MLB London Series
The MLB London Series is a two-year agreement between Major League Baseball , in the years 2019 and 2020 a total of four regular-season games in London Stadium in London , United Kingdom , to play. Under the sponsorship of Mitel, the 2019 event is officially called Mitel & MLB Present London Series 2019 and was the first MLB game ever played in Europe.
The first two games were played between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees on June 29th and 30th, 2019. The second series of games was scheduled for June 13 and 14, 2020. The St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs should take part . The series was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
background
On May 8, 2018, the MLB announced a two-year agreement to host baseball games at London Stadium for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. The opening series was played between the Red Sox and Yankees. The motto of the series was "Old Rivalry, New Ground" (German: old rivalry, new ground) as the rivalry between the two teams has been going on for over 100 seasons.
Outside of the United States and Canada, the MLB previously hosted regular season games in Australia , Japan , Mexico, and Puerto Rico, and spring training games in China . But there has never been an event in Europe.
Kelhem Salter, director of growth and strategy for MLB in the EMEA region , emphasized that Europe was an "important growth market" for the league. In contrast to the other countries in which the MLB has hosted international games, baseball is not that popular and established in Great Britain. In May 2018, the league launched a year-long cultural program called "The 108" (based on the number of stitches on a standard baseball) in order for the London Series.
Participating teams
The opening series was played between the Red Sox and Yankees, who had expressed a particular interest in participating in the London Series. Salter noted that the Yankees and Red Sox are among the most famous teams in the MLB. They are also owned by the Premier League club Liverpool FC through the Red Sox's parent company, the Fenway Sports Group .
In May 2019, the MLB announced that the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, another pair of longtime rivals, would play a two-game series in London in June 2020.
Venue
Choosing a venue with the correct dimensions for a baseball field was difficult, especially since most stadiums in the London area are designed primarily for football. MLB officials had looked at several options (including cricket fields like The Oval ) before choosing the London Stadium as the location. The facility was originally built for the 2012 Summer Olympics ; In late 2015, it was reported that MLB officials measured the stadium's dimensions and found it potentially suitable for baseball, and negotiated the possibility of holding games there.
entertainment
The 2019 Games included: the ground crew, the " YMCA ." list what happens at Yankee Stadium ; a "Sweet Caroline" singalong , like in Fenway Park and " Take Me Out to the Ball Game " in the seventh-inning stretch . "New York, New York", which is played at Yankee Stadium after every game, was played after both Yankee wins, although the games were considered home games for the Red Sox. Fans also voted for the mascot race, choosing Winston Churchill , Freddie Mercury , Henry VIII and the Loch Ness Monster . "The Freeze," a spandex- clad sprinter who runs against fans at the Atlanta Braves Games , also made an appearance.
Series overview
| year | date | Away team | Result | Home team | city | Stadion | Number of visitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | June 29th | New York Yankees | 17 -13 | Boston Red Sox |
 United Kingdom , London
|
London Stadium | 59,659 |
| June 30th | New York Yankees | 12 -8 | Boston Red Sox | 59,059 | |||
| 2020 | June 13th | Chicago Cubs | called off | St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| 14th June | Chicago Cubs | called off | St. Louis Cardinals |
The two games planned for 2020 have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Connecting in one swing: inside Mitel's title sponsorship of the MLB London Series. Retrieved July 23, 2019 .
- ↑ a b MLB continues 'Field of Dreams' construction in Iowa, but will it come? Tampa Bay Times, May 15, 2020, accessed May 20, 2020 .
- ↑ a b Les Carpenter at Nationals Park: 'You want to make sure you get it right': Baseball's big plans for London . In: The Guardian . July 21, 2018, ISSN 0261-3077 ( theguardian.com [accessed July 23, 2019]).
- ↑ Major League Baseball to bring historic Yankees-Red Sox series to London in 2019. Accessed July 23, 2019 .
- ↑ China Series 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2019 .
- ^ A b Ryan Ferguson: MLB in Europe? London in the frame as baseball expands its horizons . In: The Guardian . December 9, 2015, ISSN 0261-3077 ( theguardian.com [accessed July 23, 2019]).
- ↑ a b c “We don't want to emulate the NFL and NBA”: How MLB is planning to create its own London identity. Retrieved July 23, 2019 .
- ↑ MLB Steps Up the Build to Its First Ever London Game by Launching 'The 108' Zine and Live Music Night. Retrieved July 23, 2019 .
- ↑ Darren Hartwell: Why Red Sox Were OK Giving Up Home Games For London Series Vs. Yankees. In: NESN.com. June 1, 2018, accessed July 23, 2019 .
- ↑ Cubs, Cardinals to play London series in 2020. May 30, 2019, accessed on July 23, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Yankees vs. Red Sox: MLB London Series prediction and 10 things to know, including live stream info and TV start times. Retrieved July 23, 2019 .
- ↑ James Wagner: Yankees Leave London With 'Eye-Opening' Wins Over Red Sox . In: The New York Times . June 30, 2019, ISSN 0362-4331 ( nytimes.com [accessed July 23, 2019]).
- ↑ We will race you: Mercury an MLB UK mascot. June 28, 2019, accessed on July 23, 2019 .