BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Before he even got the call to the big leagues, Spencer Bivens knew he would be at Rickwood Field on Thursday.
The Giants decided to invite all of their Black minor leaguers to watch the game, which honored Willie Mays and the legacy of the Negro Leagues, and Bivens received a phone call last week asking if he would like to make the trip. A few hours later, the bullpen phone rang during a River Cats game and he was told to head back to the dugout, where he received the news that he was finally headed to the big leagues.
During batting practice Thursday, Bivens and the rest of the Giants were joined on the field by the prospects, who took in the festivities and marveled at an incredible collection of talent gathered for the event. Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez were among the former big league superstars at Rickwood Field.
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"It was out of the blue, honestly," left-handed pitcher Reggie Crawford said of the call to Rickwood Field. "I think it shows who they are as an organization and how much they value the players and the history of the game. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and to be able to come out here and share experiences and the insights and stuff, it's special."
The whole trip took about a year of planning for the organization, and the Giants brought as many people from all different levels of the organization as they reasonably could. The baseball operations department made sure to involve scouts and others instrumental in putting the team together, and general manager Pete Putila and senior director of development Kyle Haines were among those gathered for a team event on Wednesday night.
Ten Giants minor leaguers were there, as well, before catching Ubers to Rickwood Field where they took in a celebrity softball game and walked around the country's oldest professional ballpark. The players who made the trip were Crawford, Grant McCray, Ben Madison, Josh Bostic, Scott Bandura, Nadir Lewis, Donovan McIntyre, Bo Davidson, Michael Rodriguez and Elijah Pleasants, who was signed from the Oakland Ballers just a week ago.
The Giants had a few others who were invited but could not attend because of injuries or illness. The St. Louis Cardinals also brought four of their minor leaguers, and the groups met up before the game.
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McCray, an outfielder in Triple-A, had been looking forward to this game for months but didn't know he would be attending until recently. He said taking in the whole atmosphere of Rickwood Field was what stood out the most.
"When I walk up the stadium I can just feel the presence of everybody around and almost get a sense of how they played here," he said.
Because he was promoted, Bivens got to take part in an emotional pregame ceremony that was highlighted by Giants and Cardinals walking Negro League players onto the field. Bivens said the player he was matched with told him to keep fighting and make sure to keep his heart in the game, something that shouldn't at all be an issue for a 29-year-old who took a winding path to the big leagues.
"This is amazing," Bivens said after the game. "I've been at a pretty big loss for words."
The hope for the organization is that the Rickwood Field game becomes part of the MLB calendar in some form. The Giants would love to see a Willie Mays Classic in Birmingham, and while getting to Alabama every season would be tough logistically, they are hopeful that they return soon.
If that's the case, some of the minor leaguers who took in the scene this week may get a chance to return as big leaguers. On Thursday, they were thrilled to just soak it all in.
"It's extremely special," Crawford said. "I didn't get the chance to meet (Mays) unfortunately, but just having all these guys here to share his stories and to be able to talk about him, it just gives you insight on who he really was on a personal level. I'm really fortunate to be able to experience that."
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