The Chicago Cubs are headed to London. Finally.
Initially scheduled to play the St. Louis Cardinals within the London Series in 2020, the rescheduled video games will happen Saturday and Sunday at London Stadium.
Our Cubs reporter Meghan Montemurro is headed throughout the pond to doc all of it. Follow her on Twitter at @m_montemurro, sustain with the each day sights on our Instagram and browse all of it at chicagotribune.com/cubs.
Here’s what to know concerning the London Series, together with how — and what time — to observe the video games.
Why had been the video games delayed three years?
One phrase: COVID.
The pandemic compelled the cancellation of the collection within the shortened 2020 baseball season.
When the video games had been first introduced in 2019, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant were photoshopped as Paul McCartney and George Harrison on the long-lasting “Abbey Road” cowl to advertise the London video games. But Bryzzo is now gone, as is former Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who had the John Lennon spot within the picture, retired after final season.
Have the Cubs performed exterior the United States earlier than?
The Cubs are enjoying internationally for the second time.
They opened the 2000 season in Tokyo for 2 video games versus the New York Mets — the first-ever common season video games exterior North America. The Cubs received the primary sport 5-3 in entrance of 55,000 on the Tokyo Dome on March 29, then misplaced the following sport 5-1 on March 30.
That journey marked the tip of prolonged absence for the Cubs, who had been within the United States for every week and most had not been residence since mid-February at spring coaching. “I know everybody in the clubhouse is ready to get home,” then-manager Don Baylor mentioned.
The Cubs additionally traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico — a U.S. territory — to play a three-game collection towards the Montreal Expos in 2003.
What’s the historical past of the collection?
The weekend set would be the second time regular-season MLB video games can be performed within the United Kingdom’s capital.
The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees performed within the inaugural collection in 2019 at London Stadium. The Yankees received each high-scoring video games: 17-13 on June 29 and 12-8 on June 30. The Yankees and Red Sox mixed for 10 residence runs.
Then-Prince Harry and his spouse Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attended the primary sport.
“Y.M.C.A.” and “Sweet Caroline” had been each performed in the course of the sport, as per traditions at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park.
MLB plans to stage video games in London in 2024 and 2026 — with Paris being eyed as a number metropolis in 2025.
Is London prepared this time round?
The fences are being pushed again at London Stadium — however MLB says that’s not attributable to 2019 slugfests.
The center-field wall can be 392 toes from residence plate, seven toes deeper than 4 years in the past, as a part of modifications from seat restructuring.
Even with the rise, the center-field fence can be among the many shortest within the majors. The 16-foot wall in heart discipline is again; it slopes down on each side to eight toes round the remainder of the outfield.
Down every line can be 330 toes — identical as final time — however the seating changes will convey followers nearer to the sector.
The Cubs may have the house dugout down the third-base line for each video games.
The synthetic turf is from Montreal — the 2019 turf was donated to the Farnham Park nationwide baseball and softball advanced exterior London — and the clay is once more from Slippery Rock, Pa.
London Stadium in 2021 upgraded to an LED lighting system. Previously, the stadium lights had been coated in hen wire to guard them from flying baseballs.
The venue was constructed for the 2012 Olympics and was designed for minimal wind. It’s usually nonetheless known as Olympic Stadium. Capacity is 62,500 for West Ham video games.
Going to the video games?
There are nonetheless tickets out there for each video games, beginning at £91.30 (or about $116.85) on Saturday and right down to £59.40 (or $76.02) on Sunday.
Several “local” meals choices from Chicago and St. Louis can be at London Stadium, together with the London Series Boomstick Hot Dog and Chilli Nachos, the St. Louis Donut Burger, Cardinals and Cubs Dogs, and Chicago Cheesy Brisket Sandwich. Sorry, deep dish pizza, higher luck subsequent time.
For London followers with out tickets to the sport, Trafalgar Square is the place to be. The Square is being became baseball central — together with the sport on three large screens, freed from cost.
How to observe the video games from the States
First pitch Saturday is slated for six:10 p.m. in London, which is 12:10 p.m. in Chicago. For Sunday, it’s 3:10 p.m. native time and 9:10 a.m. in Chicago. That’s a six-hour time change for these preserving rating at residence.
Justin Steele will begin Saturday’s sport for the Cubs, with Marcus Stroman getting the nod Sunday.
Both video games will get the nationwide TV therapy: FOX on Saturday and ESPN on Sunday.
See you then for top tea!
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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Source: www.bostonherald.com