Thursday night's game between the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., is loaded with rich baseball history. Not only did the late Giants legend Willie Mays play there, but outfielder Mike Yastrzemski's family did, too.

San Francisco manager Bob Melvin even asked Yastrzemski if he wanted to play the same position that his relatives did, via USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

“San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin asked right fielder Mike Yastrzemski if he wanted to play left field tonight at Rickwood where his grandfather (Carl) and father (Mike) played, but he is staying in RF,” Nightengale tweeted. “‘I told him as long as I’m in the lineup, that’s all that matters.'”

Yastrzemski still felt the weight of the moment when he entered the stadium, despite not playing in right.

“There’s an aura here; there’s an energy that just feels different,’’ he continued.

It's not common for a third-generation MLB player to play in the same ballpark as his ancestors, but Rickwood isn't a regular field.

Thursday will be a special night for the Giants and Yastrzemski

an Francisco Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski (right) is greeted by designated hitter Jorge Soler (left) after scoring against the Chicago Cubs during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field.
© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

It's not entirely surprising that Rickwood has hosted the Yastrzemski family for three generations, as it's the oldest professional baseball field in the country (115 years old). Mike's grandfather, Hall-of-Famer Carl Yastrzemski, started the family tradition in 1971 when his Boston Red Sox played the New York Yankees in spring training.

After that, Carl's son and Mike's father Michael Yastrzemski played on the field for the Birmingham Barons in 1986, the Chicago White Sox's Double-A affiliate.

The younger Yastrzemski sounded off on the significance of the moment, via the San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea.

“It’s going to be super special for me specifically to play in such a historic ballpark,” Yastrzemski said, “and my dad playing there is one of the reasons. It’ll be cool to play on a field where I know he played in his minor-league career.”

As if that wasn't enough, Melvin also played at Rickwood two years after Michael, as he was a catcher for the Barons. This is the type of occurrence that feels orchestrated by forces beyond human understanding.

“It kind of feels like it was drawn up for a reason,” Yastrzemski said. “I’m not sure exactly what it is yet, but I think it’s a special occasion that I will definitely cherish.”

What would make the occasion even more special is securing the victory, as the Giants continue to chase an NL wild-card spot. At 36-39, the team is lucky to still be in the thick of the race despite an underwhelming start.