Major League Baseball comes to E-T, and in historic fashion

Published 11:35 am Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Major League Baseball came to East Tennessee this past weekend, and it did not disappoint. Only the weather was unhappy about it, causing the game to be delayed until Sunday. The Saturday storms showed up before the game and continued to show their stuff, forcing the game to be postponed.

It was the first National or American League game played in the state of Tennessee. MLB announced a record crowd of 91,302 ticketholders for the special contest, making it the most attended baseball game in the history of the major leagues.

There were a lot of other firsts — the first-ever home run hit at the Bristol Speedway-converted ballfield, hit by Eli White of the Atlanta Braves.

And there were so many people that the concessionaires ran out of food — what a disappointment — no hot dogs, no pizza, no chicken wings, no hamburgers, nothing! But that was the only disappointment on Sunday.

The game did not disappoint. The Braves defeated the Reds 4-2 in the historic baseball clash. Perhaps a baseball game at Bristol Motor Speedway in August will become an annual event. The fans loved it … and it was a memorable event for the players as well.

Baseball is an American family tradition, and it is a part of our culture. Kids grow up playing Little League ball, and many go on to play in the Babe Ruth League, and in high school and college. Not only do kids play it, but we play it and watch it as adults, and we pass down our love of the game through generations. Baseball is an American family tradition.

Looking back, time and time again, baseball has been there through the good times and the bad, often bringing us together. Those moments transcend the action on the diamond.

From the Civil War to civil rights and all points in between and beyond, the game of baseball reflects American life, from culture to economics and technological advances. It inspires movements, instills pride and even heals cities.

The first professional baseball games were played in the wake of a young nation’s darkest days. The amateur version, however, has roots that reach back decades before the war began.

Reporters described baseball as a mania back in the 1840s; the sport was already established as a popular pastime when Civil War soldiers on both sides played it as a diversion. Many veterans took the game home after the war, and it became a great unifier in the years that followed the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history.

Though since disproved, the invention of the sport was originally believed to have occurred in Cooperstown, N.Y., and was credited to Civil War hero Abner Doubleday. Doubleday was at Fort Sumter in South Carolina when the first shots were fired in defense of the Union. He went on to rise to the rank of major general and served with distinction during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Baseball played a role in World War I and II with both players and fans.

For many, 9/11 is a moment etched into our memories. The events of that day left us with a tremendous sense of loss and anger for what had been taken from us, and a heavy feeling that our lives would be changed forever. Thankfully, baseball was there to help us heal again.

Just 10 days after the attack, on Sept. 21, Major League Baseball resumed in New York. The city was still reeling and coming to grips with a changed world. That game represented hope — and gave people faith that despite our terrible loss, America was going to persevere. The evening reached a crescendo as future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza of the New York Mets hit one out of Shea Stadium to beat the rival Atlanta Braves. The crowd went wild — screaming, jumping, hugging and crying together.

Baseball has been there for Americans through both the good and bad. When Americans have been down, when they have been trampled on, baseball has lifted them, given them reason to not give up, but to fight back and triumph.

Baseball has its place in American history, and hopefully, it has found a place at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Until next year.