Baseball is a global game and only growing around the world. So while the 30 Major League teams are all based in the continental United States and Canada, MLB has made an effort over the years to bring its games to a broader audience with games played internationally. International MLB...
This story was excerpted from Michael Clair's International Beat newsletter. Subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. Click here to read it this month's in full....
LONDON -- Had this been English football, a local reporter told Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, the ninth inning of Sunday’s London Series finale would have been best described as “squeaky bum time” -- a term generally credited to legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. When it was all over,...
LONDON -- Rob McElhenney hopped Chase Utley’s hedges last week in Los Angeles. He needed to get the ball that his kid kicked into Utley’s yard. Almost 15 years ago, McElhenney’s character Mac on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” wrote a love letter to Utley, hoping to one day have...
LONDON -- Nick Castellanos’ bat splintered into three pieces on the final pitch of the Phillies’ trip to London. The Phillies had the bases loaded with one out in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 6-5 loss to the Mets, which gave them a split of the London Series at London...
The third London Series has drawn to a close, as the Phillies and Mets split a thrilling two-game set rife with special moments at London Stadium. But even before the notorious NL East rivalry made its UK debut, previous editions of the series -- the Yankees took both games against...
LONDON -- Mets owner Steve Cohen painted a hopeful picture of the club on Sunday morning, saying he is not ready to make the types of Trade Deadline decisions that could impact the short- and long-term future of his club. “I tell you, it’s amazing,” Cohen said before the Mets'...
With the Mets' nail-biter 6-5 victory over the Phillies on Sunday, the 2024 London Series has come to an end. The NL East rivals went out with a bang -- sort of -- with a tightly-contested game culminating in an anxious ninth inning in which both clubs mounted rallies. But...
LONDON -- Trea Turner and the Phillies wouldn’t be surprised if he is back in the lineup within the next week. There are more hurdles to clear before the Phils activate him from the 10-day injured list, but there is optimism he can finish his recovery without a setback or...
LONDON -- The London Series is now officially in full swing. In front of 53,882 fans, the Phillies had 11 hits, including three home runs, to win the first game of the series, 7-2, over the Mets on a crisp Saturday evening at London Stadium. “I think it was great....
LONDON -- Bryce Harper had been thinking about a memorable way to celebrate a home run in London. He thought big. He thought football. So moments after Harper crushed a game-tying solo home run to right field in the fourth inning of Saturday’s 7-2 victory over the Mets in the...
LONDON -- Bryce Harper thought long and hard about how he was going to celebrate his home runs in the London Series. Right at the heart of the country that loves football -- known as soccer in the U.S. -- there was only one right answer. He did it like...
LONDON -- The Mets were faring well enough in their London Series opener when, with two outs in the fourth inning, Phillies shortstop Edmundo Sosa lifted a lazy fly ball in the general direction of the Strait of Dover. Starling Marte drifted toward it, appeared to settle under the ball,...
Saturday marked the beginning of the 2024 MLB London Series, the third time Major League Baseball has hosted regular-season games in the United Kingdom. And Game 1 of the two-game set looked pretty familiar to Phillies fans. Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos went deep for the top scoring offense in...
This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox....
LONDON -- Jeff McNeil’s hiatus from the starting lineup continued Saturday into the London Series opener against the Phillies, as McNeil found himself on the Mets’ bench for a fourth consecutive game. Ostensibly still the starting second baseman, McNeil has nonetheless been out of the lineup for five of the...
LONDON -- J.D. Martinez, London Series veteran that he is, organized a group outing for Mets players to watch the Changing of the Guard on Friday at Buckingham Palace. Pete Alonso was impressed at the ease with which his older teammate navigated a foreign city, leading the Mets exactly where...
LONDON -- When Chase Utley and Daniel Murphy walked onto the stage for the Trafalgar Square Takeover, cheers and boos filled the historic square in London. Phillies fans made their presence known at Friday night’s gathering to celebrate the eve of Game 1 of the London Series. “This is a...
