictures, old jerseys and stashed keepsakes is a tradition that refuses to die out.

Now, when young Birmingham residents walk into SLEEK or Continental and see a wool Gray Sox or Black Barons jersey adorned on the wall, hopefully they’ll feel the urge to ask a question, to let their curiosity take over for a brief second, to give an elder the chance to pass on their great history to the next set of ears.

“I think it’s really important, because showcasing history is a major thing,” said Malek Kimble, one of the owners of Denim on 7th. “It teaches us where we came from, and where we’re at now.”

“To have that validation with the framed jersey, it’s everything,” Chatman said. “You can count on one hand who had that honor. … It’s super cool and exciting, and we don’t take it for granted, because it was a much bigger struggle for us to be where we are [in the past]. Our rights were so limited, for people of color. I mean, it’s just an extra-special meaning.”