Published on December 8, 2025 by Catherine Smith  
Rickwood World Baseball League

When Birmingham's historic Rickwood Field buzzes with the energy of the newly formed World Baseball League, it is more than a game. It is an experience blending tradition with innovation, sport with performance and fans with community. At the center of this startup league is Gaines Johnson ’09, who is helping lead this bold new vision for baseball.

Founded in 2024, the World Baseball League (WBL) set out to create a league unlike any other. Matches are scored like rounds, with tiebreakers ranging from home-run derbies to surprise contests. Between innings, various singers, dancers and acrobats compete for performance points judged by fans. Players are entertainers, fans are part of the action and every game feels like a celebration of connection and fun.

After attending the MLB game at Rickwood Field in 2024 that honored the life of Willie Mays, Johnson left inspired and had an idea that he describes as a vision from the Lord.

“We need more baseball at Rickwood—we need more baseball everywhere,” he said.

That moment sparked the creation of the WBL, a league designed to bring people together, celebrate the game’s history and create new memories for fans of all ages.

Johnson credits Samford for preparing him to lead with confidence, faith and vision.

“The most important thing I take from Samford is the relationships,” he said. “Samford is still at the heart of what I do every day, guiding me to combine purpose, community and passion in everything I pursue.”

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This story was first published in the fall 2025 issue of Samford magazine. You can read the issue online.

 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford enrolls 6,324 students from 44 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford is widely recognized as having one of the most beautiful campuses in America, featuring rolling hills, meticulously maintained grounds and Georgian-Colonial architecture. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and boasts one of the highest scores in the nation for its 97% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.