LONDON -- Just outside of London Stadium, where the finishing touches were being made ahead of this weekend’s London Series, employees could hear laughter and excitement. Close to 300 primary school children were up and ready right at 10 a.m. to participate in the First Pitch Festival in the nearby...
LONDON -- Brett Baty won’t be driving on the right side of the road this weekend, but he will be taking reps on the right side of the infield. Merely a week after the Mets optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse, Baty rejoined the Mets as the 27th man for their...
This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox....
LONDON -- Bryce Harper did something Thursday in London he cannot often do in the United States. He strolled the streets like everybody else does. “Being able to walk around and be, you know, kind of just another person out there has been great,” he said Friday afternoon at London...
LONDON -- The bright green and tan colors of the painted baseball diamond at Roger Ascham Primary School’s courtyard contrasted against the blue of the clear London sky. Cheers and shrieks of delight from the students filled the air as they watched their peers play against some former Major Leaguers....
LONDON -- Donning red Phillies hats, light blue jerseys and red jerseys, fans at Passyunk Avenue on Thursday were thrilled to spot a couple of well-known former Major League players in this Phillies-themed pub in London. MLB Ambassadors Chase Utley and Shane Victorino, two of the more popular former Phillies,...
Major League Baseball returns to the U.K. as the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies square off in the 2024 London Series beginning Saturday. The two National League East division rivals will meet for a pair of regular-season games from June 8-9 at London Stadium. While the on-field action is...
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor has been one of Major League Baseball’s most talented and exciting players since breaking in with Cleveland in 2015. He made the World Series the following season, has won two Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers, and in 2021 was traded to the Mets. Last year,...
PHILADELPHIA -- Chase Utley and his wife, Jen, have spent almost two years living in London, giving their two sons experiences and perspectives they could not get in the United States. But baseball has never been far from Utley, and Phillies fans have never been far from him....
Bryce Harper’s Phillies teammates call him The Showman. It is a well-earned moniker for one of Major League Baseball’s brightest superstars. Harper has been in the spotlight since Sports Illustrated put him on its June 8, 2009, cover as a 16-year-old. The headline: "Baseball's Chosen One." The Nationals made him...
LONDON -- For a time, like everyone else around Flushing, Daniel Murphy despised Chase Utley. How could he not? Utley represented everything the Mets and their fans considered evil about the Phillies and, later, the Dodgers -- a hard-nosed player who not only came up with clutch hit after clutch...
Imagine showing up at a grassy park on a Saturday afternoon to play baseball with your friends, but instead of bases, there are posts. Instead of pitching, it’s bowling. The bat has a flat surface, and there’s no official foul territory. What is this exotic sport? It can’t possibly be...
This story was excerpted from the Phillies Beat newsletter. Paul Casella is filling in for Todd Zolecki on this edition. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox....
Major League Baseball is set to return to the United Kingdom on June 8-9 for the London Series between the Mets and Phillies, two longtime rivals in the National League East. Here’s a breakdown of nine notable players on each side of the 2024 London Series matchup....
For years, Mac -- Rob McElhenney's character on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" -- wanted nothing more than to have a catch with his baseball idol, Chase Utley. He wrote him letters, saying things like, "I know I can't throw as fast as you, but I think you'd be impressed...
As one of the biggest sports leagues in the world, Major League Baseball is no stranger to welcoming the highest profile stars to ballparks across the U.S. That star pull transitioned across the pond to London Series in 2019 and 2023, with famous faces from the world of music, TV,...
Major League Baseball has today announced GRAMMY Award-winning artist Jess Glynne as the headline music act at this year’s MLB World Tour: London Series 2024 Presented by Zoom Workplace. The singer-songwriter, who has over 10 billion global streams throughout the course of her career, will be performing on Sunday, June...
The London Series is back in 2024, and there are sure to be exciting and memorable moments ahead when the Mets and Phillies face off at London Stadium from June 8-9.
Whether you're a baseball fanatic, staying up every night to see the highlights and check the scores, or you're brand new to the sport -- unsure of just what an "inning" is -- baseball has already infiltrated your life. Do you ever throw on a cap to complete your outfit...
