The Birmingham Barons are a Minor League Baseball team located in Birmingham, Alabama. They play in the Southern League and have been affiliated with the Chicago White Sox since 1986. The team has two official mascots, Baby Ruff and Lillie Mays, and their colors are black, red and gray.
Since opening in 2013, the Barons have played their home games at Regions Field, a stadium located in downtown Birmingham. The stadium has a seating capacity of 8,500 and features a state-of-the-art video display board. As a show of respect for the cultural significance baseball has had on the Birmingham region, the stadium was designed to resemble Rickwood Field, the Barons' former home stadium that is now a historic landmark.
The team has a long and storied history, dating back to 1885. They have won 12 league titles, the most recent of which was in 2013. The Barons have also been home to many notable players, including Michael Jordan, who played for the team during the 1994 season as part of his brief stint in Minor League Baseball. The team has also been the subject of several books and documentaries, including Baseball in Birmingham by Clarence Watkins.
In addition to their success on the field, the Barons are also known for their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1964, the team became the first integrated professional sports team in Alabama when they signed African-American player Tommie Reynolds. The team also played a role in the desegregation of Birmingham's public facilities, when they refused to play at Rickwood Field until the city agreed to integrate the stadium.
