Baseball at a racetrack? Braves, Reds gamers in for ‘distinctive expertise’ at Bristol

When gamers for the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds take to the sector Aug. 2 for the Speedway Traditional at Bristol Motor Speedway, they are going to enterprise right into a stadium the place they’ve by no means performed.

Positive, Main League Baseball is aware of learn how to assemble a discipline. However who is aware of the way it will play and if there might be any quirky parts placing a baseball discipline within the “infield” space of the historic NASCAR racetrack.

Because the promotions for the race proceed, some former drivers had recommendation for the gamers as they compete in a brand new venue, which can function the location of the first-ever MLB regular-season recreation in Tennessee.

“Have enjoyable and luxuriate in it,” mentioned former Braves star Andruw Jones. “As a result of these issues do not occur that a lot.

“I do know you’re going to be enjoying on a constructed floor that you just’re not used to on a regular basis, however I am positive MLB will do a superb job to place a superb floor so these guys can go on the market and present their expertise.”

Former Reds star Sean Casey mentioned it will likely be vital for gamers to do the identical factor they do earlier than each recreation at a park they don’t usually play at.

“You wish to see how the wall works — how does the wall play within the nook,” Casey mentioned. “Once I’m taking floor balls, I wish to see how the infield performs. The place’s the lip … on the grass to the filth.”

Casey likened it to enjoying a recreation at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (which he has performed), or enjoying in Japan.

“I look again at these issues and I am like, ‘I am grateful that I took a second to actually lean in and be like, wow, it is a distinctive expertise,’” Casey mentioned. “So I hope that the Braves gamers and the Reds gamers actually lean into that — you’re two groups which might be attending to expertise Bristol and this historic observe and play a baseball recreation there that the not one of the different 28 groups will get to understand.”

Former NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip, a NASCAR analyst for FOX, mentioned with a big crowd, the gamers are in for an expertise. Observe officers are hoping for a record-setting night time.

That recreation that Casey performed in on the L.A. Memorial Coliseum in 2008 drew 115,300, the most important attendance for an MLB occasion (that was an exhibition recreation). 

Bristol officers haven’t launched the power’s present capability or what the capability might be for the sport, which additionally features a live performance lineup of Tim McGraw, Pitbull and Jake Owen. 

In 2016, a soccer recreation between Tennessee and Virginia Tech on the observe attracted an NCAA-record attendance of 156,990. The observe has eliminated some seats since that occasion however definitely has sufficient to doubtlessly break the Coliseum document.

“Bristol is a singular venue for NASCAR,” Waltrip mentioned. “It is one of many tracks you circle as a spot the place you wish to achieve success at and win at as a result of it is so electrical.”

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent a long time overlaying motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seaside) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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