June 14, 2024
Major League Baseball And UNINTERRUPTED Announce Juneteenth Celebrity Softball Game
"Barnstorm Birmingham" will take place in Alabama on June 19 and will feature Omari Hardwick, and DC Young Fly among others with Metro Boomin performing
A Juneteenth celebration is taking place on June 19 at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama that is being presented by Major League Baseball, the league recently announced. Several celebrities and athletes from various sports will be participating.
Major League Baseball, in conjunction with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s company, UNINTERRUPTED, stated that the celebrity event will be at the country’s oldest ballpark. The event is titled “Barnstorm Birmingham” and will feature actor Omari Hardwick (Power), comedian Lil Rel Howery (Get Out), former Yankee baseball player and World Series Champion CC Sabathia, former NBA champion (Golden State Warriors) and co-host of “All the Smoke” podcast, Matt Barnes, and former NBA champion (Cleveland Cavaliers) and current collegiate golfer, JR Smith.
Music producer, Metro Boomin will also perform after the game. Tickets can be purchased for $24 at MLB.com/rickwood.
The celebrities and athletes will play on opposing teams named after two Alabama legends. The Say Heys are named after Willie Mays, who was born in Birmingham, while the opposing team, The Hammers, is named after Hank Aaron, who was raised in Mobile. Both men started their baseball careers in the Negro Leagues before playing in the Major Leagues.
Barnstorm Birmingham was conceived by Sabathia and Carter as an extension of UNINTERRUPTED’s Fam Jam. The Fam Jam Celebrity Softball Game will be filmed on June 19 and air on the MLB Network on June 20.
A complete list of the other confirmed celebrities are listed below:
- Alycia Baumgardner – WBC and IBO female super featherweight champion, WBO IBO and The Ring female super featherweight champion
- Jalen Milroe – Starting QB of the Alabama Crimson Tide
- Dwight Freeney – Pro Football Hall of Famer
- Ari Chambers – Founder, HighlightHER; host & writer, ESPN & Andscape
- Phoebe Robinson – Comedian, Actor, Author, and Podcaster
- Bubba Dub – Comedian
- Ryan Howard – former World Series Champion, All-Star & Most Valuable Player
- Roy Wood Jr. – Comedian, Birmingham native
- Stephen Jackson – former NBA Champion, co-host of All the Smoke podcast
- DC Young Fly – Comedian & Actor
- Sam Jay – Comedian & Actor
- Terrell Owens – Football Hall of Famer
- Jameis Winston – NFL Quarterback & former FSU star pitcher
Fans can purchase bundled tickets for Barnstorm Birmingham, which will include entry for three games taking place June 18-20 at Rickwood Field: MiLB at Rickwood (Tuesday, June 18th), BARNSTORM BIRMINGHAM (Wednesday, June 19th), and MLB at Rickwood (Thursday, June 20th). In collaboration with the City of Birmingham, MLB will provide tickets for free to local youth and community groups.