Think of baseball and it’s hard not imagine the incredible ballpark food. Fans at this year’s London Series can expect to be served a treat at London Stadium when the New York Mets take on the Philadelphia Phillies on June 8-9. While stars like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Pete Alonso...
Unless you're a soccer fanatic, you were likely introduced to Wrexham AFC -- the beloved Welsh soccer (or football) team that was recently promoted to League One of the English Football League -- through Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds' docuseries, "Welcome to Wrexham." Having enjoyed his introduction to the wild...
Opening Day is on the horizon, which means the 2024 MLB London Series isn’t far off. Two National League East division rivals, the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, will battle inside London Stadium on June 8-9. The matchup pits a Phillies team coming off back-to-back deep runs into the...
The Mets have been around for 62 years. The Phillies date all the way back to 1883. As the two clubs meet in this year’s London Series, their rich histories are in the international spotlight. The two franchises are rivals in the National League East division and have faced off...
Two long-standing MLB rivals will do battle in London this June. The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies will meet on June 8-9 at London Stadium, renewing a division rivalry dating back more than 60 years. The two clubs both play in the National League East, and there’s plenty of...
Winter is over, summer is on its way. What better way to spend your weekend than taking in some baseball at the MLB World Tour: London Series. Today marks 100 days until the opening pitch of MLB’s summer series in London where the New York Mets will take on the...
While the holiday pub quiz is a tradition in England, suffice to say, Shakespeare's Head in London probably never saw one like this. That's because Phillies great Chase Utley and Mets legend Mookie Wilson recently took part in a special baseball-themed quiz ahead of this summer's London Series. (Yup, you...
European baseball fans, here’s your next chance to catch an MLB game close to home. Tickets for the 2024 London Series between the Mets and Phillies are on sale now. London Series subscribers will be able to get their tickets for the two-game series, which will be played on June...
When the London Series took place last month, the Cubs and Cardinals weren't the only things brought over from the United States for fans -- there was the food, too. Among the bevy of food options there was a downright smorgasbord of American ballpark-style foodstuffs including nachos, pizzas, and giant...
This story was excerpted from John Denton’s Cardinals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. LONDON -- Some 10 innings into the London Series, the Cubs-Cardinals series was a one-sided affair tilted heavily in favor of the North Siders....
This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. LONDON -- As baseballs soared through London Stadium during batting practice at Friday’s workout, one of McLaren’s Formula 1 cars was parked behind the...
As summer gets underway, MLB fans are continuing to fill up ballparks in measures unseen over the past handful of years. Led by the smashing success of the 2023 London Series, the average MLB attendance topped 35,000 fans for the second consecutive weekend. That has not happened since a three-week...
LONDON -- After the Cubs’ victory in the London Series opener against the rival Cardinals, manager David Ross had some advice for anyone who could grab tickets for Sunday’s game at London Stadium. “They've gotta come out and see the Stro Show,” Ross said. Unfortunately for Chicago, the show only...
LONDON -- The 2023 London Series was a rousing success, heralded as a historic next step for MLB’s efforts in venturing abroad and growing the game internationally. Now, some of these pieces of history will be enshrined in Cooperstown forever. Following Saturday and Sunday’s games between the Cubs and Cardinals...
LONDON -- Considering the manner their disappointing season had played out to this point, few would have been surprised had a Cardinals team that fell on Saturday and was down four runs after a half-inning on Sunday eventually succumbed in the London Series finale. Instead, the Cardinals responded to a...
There are several monikers one could give to seven-time All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. “Goldy” is certainly one of them. As of November 2022, “MVP” is another. But perhaps the most relevant one of all after this weekend? Call him “Mr. Worldwide.” When Goldschmidt and the Cardinals faced the Cubs...
The MLB London Series returned on Saturday for the first time in four years and just the second time ever. And it was worth the wait: Amid much fanfare -- and pyrotechnics! -- the Cubs rode two homers by Ian Happ and a sterling outing from Justin Steele to a...
