London Series a launchpad for growth of baseball internationally

LONDON -- MLB’s programming during the week leading up to Saturday’s opening game of the 2023 London Series between the Cubs and Cardinals could be accurately described as a full-court press. From youth baseball events that stretched across the UK’s borders to an international showcase event that pulled from 13 nations across Europe, Asia and Africa, the league has been exhaustive in its efforts to promote the game in as many ways as possible.

• 2023 MLB London Series

Besides the obvious reasons for ensuring that interest was drummed up for the weekend’s jewel event, MLB knows that the 2023 London Series is just the beginning of a much grander plan to grow the game globally. And for Commissioner Rob Manfred, there’s no better launchpad than the English capital.

“No. 1, London is a great sports town -- and because there’s sort of a natural affinity for sport here in London, it’s a great place to gain a foothold into Europe,” said Manfred at a press conference at London Stadium on Friday. “Secondly, I do think, just for historical reasons, there’s a special affinity between Great Britain and the United States. We understand baseball is a uniquely American phenomenon in some ways. But if you’re trying to internationalize, starting on friendly territory seems like a good plan.”

MLB’s World Tour, which is aimed at staging games between MLB clubs outside the U.S. (like the Mexico City Series between the Giants and Padres earlier this season), is only gaining strength. On Friday, it was announced that the Phillies and Mets will face off in the third iteration of the London Series in 2024, once again taking another historic rivalry abroad.

• Complete history of MLB games played abroad

But none of this would be possible without efforts to increase baseball fandom internationally. Youth events from the past week highlight the league’s endeavors, like Wednesday’s Nike RBI Wales Play Ball event in Cardiff and Thursday’s First Pitch Festival in London. And on a more specific level, MLB’s donation (with contributions from the Cubs and Cardinals) to build a baseball diamond at a London primary school put a magnifying glass on the league’s key for growing the game.

In MLB’s eyes, you need a strong base to expand interest in baseball -- and that starts at the youth level.

“There’s a school here in London this morning [where we] made a donation for the construction of a field where young people can play baseball and interact with our game,” said Manfred on Friday afternoon.

“So in addition to bringing great players here, and showcasing the Major League game, I think, like in other sports, we need to continue to invest in youth participation. Make sure young people are playing our game.”

Prior to Saturday’s game, there was a similar tenor among the current and former players as the seconds ticked down toward first pitch. Marcus Stroman, who’s slated to start the second game of the London Series on Sunday, believes that this is the perfect time for MLB to take strides to grow the sport.

“Baseball is becoming very exciting, especially the younger it gets,” Stroman said on Saturday. “There’s a lot of players that are very marketable for a while; you can get behind these guys. You can grow the game as the world sees how incredibly athletic and talented some of our guys are in our league. Any opportunity that I get to play on the world stage or play internationally, I think that it’s all incredible just for the game of baseball.”

Former Orioles standout Adam Jones, who has become an impassioned ambassador for the sport, echoed Stroman’s sentiments during the batting-practice sessions.

“I think when baseball decided to go abroad, I think it was the best move,” said Jones. “You have all these things that are growing the game culturally because our game is not just one culture. So for MLB to take that initiative … I was in Mexico City, coming off that country’s semifinal run in the WBC, for that series between the Padres and Giants, with two very strong Hispanic fan bases. It was the perfect thing.

“The proper way to grow the game is to bring the Major League players to these countries. … It’s growth. All the players I’ve spoken to today, they absolutely love this experience. They love London.”