LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It was good television. The Speedway Classic gave FOX a made-for-TV spectacle: bold visuals, roaring crowd, novelty with horsepower.

The concept sounded simple enough. Drop a baseball diamond into the middle of Bristol Motor Speedway. Wrap it in spectacle. Welcome a record-setting crowd. Let the moment do the rest.

And for a while, the moment delivered.

Players were driven around the track in pickup trucks. Pit crews changed tires on cars emblazoned with team logos. Starting lineups were introduced under billowing flags. Tim McGraw and Pitbull performed. Johnny Bench, Chipper Jones, Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott all threw ceremonial first pitches. A stirring national anthem ended with a flyover from F/A-18s.

It was everything MLB had dreamed — right up unti

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