1964 Birmingham Barons

The 1964 Birmingham Barons were the first racially-integrated Barons club, and the first professional team to play at Rickwood Field without segregated seating. The team was owned by Albert Belcher, who had also owned the 1961 Birmingham Barons team that dissolved, along with the Southern Association, in the face of segregation ordinances in Birmingham and New Orleans. Once those ordinances were lifted, a victory of the Civil Rights movement, a new Southern League was formed with Birmingham, again, a charter member.

The team was affiliated with the Kansas City Athletics, then owned by Ensley native Charlie Finley, who often visited during Birmingham A's home stands. The team's name was changed to the Birmingham Athletics following the 1965 season.

Scheduled for just months after the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church, the threat of racially-motivated violence loomed over the opener against the Asheville Tourists. Extra police were stationed all around the ballpark. Despite the fact that the team gave away razors and blades at the turnstiles ^1., there were no incidents to mar the event, which attracted 6,564 fans.

Tommie Reynolds tied a team record with three home runs against Asheville on August 24. He hit three more on September 5 against Charlotte, matching his own record and setting the team record for runs batted in during a game.

As the season progressed, with the Barons in the hunt for the pennant until the very last game, overall attendance at Rickwood was a disappointing 95,703.

Several veterans of the 1964 Barons came back to Birmingham for a reunion on May 14, 2013. They toured Rickwood Field, played a round at the Highland Park Golf Course, ate at L. Indica inside Paul Seitz' bookstore. That night they were introduced at Regions Field before the 2013 Birmingham Barons home gave versus the Montgomery Biscuits.

Roster

• Infielders: Bert Campaneris, Tony LaRussa
• Outfielders: Tom Reynolds
• Catchers: Rene Lachemann
• Pitchers: Johnny Odom, Stan Jones, Marcel Lachemann
• Manager: Haywood Sullivan
• General manager: Glynn West
• Trainer: Fred Posey
• Unknown: Richard Allen, Tony Frulio, John Stutz, John Stahl, Santiago Rosario, Woody Huyke, Nicky Curtis, Weldon Bowlin, Stan Wojcik, Lou Hemauer, Bill Meyer, Ron Thompkins, Ken Knight, Paul Seitz, Joe Grzenda, Wayne Norton, Paul Linblad, Ossie Chavarria.

Schedule

The 1964 Barons finished the season 80-60, one game back from the 81-59 Lynchburg White Sox for the league pennant (there was no playoff).

April

17-19: 3 games vs. Asheville Tourists

21-23: 3 games at Columbus Confederate Yankees

24-26: 3 games at Macon Peaches

27-29: 3 games vs. Knoxville Smokies

30: vs. Chattanooga Looksouts

May

1-3: 3 games vs. Chattanooga Lookouts

4-5: 2 games at Knoxville Smokies

6-8: 3 games at Chattanooga Lookouts

9-12: 4 games vs. Columbus Confederate Yankees

13-15: 3 games vs. Macon Peaches

16-17: 2 games at Asheville Tourists

18-20: 3 games vs. Charlotte Hornets

22-24: 3 games vs. Lynchburg White Sox

25-27: 3 games at Chattanooga Lookouts

28-31: 4 games at Lynchburg White Sox

June

1-4: 4 games vs. Asheville Tourists

5-7: 3 games at Columbus Confederate Yankees

8-11: 4 games at Macon Peaches

12-14: 3 games vs. Knoxville Smokies

15-17: 3 games vs. Chattanooga Lookouts

18-21: 4 games at Knoxville Smokies

22-25: 4 games at Chattanooga Lookouts

26-28: 3 games vs. Columbus Confederate Yankees

29-30: 2 games vs. Macon Peaches

July

1: vs. Macon Peaches

2-5: 4 games at Asheville Tourists

6-8: 3 games at Charlotte Hornets

10-12: 4 games vs. Lynchburg White Sox

15-17: 3 games at Charlotte Hornets

18-20: 3 games at Lynchburg White Sox

22-24: 3 games at Asheville Tourists

25-28: 4 games at Columbus Confederate Yankees

29-31: 3 games at Macon Peaches

August

1-4: 4 games vs. Knoxville Smokies

5-7: 3 games vs. Chattanooga Lookouts

8-11: 4 games at Knoxville Smokies

12-14: 3 games at Chattanooga Lookouts

15-17: 3 games vs. Columbus Confederate Yankees

18-21: 4 games vs. Macon Peaches

22-25: 4 games at Asheville Tourists

27-30: 4 games vs. Charlotte Hornets

31: vs. Lynchburg White Sox

September

1-2: 2 games vs. Lynchburg White Sox

3-6: 4 games at Charlotte Hornets

7-9: 3 games at Lynchburg White Sox

References

1. Segrest, Doug (May 30, 2007) "A better view of the game." The Birmingham News

• Cook, Ben (2005) Good Wood: A Fan's history of Rickwood Field. Birmingham: R. Boozer Press. ISBN 0963612832
• 1964 Birmingham Barons information at Birmingham Pro Sports
• Colton, Larry (2013) Southern League: A True Story of Baseball, Civil Rights, and The Deep South's Most Compelling Pennant Race. New York: Grand Central Publishing ISBN 1455511889
• Carlton, Bob (May 15, 2013) "The boys of summer: 1964 Birmingham Barons relive their glory days at Rickwood Field." The Birmingham News