Rain Suspends MLB Game in Bristol: Braves vs Reds Postponed

The excitement of baseball was dampened by the rain at Saturday night’s Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway, an event that promised to be historic for MLB. The game between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds was suspended in the first inning due to inclement weather, forcing the game to be stopped before a record crowd that gathered to witness the first regular season game in Tennessee. The plan is to resume the game on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. The first interruption, which lasted 2 hours and 17 minutes, occurred after the initial ceremonial launch, where legends like Johnny Bench and Chipper Jones participated, along with NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott. The second interruption, with an out in the bottom of the first inning, led to the suspension of the game. The event, which combined baseball and NASCAR, suffered an unexpected setback.

We are going to suspend tonight’s game. … We are optimistic about a better weather forecast for tomorrow.

Michael Hill, Senior Vice President of Field Operations at MLB

The weather conditions made the game difficult for the players before the suspension. A bat slipped out of TJ Friedl’s hands when he opened the game for the Reds, and a pitcher appeared to lose his balance while covering first base. This event, announced almost a year ago, is part of Commissioner Rob Manfred’s initiative to bring MLB to places where baseball is not played daily. The league already held games at the “Field of Dreams” in Iowa in 2021 and 2022, as well as other events in Alabama and North Carolina. Andrew Abbott, Reds pitcher, arrived at the stadium in a custom NASCAR racing suit. Abbott, a Virginia native, expressed his desire to wear something special for this game.

I grew up around NASCAR. I went on eBay and found some options, and fortunately that was the one that arrived on time. I had some backup options. I also know who Rusty Wallace is, so I know the history behind this.

Andrew Abbott, Reds pitcher

Before the rain forced fans to leave, they enjoyed a wide variety of activities, including a 110-foot Ferris wheel, food trucks, live music, pitching tunnels, and batting cages. Fans also had the opportunity to take photos with the Commissioner’s Trophy and the Clydesdales outside the historic circuit. Inside the stadium, Tim McGraw and Pitbull delivered stellar performances. Before the weather worsened, the players paraded in the back of pickup trucks with their numbers printed on them, going around the circuit. For the presentations, the Braves and the Reds walked between two cars decorated with the colors of Atlanta and Cincinnati. The rain, which had been present for much of Saturday, intensified and delayed the start of the game. The first delay forced the Braves to change their starting pitcher. Spencer Strider received a bigger ovation than Chase Burns, the Reds’ starter. The Reds decided to keep Burns despite the delay.

Strider threw the warm-up, but the Braves opted not to risk his third start after a second elbow surgery. The rain stopped enough to remove the tarp and start the game. Michael Waltrip, who competed in Bristol, restarted the festivities by quoting his brother Darrell: “Boogity, boogity, boogity. Let’s play baseball, boys!” Atlanta failed to score in the first inning. However, there was another rain delay after Austin Hays hit an RBI single for Cincinnati in the bottom of the inning. Officials announced that more than 85,000 tickets had been sold, surpassing the previous record of 84,587 set on September 12, 1954, when Cleveland Stadium hosted the New York Yankees. A batter must send the ball 400 feet to surpass center field, 375 in the alleys, and 330 for each baseline. Hitting the ball down the foul line increases the chance of the ball bouncing out of the running track beyond the outfield wall.

Honestly, my first thought was that I can’t believe they did all this for a single game. Being able to set all this up, prepare a playing surface, install the stands for proper viewing, it’s incredible.

Matt Olson, Braves first baseman