Willie Mays emotional about 2024 Cardinals-Giants game at USA's oldest ballpark

June 20 (UPI) -- A 2024 special event game between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, confirmed Tuesday by MLB, continues to trigger emotions from Willie Mays, who played there nearly 75 years ago.

MLB announced that the game will be 7 p.m. EDT next June 20 at the Birmingham, Ala., facility, the oldest professional ballpark in the United States.

The Cardinals and Giants will wear retro uniforms highlighting the Negro Leagues' history in their respective cities.

"I can't believe it," Mays said in a news release. "I never thought I'd see in my lifetime a Major League Baseball game being played on the very field where I played baseball as a teenager.

"It has been 75 years since I played for the Birmingham Black Barons at Rickwood Field, and to learn that my Giants and the Cardinals will play a game there and honor the legacy of the Negro Leagues and all those who came before them is really emotional for me.

"We can't forget what got us here and that was the Negro Leagues for so many of us."

MLB said the 2024 event, to air on Fox, will feature a variety of tributes to the Negro Leagues and Mays. The league will collaborate with the Friends of Rickwood and city of Birmingham to renovate the field, transforming the structure to host a big-league game.

Rickwood Field -- built in 1910 -- also will host a Minor League Baseball game June 18 between the Birmingham Barons and Montgomery Biscuits.

"We are proud to bring Major League Baseball to historic Rickwood Field in 2024," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said.

"This opportunity to pay tribute to the Negro Leagues as the Giants and Cardinals play a regular season game at this iconic location is a great honor.

"The legacy of the Negro Leagues and its greatest living player, Willie Mays, is one of excellence and perseverance. We look forward to sharing the stories of the Negro Leagues throughout this event next year."

The Black Barons played at Rickwood Field from 1924 through 1960. Mays, 92, started with the team in 1948. He made his New York Giants debut in 1951.

Mays went on to become Rookie of the Year, a 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove winner and a two-time MVP. The Hall of Famer played through the 1973 season.

Satchel Paige, Babe Ruth, 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb and Stan Musial are among other baseball legends who played at Rickwood Field.