BRISTOL, TN — What was supposed to be a historic night for Major League Baseball turned into a rain-soaked disappointment on Saturday, as the highly anticipated MLB Speedway Classic between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves was suspended due to weather in the first inning.
The game, held at the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway—the first-ever regular-season MLB game in Tennessee—was called off after multiple rain delays. Officials now plan to resume play on Sunday afternoon, with the Reds leading 1-0.
It all began with a star-studded first pitch featuring baseball legends Johnny Bench and Chipper Jones, alongside NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott. But as rain intensified, fans—many of whom had waited through an initial 2-hour, 17-minute delay—began leaving before the second delay forced the game’s suspension.
Michael Hill, MLB’s Senior VP of On-Field Operations, announced the pause on Fox, expressing hope for better weather Sunday. Slippery conditions had already caused issues: Reds leadoff hitter TJ Friedl lost his grip on a bat, and a pitcher nearly slipped covering first base.
The event was nearly a year in the making, part of Commissioner Rob Manfred’s effort to bring baseball to unconventional venues—following the success of games at the “Field of Dreams” site in Iowa, as well as in Alabama and North Carolina. Saturday’s setup was nothing short of spectacular: food trucks, live music, a Ferris wheel, batting cages, and the chance to snap photos with the Commissioner’s Trophy and Clydesdales.
Country star Tim McGraw and global icon Pitbull performed live, while players circled the infield in pickup trucks before the first pitch—cell phones in hand to document the moment. For team introductions, the Reds and Braves emerged between custom cars decked out in team colors.
But just as the energy hit its peak, the rain returned.
The Braves switched starting pitchers during the first delay, opting to preserve ace Spencer Strider—an East Tennessee native recovering from a second elbow surgery. The Reds, meanwhile, stuck with Chase Burns, a local favorite from Hendersonville and a former Tennessee Volunteer.
When the game finally started, Atlanta went down in order in the top of the first. In the bottom half, Cincinnati’s Austin Hays delivered an RBI single before another round of rain forced everyone back under cover.
Despite the setbacks, the event still drew a crowd exceeding 85,000—surpassing the previous MLB single-game paid attendance record from 1954. While not every seat in the massive speedway was sold, the spectacle lived up to its billing—if not its weather forecast.
Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott embraced the moment, arriving in a cut-off NASCAR fire suit he found on eBay. “I grew up around NASCAR,” he said. “I know who Rusty Wallace is. This game meant something.”
Braves first baseman Matt Olson was stunned by the sheer scale of the setup: “Honestly, I can’t believe they did all this for one game,” he said. “It’s incredible.”
Though history was delayed, the fusion of baseball and motorsport remains an unforgettable experiment. Fans and players alike will be hoping Sunday brings not just clearer skies—but closure.
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