BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — Fans of the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds have descended on Bristol as excitement builds for the MLB Speedway Classic.
The inaugural Major League Baseball game in Tennessee will take place on Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, drawing a record crowd of over 85,000 attendees.
Supporters from both teams are arriving from all across the nation. Despite having faced each other over 2,000 times, the Reds and Braves will experience a unique confrontation at the Speedway Classic.
Ohio resident David Grizzell has been to BMS before for the Battle at Bristol in 2016 and made the trek back for the Speedway Classic.
“They mentioned a baseball game. We were present for the football battle between Tennessee and Virginia Tech,” Grizzell noted. “Since 2009, I’ve held season tickets, and pretty much for any event, be it NASCAR or other special gatherings, we attend.”
For many ticketholders like Mitch Flickinger from Wooster, Ohio, this weekend marks their inaugural visit to Bristol for the historic game. Though not a NASCAR enthusiast, Flickinger is a devoted Reds fan.
“I was like, ‘I have to get here,'” Flickinger said. “I’m a huge Reds fan, so I had to get to the game.”
Flickinger traveled more than seven hours to get to Bristol.
Meanwhile, Braves aficionados have also flocked to Bristol. On Friday night, the Braves Pitstop at Paramount Bristol enabled fans to view the second game between the Reds and Braves in Cincinnati. Paramount also hosted Atlanta Braves Tonight, featuring notable guests like Braves legend and Hall of Famer Mark Wohlers, NASCAR icon Michael Waltrip, and University of Tennessee Head Baseball Coach Tony Vitello.
Braves Director of Marketing and Advertising Jori Palmer said the opportunity to interact with fans outside of Atlanta has been a blast.
“It’s a revelation to see all these Braves supporters everywhere,” Palmer commented. “We are essentially the team of the South, and visiting Tennessee, it’s clear we have numerous fans here.”
Palmer believes a future series akin to the Speedway Classic would help professional baseball grow and entice more fans.
