On the surface, the game of baseball has much more of an international flavor than that of football. We’ve seen some of the greatest players to ever take to the diamond come from foreign soil.
Despite this, MLB has not necessarily marketed itself much outside of Asia and The Americas. That could change here soon.
According to this report from the Associated Press (h/t the Chicago Tribune), MLB is considering opening up the 2020 regular season in London with a series between the division rival Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.
“Two people familiar with the discussions tell The Associated Press that Major League Baseball is considering one of two matchups for its 2020 series in London: New York Mets vs. Washington Nationals or Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals,” the report read.
Obviously, the average baseball fan would prefer to see the Cubs and Cardinals take on one another over Nats and Mets. That should play a role in MLB’s ultimately decision here.
MLB’s first game in Britain is already scheduled for this coming June between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The two-game set will take place at London’s Olympic Stadium.
This is actually a darn good idea for Major League Baseball. It has seen success playing games in Japan, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Why not try your hand in Europe?