Eli White hit two home runs and drove in four RBIs to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 4-2 victory Sunday over the Cincinnati Reds in the historic MLB Speedway Classic presented by BuildSubamrines.com at baseball-transformed Bristol Motor Speedway.
The game, which started on Saturday but was delayed until Sunday due to inclement weather, was the first National or American League game played in the state of Tennessee. MLB announced a record crowd of 91,032 ticketholders for the special contest. According to MLB archives, the attendance moved past the September 1954 Cleveland-Yankees regular season game mark of 84,587.
It was one of the most memorable games in White’s playing career. He got the starting call after regular right fielder and star Braves player Ronald Acuna Jr. sprained a calf muscle and was forced to sit out the game.
“I tried to look around and soak it all in,” White said. “I thought it would feel weird being out there, but it felt like a normal game environment -- just a special crowd. And tried to soak it in while I was out there, as best I could… It was a great experience. And even yesterday, you know, disappointed with the rain, but all the pregame stuff, getting to ride around the track (in Chevy Trucks) in front of all the fans, was super cool and something that I will always remember, and just the overall great experience for the players.”
White took advantage of his opportunity by smashing two home runs to spark the Braves. He hit the first homer of the game, and first-ever at Bristol’s field, over the left field wall that scored three runs in the third inning. He followed that with a second blast to the left field gap for a solo round trip in the seventh inning.
“That’s really cool to be the first person to hit a homer here,” said White, who played one year in the minors for the Nashville Sounds. “Something that's good trivia is always cool to be a part of. So that's something super special. And yeah, Tennessee has been an awesome place throughout my baseball career, getting to play in Nashville that year, and it's not too far from home, so it feels like home here, and so it's just a super special experience all around.”
While White provided the offensive firepower, Braves pitcher Hurston Waldrep took charge on the mound. The young Georgia native was called up late last night following the rain delay to relieve starter Spencer Strider. Waldrep didn’t make the trip on Saturday, but after the game was suspended, he was selected to come in on Sunday and help his team overcome a 1-0 lead by the Reds.
Waldrep, who was supposed to start in AAA Gwinnett on Sunday, said he got the call at 11 p.m. last night, slept a few hours and then drove early in the morning and arrived in Bristol at 9:45 a.m. He said it was a whirlwind after that.
He said his first impression of The Last Great Colosseum was just awe.
“We drove into the stadium this morning, went down the slope, and I was like, ‘wow, this is a lot,’” Waldrep said. “And I got in the locker room, and walked out to the field. I was like, ‘man, this is unbelievable.’ It was really breathtaking to walk out to see how they set everything up, see the field, and just hearing from the players how last night went.”
Like White, Waldrep will always remember his first career MLB victory. The right-handed pitcher allowed just three hits and one run in five 2/3 innings of work.
“It's definitely not how you draw it up,” Waldrep said. “But you know nothing about this game is how you draw it up or perfect, you know? To have that along with the first career win, you know, I didn't think about it until after the game. I sat there in the dugout and watched the rest of the game. I was like, ‘I can wait to work out. I can wait to do all this stuff. You know, this is, this is a first for me and first for everyone here.’ To be able to take it all in, I just really enjoyed it.”
The Reds made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth by putting the tying run on with no outs, but Braves closer Raisel Iglesias managed to shut down the would be rally by earning three consecutive outs – including an Elly de la Cruz strikeout -- and saving the 4-2 victory.
Braves coach Brian Snitker says his team enjoyed competing in the much-hyped game and he was proud that both teams put on a great game despite the weather challenges.
“It was a great atmosphere,” Snitker said. “It was a shame – last night. If we had a beautiful evening last night I think it would have been even more exciting, but, you know, credit to both teams’ players, how they came out. Nobody was bitching about how we’ve got to stay here another night. You saw two really good ball clubs going at it and guys on both teams, I’ve got a lot of respect for them guys on both teams and how they went about that game today.”
Baseball Hall of Fame members Johnny Bench and Chipper Jones participated in the ceremonial first pitch on Saturday, with assistance in a surprise appearance from NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott. Three other popular NASCAR drivers were also in attendance: Ty Dillon, Aric Almirola and Corey LaJoie. NASCAR legend and current FOX NASCAR racing analyst Michael Waltrip was also at the game mingling with fans an being interviewed by media. During pre-game ceremonies Waltrip paid homage to his brother Darrell, a 12-time Bristol NASCAR winner, by doing his patented "Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, let's play baseball boys!" to get the game underway.
The pre-game concert was performed by country music superstar Tim McGraw, son of former MLB pitcher Tug McGraw, and special guests Pitbull and Jake Owen.
The players weren’t the only game participants who will have lifetime memories of the special affair. The game’s MLB Homeplate Umpire, Will Little, a Johnson City resident and graduate of nearby Milligan University, was thrilled that he was selected to call the MLB Jewel game.
“Yeah, there's a lot of emotions,” Little said. “You know, for various reasons, it means a lot to me. But it means a lot to my family, too. In our job, every game has always been on the road, so for family to come travel, that's always a big thing. But to have something right at home, I never saw this ever being a possibility until everybody found out that MLB had put this great event with Bristol Motor Speedway (on the schedule). I had countless number of people here last night and they returned today to finish it up.”
The Tennessee native was humbled to become a part of baseball history in the Volunteer state. In racing terms, he gave the entire event a checkered flag.
“I live 15 minutes away from the track, basically,” Little said. “I grew up 12, minutes away, to be exact. I think the people here, the hospitality, it's just great people, great atmosphere, great sports fans of all sports, certainly NASCAR, but to bring Major League Baseball here, I think it's something special. I think it's great to grow the game in that direction. And we're used to a lot of Minor League Baseball around here for many, many, many years, as everybody knows. But to expand with Major League Baseball, they did a spectacular job.”
