MLB could host games in London between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in 2019

Sport360 staff 00:06 21/03/2018
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  • London Stadium is expected to be the venue for the MLB games.

    The NBA and NFL already have a presence in the United Kingdom, and Major League Baseball are close to following suit.

    The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are nearing an agreement to play two regular season games in London in June 2019, according to Bloomberg.

    London Stadium – home of the 2012 Olympics and Premier League club West Ham for the past two seasons – would reportedly host the games, which would feature one of the fiercest rivalries not just in baseball, but all of sport.

    The American League East foes have a long history, dating back to the early 1900s when the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees, resulting in the ‘Curse of the Bambino’.

    Boston ended their drought in storybook fashion in 2004 when they overcame a 3-0 deficit to New York in the American League Championship Series before sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

    The franchises have connections to the Premier League as well, with the Yankees in a partnership with Manchester City, while Red Sox owner John Henry also owns Liverpool.

    Henry, in an email to The Associated Press, wrote: “This is something the two clubs have discussed for years with MLB and hopefully it will become a reality.”

    Yankees manager Aaron Boone seemed open to the idea, saying: “I’ve never been to London. 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.”

    Both the NBA and the NFL already host annual games in London in an attempt to expand the reach of their leagues globally.

    The MLB, meanwhile, has held games in Japan, Australia and Mexico, but has yet to venture to London.

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