LONDON -- As the Cubs and Cardinals lined up for pregame introductions on Saturday, pyrotechnics shot flames into the air behind home plate. Fans filed into London Stadium and saw a spectacle, while being introduced to one of sport’s oldest rivalries. And there is still one game to go. “You...
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...
LONDON -- A familiar song blared through London Stadium’s speakers as a stream of fireworks sailed skyward and exploded above the upper ring of the venue. The Cubs fans on hand were a long flight away from the Friendly Confines, but they joined together in a celebratory rendition of “Go...
LONDON -- In an effort to help MLB grow the game of baseball globally and further broaden their famed birds-on-the-bat brand, the Cardinals sacrificed two home games so that the 2023 MLB London Series could take place in front of thousands of potential new fans at London Stadium. Unfortunately for...
When David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez joined forces to work as MLB analysts for FOX Sports two years ago, that was already viewed as an unlikely pairing between two longtime rivals and baseball legends. Throw Derek Jeter into the mix? Now you just have a “who’s who” cast of elite...
For the first time in four years, and for the second time ever, the MLB London Series is back. The international showcase opened Saturday, this time between the Cardinals and Cubs. The Cubs rode a strong outing from Justin Steele and two homers by Ian Happ to a 9-1 victory...
Most Saturdays, London Stadium plays host to the English Premier League's West Ham United. The pitch is laid out in a rectangle, roughly 140 yards long and 100 yards wide. On Saturday, though, it played host to the Cubs and Cardinals, whose playing requirements are a little different. To pull...
LONDON -- Adam Wainwright and Jordan Montgomery were starstruck by F1 driver Lando Norris during the Cardinals' light-hearted batting practice session at London Stadium on Friday, while Nolan Arenado marveled at card tricks pulled off by an on-field magician and a giddy Lars Nootbaar exchanged autographed jerseys with former West...
PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies and Mets are headed to London next year. Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association announced on Friday that the teams will play a two-game series at London Stadium on June 8-9, 2024. It will be MLB’s third series in London, following the inaugural series...
Baseball took over London's Trafalgar Square on Friday afternoon. The iconic setting, which is playing host to the London Series fan festival this weekend, wasn't just dishing up hot dogs and cold glasses of beer, though: There were home runs to be smashed right past Nelson's Column -- at least,...
LONDON -- David Ross spotted plenty of Cubs hats around London while sightseeing with his daughter after the team’s arrival on Thursday. And a few of those fans -- nearly 4,000 miles away from Wrigley Field -- recognized the Cubs manager as he made his way around the city. Ross...
LONDON -- Just as Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Willson Contreras were playing tourist aboard a double-decker bus and about to learn about London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral – one of the world’s largest and tallest domes since its construction began in the 17th century – they were interrupted by...
You don't normally see home runs smashed in the center of London. Weird, I know. Fortunately, Home Run Derby X: The Cage is here to change all of that. As the main showpiece of this weekend's fan festival held during the London Series, HRDX: The Cage is looking to provide...
LONDON -- The next British star to come out of the UK might be at a baseball diamond near you. On Friday morning in Newham, London, MLB made another important, concrete step in the effort to introduce baseball to a new generation of international fans. In the shadows of Ranelagh...
Forty thousand exuberant fans had made their way to their seats before England was set to play Germany at legendary Wembley Stadium during the 2021 Euros. DJ Tony Perry knew exactly what song he wanted to play to get the crowd going: Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline." It was a triumphant...
This story was excerpted from John Denton’s Cardinals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. With Denton traveling to London for the Cardinals’ upcoming games against the Cubs, Joe Trezza assisted in putting together this newsletter. WASHINGTON -- Paul...
LONDON -- Under a beaming sun, hundreds of primary schoolchildren filed into Hopkins’ Field at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park at 9:30 on the dot, bounding with a seemingly endless supply of enthusiasm. Joyful shrieks at the sight of Clark the Cub, the Cubs’ mascot, and cheerful class photos with the...
