FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WNCN) — Major League Baseball will build a new ballpark on Fort Bragg where a game between two major-league teams will take place in July, officials said.
The Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins will play “a first-of-its-kind regular season game in celebration of the nation’s Service members at Fort Bragg,” Major League Baseball officials said.
The event will be on Sunday, July 3. The game will air nationally on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” and ESPN Radio at 8 p.m. (EST).
A new 12,500-capacity ballpark constructed by MLB and the MLBPA will host the “Fort Bragg Game” during the installation’s annual Fourth of July festivities.
Following the MLB game, in which the Braves will be the home team, the ballpark will be converted to a permanent softball field and multi-purpose facility for those who serve at Fort Bragg, a gift courtesy of the Major League Clubs and Players.
This event will mark the first regular season game of a professional sport ever played on an active military base.
Fort Bragg, the most populated military installation in the United States, is home to the Army’s Global Response Force (GRF), which provides strategic military capabilities globally in defense of our nation’s security interests. The installation is virtually a city in itself, consisting of more than 250,000 people, encompassing an area of almost 500 square miles, with an annual impact of $9.8 billion to the local economy.
“We’re extremely grateful to Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association for their support to our Service members and families,” said Col. Brett Funck, Fort Bragg Garrison Commander. “This historic event and the converted multi-purpose facility will have enduring benefits for our entire Fort Bragg community for years to come.”
“Major League Baseball’s boundless gratitude to our military has led us to a unique event that will benefit the men and women of Fort Bragg and their families for many years,” said Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “I thank the Braves and the Marlins for their participation and all of our Clubs and Players for contributing to this gesture, which will stand as a fitting new chapter in the National Pastime’s proud and distinguished military history.”
