Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed the league’s commitment to playing in London when he announced that the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies will meet in the third MLB London Series next summer.
The weekend’s two games between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs at London Stadium mark the postponement of MLB’s return to Britain after the 2019 opener after the planned 2020 series was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Manfred is impressed with the sport’s reception in the UK, which will host it again in 2026, seeing the country as crucial to the sport’s global growth.
He said: “For us, London is a very important part of our international strategy. We’ve seen huge growth in baseball. Since we got here in 2019, the number of people fans in Britain has doubled.
“We are committed to London as part of our program and I am pleased to announce that we will be back next year with the Mets and Phillies.
“London is a fantastic sporting city and I think, as there is a kind of natural affinity for sport here in London, it’s a great place to establish yourself in Europe.
Secondly, I believe that it is only for historical reasons that there is a special affinity between Great Britain and the United States. We understand that baseball is a uniquely American phenomenon in some ways, but if you’re trying to go international, starting out in friendly territory sounds like a good plan.”
The Paris series is also planned for 2025.
Manfred declined to speculate beyond 2026, when the current MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) will expire.
Any future series in London or elsewhere would fall under the following deal, which is part of the reason the commissioner believes player satisfaction is key to ensuring teams are willing to make the trip in the midst of grueling 162-game seasons.
Manfred said: “I will say this. The players who attended the 2019 event found it a very positive experience, and the key to making London a frequent part of the event is making sure the players have a great trip, that they have fun while they’re here, and we’re working hard to make sure this happens. time.”
The club’s two dressing rooms for this series of doubles will become permanent fixtures at West Ham in the Premier League and form part of the stadium tours.
MLB stuck with its motto of “Old Rivalry, New Ground” for this year’s Series, a concept Manfred says is key to drawing in British fans.
He said, “We believe our game is at its best when we have traditional opponents playing, and we want to show the fans the best form of baseball.”
Chase Utley won a World Series with Philadelphia in 2008, and since last summer, he’s been living in London as an MLB “ambassador.”
While the Cubs, Cardinals, Phillies and Mets may not get immediate brand recognition for the 2019 foes Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, Utley promises British fans will be equally captivated.
He said, “Obviously it’s been going on for a long time, and I think we’ve had some really good teams at the same time, so we’ve always been fighting for the postseason.
“It’s a heavy crowd when you’re in New York, and when you’re in Philadelphia you definitely know where you’re at. Great players over the years.
“It’s a real rivalry. It doesn’t get much better.”
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