MLB has been on a mission to grow the game and connect with new audiences, and they’re doing it in some pretty exciting ways. From hosting games in international cities to partnering with major events outside the realm of baseball, they’re pushing the boundaries of the sport. This year alone, we saw the thrilling Seoul Series and the action-packed London Series, bringing Major League Baseball to new corners of the globe.

But these international games are just the tip of the iceberg- there is so much more. And now with the Speedway Series, MLB has shown just how high its ambitions run. However, is the Bristol Motor Speedway the most unique stadium yet? Perhaps it is. But that doesn’t mean that the league hasn’t experimented before. In fact, it has gone from a military bases to a historical site. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? So what are some of the most impactful locations where MLB has conducted its games? It’s time to find out.

How MLB’s expansion plan led it to unprecedented grounds

From years MLB. has made all the moves to engage their older audience to attract more. And what is better than creating new games? From different fields to correcting historical wrongs, MLB has done it all. Although there are a lot of games (who remembers the iconic Field of Dreams game?) we have curated the list of the three most unexpected but historical games.

The Rickwood Field game to celebrate the Negro Leagues

The only two things that were gaining immense popularity after the Civil War were segregation and baseball. As per a gentleman’s agreement signed in 1876, No black people were allowed to play in the national league. So they made their own Negro National League which gained immense success. Until Jackie Robinson when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. Slowly many talents started shifting to the major leagues. This ultimately led to the end of the Negro National League by the 1960s.

 

But even though now teams had, broken the color barriers. MLB didn’t recognize any of the achievements or records made by the players in that league. This changed in 2020! Finally, MLB announced that it was “elevating” seven Negro Leagues that operated from 1920 to 1948 to “major league” status. It’s not like the MLB stopped here they went a step ahead in June 2024 we saw a historic game between the San Francisco Giants and the St Louis Cardinals, at Rickwood Field – the oldest stadium in baseball today. 

One cannot explain the history that lay on those grounds. For the legendary Willie Mays to countless other players, this was a home. So with MLB finally embracing the entire history of baseball, finally the African-American community could celebrate its rich baseball history. That was perhaps the most monumental game in the last 3 years but more importantly, it opened up the doors for MLB to correct some historical wrongs.

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Game

In 2007, MLB was going through a tough time. The steroid scandal derailed the goodwill of the Super 90s and 2000s. The sport which was once America’s favorite pastime had slowly turned regional. So with no clarity of whether the fans would arrive or not, the Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox made a gamble. They chose the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as a venue for the Spring Training game. But then the Coliseum wasn’t really built for baseball, was it? Yes, it was the original home of the LA Dodgers but it hadn’t been used for baseball since 1961.

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosted the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics and the 1960 Democratic Convention presidential nomination acceptance speech by John F. Kennedy. To fit a baseball field into the space, the Dodgers had to set the leftfield fence a mere 201 feet from home plate. Which was far shorter than the standard 330 feet you’d find at Dodger Stadium. That certainly rivals a little league park, doesn’t it? But then the attendance proved that the fans’ love for baseball hadn’t subsided.

With 115,300 fans in attendance, it was the most-attended baseball game in history. The game still holds that record in the

Guinness World Records. However, the fans still question the legitimacy of this achievement. Because for them, it was a preseason game, which means, it holds no meaning. But that’s precisely what makes this so special – over 110k fans were there to watch a game that had no inherent meaning to it. How crazy is that?

The Fort Bragg game

Who knew that an active military base could be turned into a baseball field? Well! MLB always knows how to make the best out of anything. And with the same thought in 2016, they started the first regular-season professional contest of any sport that will be played on an active military base, at  Fort Bragg, the United States Army installation in North Carolina. With the collaboration of MLB and the MLB Players Association a 12,500-seat ballpark Fort Bragg Field, was made.

This was done for a very sweet thought that is to honor the nation’s servicemen and servicewomen. Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins in July 2016 were the first teams to ever play on this field in what was a memorable moment for baseball. The tribute that they gave to the troops showed how MLB still wanted to maintain its place as the chief cultural juggernaut of sports in America. Though the NFL has long been the premier sporting league in the country, MLB’s deep-rooted connection with the country’s culture could never be eradicated.

As we all know MLB is all in to make baseball a home name and to raise more participation. And what’s better than encouraging the youth? For the same MLB  hosted a PLAY BALL event on the base for 250 military youth, ages 7-13. MLB’s Senior vice president of youth programs, Toney Reagans oversaw it. Have these things had an impact on MLB? Perhaps we should ask Paul Skenes due to his history with the Air Force, shouldn’t we?

Why the MLB Speedway Series is getting a mixed response?

If you think that you have seen the craziest setting of baseball you are wrong. Baseball is all set to now even take over a race track. You heard it right the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds will play a regular-season game on Aug. 2, 2025, at Bristol Motor Speedway. “Major League Baseball is excited to deliver a special game at Bristol Motor Speedway. A unique setting that sports fans will remember forever,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “The Reds and the Braves form an ideal matchup because of their dynamic talent and the proximity of their markets, he added.

 

Bristol Motor Speedway, which hosted the Tennessee-Virginia Tech college football game in 2016, is now all set to host a baseball event. The fans and the authorities are both excited to see how it turns out. Even though it sounds interesting it has attracted a mixed response from the fans calling it “what a waste”. Even though the stadium could accommodate a huge audience of more than 100,000 fans. But because it is so huge, chances are some fans might not get to experience baseball to its fullest. Remember, unlike other sports, baseball’s core USP is the fans getting to have a close interaction with players. The Yankees have their roll calls and other team fans have their own little quirks.

But with this distance, some of that intimacy might get lost. That is one of the reasons why some fans are skeptical of this development. So how the MLB will walk through will be seen next year. Till that one thing is clear MLB is making every effort it takes to make the game more interesting? But will MLB be able to pack more than 100,000 fans into the facility for the MLB Speedway Classic? With the record show count standing at 115,300, set in March 2008 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Game this would be exciting to watch. Till then let us know in the comment what do you think could be the most exciting setting you wanna see baseball next.