Major League Baseball's Speedway Classic on tap later today

It's no secret that I am a baseball fan. I've loved the sport for as long as I can remember. Proof of that may be the fact that I have attended games at 57 different major league baseball parks. I'm currently caught up, but with new stadiums for the A's and Rays coming down the road, as well as possible expansion, I may not be done with my hobby.In recent years MLB has scheduled a single game at some very interesting locations. From the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa to Rickwood Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, to the Little League World Series site in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, these one offs are cool. Today will be another one as the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves will face off in, of all places, Bristol Motor Speedway. I have been to Bristol and the Field of Dreams, but not for big league baseball. These games though, have captured my attention and I think they are great.Before talking about the Speedway Classic, I'd like to recap the previous efforts by MLB to spread the joys of the game. Williamsport, PA is where Little League teams dream of playing. Those games are now televised and baseball fans enjoy watching the youngsters play.To build a full-sized field for major leaguers in Williamsport was a novel idea. The best part of having two teams play there is the fact that all those Little League players get to watch and meet their major league counterparts. This has become an annual tradition that is likely to continue for years to come.Given my hobby, a stop in Dyersville made perfect sense. So, Anita and I pulled into the farmstead that was the site of the movie Field of Dreams. There were many people present and I just had to take part in the festivities. Youngsters of all ages were taking batting practice.I took my turn throwing BP as well as taking a few cuts and then running the bases. I was decidedly slower on the baseball paths than most, but it was fun. And yes, I did go out into the cornfield so I could emerge just like the players did in the movie. My only regret was that my dad and son were not with me so "we could have a game of catch."There was no major league park there then, but when the Chicago White Sox beat the New York Yankees 9-8 several years later, it was a hit with baseball fans of all ages.A year ago MLB played a game at the oldest professional baseball stadium in the country. Rickwood Field located in Birmingham, Alabama opened in 1910. It cost $75,000 to build back then and had a seating capacity of 10,800. Baseball spent 2.5 million dollars to renovate it for that single game. The San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals played the game which was held to pay tribute to the Negro Baseball Leagues and Birmingham's own Willie Mays.You might remember that Mays passed away a few days before the game, but his memory was certainly celebrated that night. Though I haven't gone to any of these one offs, this one would have been on my radar if there had been an opportunity to go.As for what will take place later today, I can say that I have been to Bristol Motor Speedway. My buddy Jon Frankart and I made a weekend excursion to take in two races a couple of decades ago. We had a blast though the two races were different.On Saturday we watched the equivalent of today's Xfinity series. To be truthful we were both a little bored. The cars kept going around in circles for lap after lap. Then an accident would happen and the cars did the same thing under yellow. Slower for sure, but the same old drudgery engulfed us.We were concerned how the Cup race would be on Sunday, but to our delight we were on the edge of our seats all afternoon. The big difference? We had a particular driver to follow and root for. Jon was a Rusty Wallace fan. I was a Sterling Marlin fan. If memory serves me correctly Rusty finished second and Sterling fourth. Jon can tell you how accurate I am!One thing is for sure. We left the place without wondering if a major league baseball game would ever be played there. But then, here we are.The Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds will square off this evening on a baseball field located in the infield of the famed track. I have not seen how much it cost to construct this field, but I'm guessing it was a pretty penny.This will be the first big league game ever played in the state of Tennessee. It is going to set a record for attendance as 85,000 tickets have already been sold as of a number of days ago. If you're wondering what the current record crowd is I can tell you it dates back to 1954. The Cleveland Indians hosted the New York Yankees on Sept. 12, 1954 and 84,587 fans showed up. Only cavernous Municipal Stadium along the shores of Lake Erie could hold that many fans. Bristol Motor Speedway is even bigger.Thus far people have bought tickets from all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and nine countries on four different continents. There seems to be some interest…Hall of Famers Chipper Jones and Johnny Bench will throw out the first pitch this evening. If you are a baseball fan you are likely already planning on tuning in. I know I will be watching.