The historic first-ever Major League Baseball (MLB) games in Europe will be played in London in 2019.
The two-game series slated for 29 and 30 June will feature baseball’s biggest rivalry and brands, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, who will battle at London Stadium, the flagship venue of the 2012 London Olympics. The Yankees and Red Sox will repeat the series in 2020.
Citing efforts to grow baseball globally, MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred said: “This is our most significant endeavor ever in Europe.”
Olympic media specialists Insidethegames.biz reported that “bringing the powerhouse North American League to the Continent could be seen as a way of growing the sport in Europe while sending a message to [Paris 2024 Olympic] decision makers in the French Capital”.
MLB first held regular season games outside the Continental U.S. or Canada for the first time in 1999, and have staged games in Australia, Japan, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
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