2025 MLB Speedway Classic

[ForeverRoyalKC]

Umm...I don't know about this. Except asking...Why? MLB and the NFL has really been pushing the international games as something to expand the sports, but I can't figure out why a baseball game inside a race track. To expand the game into states that dont have MLB?
Will Hawaii and Alaska be far behind? I mean...they're not a part of the lower 48.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoyalKC

Umm...I don't know about this. Except asking...Why? MLB and the NFL has really been pushing the international games as something to expand the sports, but I can't figure out why a baseball game inside a race track. To expand the game into states that dont have MLB?
Will Hawaii and Alaska be far behind? I mean...they're not a part of the lower 48.

The comparison would be more like the Winter Classic in the NHL. It is a means of boosting the attention the MLB gets. They are expecting 100,000 for the game, so the gate will be as much as 3 or 4 regular season contests. And doing this as the NFL starts its preseason will take some shine from them.

[Amazin69]

At Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol TN, to be specific.

At this point, I only want to know what drugs Manly Rob Manfred is on, and when he'll be declared mentally incompetent.

What are the dimensions of this "park"? It was one thing when the Phillies played in Baker Bowl or the Giants at the Polo Grounds or the Dodgers in the LA Coliseum, since all the other teams had an equal opportunity to take advantage of the bizarre terrain. What happens if the Braves get hot enough to get back in the pennant race, and they qualify because they had a chance to hit a bunch of 250' HRs here and the Mets and Phillies or whoever did not?

How about an exhibition game first? How about play the All-Star Game there?

Idiotic, which is on form for Manfred, I grant you.

[ForeverRoyalKC]

Thanks for reminding me, Cobra. I completely forgot about the Winter Classic.

[Westheim]

I've had some pretty outlandish ideas and harebrained schemes going in my Raccoons thread over the years.

But Rob Numbfred beats me to it, time and again. Nothing as harebrained and outlandish as this.

[Cobra Mgr]

Guys, this might not have been Manfred's idea. Bristol Speedway has also hosted a couple college football games. This might be the track owner's idea as a way to get more use & revenue for his property.

[Cobra Mgr]

One other thing............the Savannah Bananas have been selling out football stadiums. So as a novelty in some areas, a real live MLB game could be a huge stream of revenue for the league. Imagine a O's/Rays game in Raleigh. Dodgers/Backs in Albuquerque. Rockies/Royals in Lincoln. A's/M's in Salt Lake. Cards/Reds @ Indy.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Guys, this might not have been Manfred's idea.

You think the Barves and Reds can go there without the Supreme Leader's blessing?

[LD84]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

The comparison would be more like the Winter Classic in the NHL. It is a means of boosting the attention the MLB gets. They are expecting 100,000 for the game, so the gate will be as much as 3 or 4 regular season contests. And doing this as the NFL starts its preseason will take some shine from them.

Pretty much this

Atlanta has a monopoly on the southeastern US, and Cincinnati has a sizeable following in Kentucky and West Virginia.
They will be able to have an attendance of 100,000+


The San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors did something a bit like this in January of 2023 at the Alamodome in San Antonio and had a crowd of 68,323 watch a regular season game.

[LD84]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

At Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol TN, to be specific.

At this point, I only want to know what drugs Manly Rob Manfred is on, and when he'll be declared mentally incompetent.

What are the dimensions of this "park"? It was one thing when the Phillies played in Baker Bowl or the Giants at the Polo Grounds or the Dodgers in the LA Coliseum, since all the other teams had an equal opportunity to take advantage of the bizarre terrain. What happens if the Braves get hot enough to get back in the pennant race, and they qualify because they had a chance to hit a bunch of 250' HRs here and the Mets and Phillies or whoever did not?

How about an exhibition game first? How about play the All-Star Game there?

Idiotic, which is on form for Manfred, I grant you.

For the MLB Speedway Classic, a baseball diamond will be built across the track and infield of the speedway, primarily situated between Turns 3 and 4 of the track. The dimensions will be 330 feet down each of the foul lines, 400 feet to center field, 375 feet to the right-field alley and 384 feet to the left-field alley.

Pretty similar to Truist park.
Larger than Great American Ball Park

I think you vastly underestimate how massive these speedways are.

