American Sports have always been the subject of curiosity for English sports fans. While people have always picked their favourite teams based on the colour of the jersey or a famous figure who sports that team, there was very little coverage and events in Baseball, Ice Hockey, Basketball and American Football in the UK.
American Football has made the biggest impression of the last few years. With games being held at Wembley Stadium every year to expand the fanbase of the sport as well as Tottenham Hotspur building their new stadium with the very purpose of it to be used for NFL. Tottenham’s star player Harry Kane has even been vocal in his wish to one day go into American Football as quarterback, with Tom Brady being his idol.
Basketball is also at the early stages of a big rise, with the BBC announcing that it will begin airing coverage of NBA games along with shows focused on Basketball. Basketball has had a rise in attention due to the overwhelming popularity of the Netflix Documentary, ‘The Last Dance’. Ice Hockey also grows it’s fanbase with games being played in the UK, many of which at large venues such as Alexandra Palace. That leaves Baseball as the next major American Sport to get big coverage in the UK.
This has led to the creation of the Major League Baseball London Series, in which regular season games are played in London. This began in 2019 when the Boston Red Sox hosted two games against the New York Yankees in London, which is the most successful team in the MLB Vegas odds history with 27 titles.
The Yankees won the first game by a margin of 17-13 and the second by 12–8. The series was due to continue in 2020 with games between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs, however this was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Other overseas events were also cancelled for Major League Baseball, such as trips to Puerto Rico and Mexico.
However, the event is to make a return to London in 2023. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced that this will be the start of the new long-term partnership between the association and the city of London, with events to take place in 2023, 2024 and 2026. The BBC have also revealed that they will broadcast the event in the UK, while Fox and ESPN will continue to broadcast the event across the United States. In 2023, we will see the match-up we were meant to see in 2020, with the St Louis Cardinals playing the Chicago Cubs.
The London Series is hoping to be a home run
This event follows the 2022 event in London, Home Run Derby X at Crystal Palace. This was the first stop in the world tour that also went to Seoul in South Korea and Mexico City.
The day was more of a fun-day as opposed to a regular baseball game. It featured musical acts such as AJ Tracey, who described the event as “baseball meets festival vibes”. The event had mixed reviews, but many people loved the day out. The day consisted of four teams representing the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees playing against each other over three legs across the three cities. The event brought in many new members to the baseball fanbase. In the final of the London event, the Yankees beat the Red Sox 42-41 in a fun-filled summer day out. The Boston Red Sox went on to win the overall tour.
The 2019 London Series and all upcoming fixtures are due to take place at London Stadium, the home of West Ham United. British sports fans pride themselves on a sense of curiosity. If there is a sport that you can stand outside on a summer day, drinking alcohol, the Brits will take to it like a duck to water. There’s a lot to find out about the event. These events look to be a real home run for MLB and 2023 is set to be even bigger.
Knowledge is power
Bottom of the ninth, stolen bases, home runs. All terms people would have heard but perhaps British fans may not be able to fully explain.
But the time for Brits to become experts in the sport of Baseball is upon us and there is an exciting future coming for the sport. Perhaps British fans will want to brush up on their knowledge of players with the most MVP’s in MLB before the event returns to the city.
