Rickwood tickets limited to local fans

The Rickwood Field game pitting the San Francisco Giants against the St. Louis Cardinals figures to be a hot ticket. So hot, in fact, that Major League Baseball on Tuesday announced that tickets for the historic June 20 event will be made available only to Alabama residents.

Once construction at Rickwood is complete, the ballpark’s capacity is expected to be a mere 8,300, and MLB plans to give 26% of the tickets free to community and youth-based organizations in Birmingham.

MLB said ticket distribution for the game will be for fans with Alabama zip codes and residents in the state will be eligible to register online through April 30 for a lottery to determine who can purchase tickets.

Giants fans in the Bay Area, unless they know someone in Alabama, will need to watch “MLB at Rickwood Field: a Tribute to the Negro Leagues” on television.

Another option for fans who want to enjoy the Rickwood experience is attending a minor-league game at the facility two days earlier, on June 18, between the Montgomery Biscuits and Birmingham Barons, Double-A teams in the Southern League. Initial ticket opportunities for the minor-league game will go to season-ticket holders of the Biscuits and Barons began Wednesday. General public tickets can be purchased beginning Tuesday.

The minor-league teams will be playing in replica uniforms of the Montgomery Gray Sox and Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. Willie Mays played for the Black Barons in 1948, 1949 and 1950.

MLB will send a limited allotment of passes to Giants and Cardinals personnel. The Giants will distribute them to owners, partners and staff, along with alumni Dusty Baker, Barry Bonds, Jeffrey Leonard and Randy Winn.