In Photos: Yankees legend Derek Jeter shares moment with father at historic Rickwood Field as MLB honors the Negro Leagues
New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter and his father, showed up to the historic Rickwood Field on Thursday. It is the oldest professional ballpark in the United States and was the former home of the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues.
The father-son duo headed up to the park to see the matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. The league has set up this game in Birmingham to celebrate the Negro Leagues.
This was an event that Jeter did not want to miss, and he wanted to share that with his father. Jeter posted a photo on his social media with his arm wrapped around his dad, happy to have him by his side on Thursday.
Jeter's dad, Sanderson, was a big reason Derek got into baseball in the first place. Sanderson played shortstop at Fisk University and was a big reason why Derek fell in love with the game.
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On Wednesday, the league held the "Fam Jam" at Rickwood Field. This was a celebrity softball game where Derek Jeter was named an honorary captain, alongside Barry Bonds.
It was a special moment for Bonds, who is the grandson of the late Willie Mays, who passed away on Tuesday. When he and Jeter walked on the field together, they received a huge ovation.
However, it was not just these two who got the fans in attendance excited. There were many celebrities, including David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez, while former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens was in attendance.
Like other celebrity softball games, it was a fun and loose atmosphere. Everybody was in good spirits and happy to see the league celebrating the Negro Leagues and all the players that came before them.