Where is Rickwood Field and why was it chosen to host 'Field of Dreams' Game in 2024? Iconic venue's history, explored

Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama will be the site of the 2024 MLB Field of Dreams Game. As such, it becomes the latest venue for one of the league's most beloved summer traditions.

Started in 2021, the Field of Dreams Game is normally at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. The site was popularized by a 1989 film, the name of which is the inspiration for the park's name.

However, due to ongoing construction costs, it was determined earlier this year that the MLB would need to cancel the 2023 Field of Dreams Game. On June 20, it was announced that the league had found their venue for the 2024 competition.

"Rickwood Field, the oldest professional ballpark in the United States and former home of the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues, will host a regular season game between the @Cards and @SFGiants on June 20, 2024

Named after Rick Woodward, the owner of the Birmingham Barons, Rickwood Field opened in 1910. The stadium holds a capacity of about 11,000. Due to it's role as a film set in the past, Rickwood Field boasts an impressive 1940s-style scoreboard and retro ads on the outfield fence.

While the title is claimed by many, Rickwood asserts themselves to be the oldest pro ballpark in the United States. Used over the years for football games, the facility is used by the Miles College Baseball team, and has been used for various historical baseball re-enactments, such as that of a Negro League Game in 2006.

In 2021, the Chicago White Sox bested the New York Yankees by a score of 9-8 inthe league's innaugural Field of Dreams affair. A year later, in 2022, the Chicago Cubs bested the Cincinnati Reds 4-2 in an NL West showdown.

"Ahhhhh, the Field of Dreams game from 2021. Who’s ready for some big MLB parlays this season" - Dimers.com

The 2021 edition of the special series drew some of the highest ratings for any regular season game in MLB history. The 5.9 million viewers was the highest seen on any Fox telecast since October of 2005. The St. Louis Cardinals will take on the San Francisco Giants in the 2024 edition in Alabama.

Rickwood Field for 2024 Field of Dreams Game set to be a hit

With such gimmicks as the Mexico Series, UK Series, and other overseas campaigns in the works, it is refreshing to see the MLB take it's business to a less-well trodden part of the baseball world. Rickwood Field will be an excellent stage for players to show off in the 2024 Field of Dreams Game.