Major League Baseball is gearing up for its third trip of the season. The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox will square off in the heart of England for the first time ever on June 29th and 30th. While MLB has made trips to Japan and Mexico this season, you should be particularly excited about the London Series. Here is why.
Baseball Goes Back To Its Roots
America’s pastime does not seem to be all that related to Britsh history at first glance. However, history books have taught us that baseball emerged from the British game of rounders. Furthermore, the first ever reference to baseball took place in 1749 at Surrey, England. While there have not been any English born player in the big leagues since Dave Brain who retired in 1908, the British Commonwealth has made his presence felt by way of Australia. Pitchers Peter Moylan and Liam Hendriks are prime examples.
Finding Common Grounds
Nowadays, baseball finds similarities with cricket. First and foremost, both sports require a bat. Both cricket and baseball use runs as a scoring method, and they both involved the use of runners and outfield players. Last but not least, cricket has their own version of a homer known as “Sixer”. A sixer involves batting the ball into the stands and it is worth six runs as its name implies. This common ground will help people across the pond understand the sport.
It Had To Be Done
A pair of major American sports have played in London. The NFL sells out Wembley Stadium year after a year as football grows bigger and bigger across the pond. Basketball has also seen its popularity grow in London as the O2 has been jampacked with NBA teams numerous times for exhibition games. So, what was Major league Baseball waiting for?
MLB will showcase its biggest rivalry in front of more than 60,000 fans at a former Olympic venue. London Stadium will trade soccer balls for baseballs to host the two-game series.
It’s A Brilliant Idea
It is almost impossible to believe that the MLB London Series came out of the same office that thinks baseball needs a pitch clock. This makes this event even more outstanding. Taking Major League Baseball to Mexico or Japan is almost second nature, they love baseball. Taking it to London, however, is a gutsy move that will surely pay off for MLB. It is one of the few moves worthy of praise from such an incompetent administration.