This field will be a tiny portion of the track an infield of a massive raceway.

I have to imagine some of the seating will be pretty bad from a viewing the actual baseball perspective.
But when I looked earlier this year, I did not find the tickets to be overly expensive.


My biggest worry is is the summer heat, that with the grandstands and asphalt and all of the parking, as well as being northeast Tennessee in early August.
Air temps will probably be 90+ and actual on the field temps could easily top 100 or even 105

[Déjà Bru]

I did a double-take at the thread title. Did he misspell something? But now having been educated on what this is about, I must admit that it does sound clever. In terms of mutual marketing, that is. A combination carnival, concert, ballgame, and auto race? That hits a lot of buttons. Is it really all in one spot or are they playing us?

EDIT: LD84 partially answered my question as I was typing. If it is all in one place, they can't possibly have the ballgame and the race on the same day, can they?

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Westheim

You think the Barves and Reds can go there without the Supreme Leader's blessing?

No. Never claimed that. I'm saying it may have not been his idea. Someone like the track's owners could have come to him & the Reds/Braves, pitched the idea, & the league signed off on it.

[Déjà Bru]

Jeez, they really are going to cram everything in there. So, the question stands: game, race . . . and concert . . . all in one day?

[LD84]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

I did a double-take at the thread title. Did he misspell something? But now having been educated on what this is about, I must admit that it does sound clever. In terms of mutual marketing, that is. A combination carnival, concert, ballgame, and auto race? That hits a lot of buttons. Is it really all in one spot or are they playing us?

EDIT: LD84 partially answered my question as I was typing. If it is all in one place, they can't possibly have the ballgame and the race on the same day, can they?

It is a baseball game, there will be no auto race.


An auto race during a baseball game is probably too American even for America

It is simply a baseball game being played on a field constructed inside of a raceway.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

EDIT: LD84 partially answered my question as I was typing. If it is all in one place, they can't possibly have the ballgame and the race on the same day, can they?

I don't think they are having a race that weekend. They probably would have to take multiple weeks to get the place prepared.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by LD84

It is a baseball game, there will be no auto race.


An auto race during a baseball game is probably too American even for America

It is simply a baseball game being played on a field constructed inside of a raceway.

Ah, thanks. My mind leaped to that "auto race" conclusion when I saw NASCAR. Not that they couldn't do it, separated by a few hours, but I suppose it might have been chaos logistically. It would have been wild, though, especially simultaneously!

[LD84]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Ah, thanks. My mind leaped to that "auto race" conclusion when I saw NASCAR. Not that they couldn't do it, separated by a few hours, but I suppose it might have been chaos logistically. It would have been wild, though, especially simultaneously!

Well there will be a pre game (and maybe post game) concert. So you were right about that

But that is much easier to put on than an entire auto race

[Déjà Bru]

There is something else that is weird about this. At first, I thought the event was being co-sponsored by Speedway, the convenience store and fuel station chain.



But no. I see that "Speedway" comes from the name of the racetrack. If you look closely, you see that the 2025 MLB Speedway Classic is presented by BUILDSUBMARINES.COM.



Now, I don't play them but I know of online tank battling games such as World of Tanks in which I believe you can build and customize your own tanks (in exchange for microtransaction fees). I honestly thought BUILDSUBMARINES.COM was something like that.

But no. Their website, https://www.buildsubmarines.com/, does say "Want to build submarines?" but then goes on to say "BuildSubmarines.com connects job seekers with companies currently manufacturing the U.S. Navy’s next-gen submarines. Our site is your launchpad for building a lasting career and taking part in this historic effort." I was afraid to click any further for fear of being drafted or investigated.

A strange outfit to be listed as presenting (which I read as sponsoring) an event like this, no?

EDIT: I put on my big boy pants and clicked around there. It seems to be a "front" (for want of a better term) for the U.S. Navy's nuclear submarine program. That would explain a lot.

[Cobra Mgr]

Why on earth would a company centered on submarines sponsor a car track in Tennessee? I assume these subs are the 100 footers not the foot longs.

[low]

I remember when Bristol used to be a good racetrack. Not sure how it'll be as a baseball stadium. I don't know. Not usually a fan of stuff like this. Let me guess, the Marlins will play here and these will be their designated home games.