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MLB's biggest rivalry headed to Europe for the first time ever - report

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It might be America’s pastime, but baseball is undeniably an international sport.

Countless stars hail from countries in Latin America, and even Asian nations like Japan and South Korea. Of course, Major League Baseball has previously tried to tap into this international market by scheduling games in some of these countries.

Now, MLB is reportedly trying to take a page out of the NFL’s book and play a two-game series in London, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

And the choice of teams couldn’t possibly be any better. If everything works according to plan, the first regular-season MLB games played in Europe will feature baseball’s biggest rivals — the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.

The series would take place at London’s Olympic Stadium on June 29-30 of 2019, according to The Associated Press.

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Boston can reportedly choose to have both games count as home contests. As per the terms of baseball’s 2016 collective bargaining agreement, both the Yankees and the Red Sox will receive $60,000 for playing.

The London Olympic Stadium — aside from hosting the 2012 summer Olympics — is currently the home of West Ham, a soccer team in the English Premier League. Originally, the facility was built to accommodate a 400-meter track and thus, it’s wide enough for a full-size baseball field.

Neither the Yankees and Red Sox could confirm the plan was being finalized, but that didn’t stop team personnel from saying they hope it will work out.

“I’ve never been to London,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “So, if that’s true, maybe I’m going to London. Anytime you can grow our game, I think that’s a pretty cool thing.”

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“Let’s get the royal family out there. Maybe the queen can make an appearance,” he also said, according to The New York Times.

“I think it would be a lot of fun, to be honest,” added Yankees first baseman Greg Bird. “I think the travel would be interesting, how they set that up.”

Red Sox owner John Henry, meanwhile, said this series has been in the works for a while.

“This is something the two clubs have discussed for years with MLB, and hopefully it will become a reality,” Henry stated.

MLB is hoping to officially announce the London series within the next two months.

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If the plan does come together, MLB likely couldn’t have picked a better matchup by which to introduce Europeans to the sport. Not only are the Yankees and Red Sox bitter rivals, but they’re also exciting teams with plenty of young superstars.

The Yankees used the offseason to add defending National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton to a lineup that already includes 2017 American League Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge. With young players like Bird, catcher Gary Sanchez and starting pitcher Luis Severino likely to be on the team for years, the Yankees should be a dominant force in the AL for a long time.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, recently signed slugger J.D. Martinez, who hit 45 home runs last year, to a huge contract. He’ll join outfielder Mookie Betts and shortstop Xander Bogaerts to form what should be a scary lineup in 2018 and beyond. Their starting rotation — which includes Chris Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello — is also stacked.

In the past, professional baseball games have been played in Monterrey, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Tokyo, Japan; and Sydney Australia.

In 2018, regular-season games are scheduled to take place in Monterrey and San Juan.

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Joe Setyon was a deputy managing editor for The Western Journal who had spent his entire professional career in editing and reporting. He previously worked in Washington, D.C., as an assistant editor/reporter for Reason magazine.
Joe Setyon was deputy managing editor for The Western Journal with several years of copy editing and reporting experience. He graduated with a degree in communication studies from Grove City College, where he served as managing editor of the student-run newspaper. Joe previously worked as an assistant editor/reporter for Reason magazine, a libertarian publication in Washington, D.C., where he covered politics and wrote about government waste and abuse.
Birthplace
Brooklyn, New York
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Sports, Politics




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