Kids hit the Speedway in unique Play Ball event
BRISTOL, Tenn. -- It was not the first Play Ball event to take place on an asphalt baseball diamond. However, it almost certainly was the first one played in front of a high-banked concrete oval backdrop, with race cars turning laps at nearly 100 miles per hour as kids got a taste of how much fun baseball can be.
It was Play Ball at Bristol Motor Speedway, part of Major League Baseball¡¯s announcement of the 2025 Speedway Classic at ¡°Thunder Valley.¡± Approximately 35 children aged 6-12 from the surrounding region participated in agility and baserunning drills, then got to hit and field on an infield of a different kind -- a race track infield.
¡°The good thing about Play Ball is we can do it anywhere,¡± said Bennett Shields, senior manager for Play Ball and RBI at Major League Baseball. ¡°We¡¯ve done them in gymnasiums, we¡¯ve done them on Major League diamonds, and everything in between. I¡¯d be lying if I said this was the first time we¡¯ve done it on asphalt. We¡¯ve definitely done these on school yards.¡±
The event took place on a painted diamond on the interior of the massive half-mile track, in roughly the same location where a Major League field will be built for the Aug. 2, 2025, game between the Braves and Reds. The kids came from all over the surrounding region, and in particular from the Boys and Girls Club of the Mountain Empire in Bristol, Va.
While drivers took local dignitaries on ridealong laps around the high-banked speedway, the kids got a fun and comfortable taste of baseball on a big league-sized diamond. After some warmup, they ran to first base and then to second on full-sized basepaths. That was followed by the game on a smaller setup, with coaches pitching.
It¡¯s all part of Play Ball¡¯s mission to bring baseball and softball to kids wherever they may be, in a manner that will leave them with happy memories of the sport.
¡°It¡¯s designed to literally take the game to the child,¡± Shields said. ¡°So no matter what their ability, skill level, or experience level, Play Ball is able to give a feel for the sport and hopefully introduce kids to the sport in a way that is low impact and not super competitive.¡±
Still, there was no denying it was a unique environment. BMS holds nearly 150,000 people for racing, one of the largest sports venues in the country. And looming overhead is ¡°Colossus,¡± the 360-degree video display board that hangs over the infield.
It¡¯s just the beginning of a year-long mission for Play Ball, as all of baseball builds toward the game in Bristol in ¡¯25. There won¡¯t just be a game at the speedway, there will be a celebration of baseball that goes beyond the bounds of the track and spreads throughout the region.
¡°This is the start for us,¡± Shields said, "for baseball and softball development, of making some connections, making some inroads with the youth baseball and softball community and other youth-forward, youth-impacting organizations. So that around that game, we can make sure that we¡¯re delivering for that community and continuing our overall mission to grow youth baseball and softball.¡±