Sunday, November 15, 2015

MLB European Games to Come (Hopefully) Within Five Years


Major League Baseball and Commissioner Rob Manfred were pushed to the aside a bit at the GM Meetings in Boca Raton recently by the GM of the New York Yankees, Brian Cashman. Cashman sent two of his young talents in separate trades for Aaron Hicks and Ronald Herrera forcing me to miss the news that Major League Baseball wants to play regular season games in Europe within the next five years while also returning to Mexico for the first time since the 1999 season. Rob Manfred wants to grow the brand and especially grow the bran internationally and it seems like all hands are currently on deck to make that happen.

The line of thinking from Manfred, MLB’s chief legal officer Dan Halem and the rest of the representatives from the league is that the more you play and showcase the game in these countries on a continual basis, rather than a sporadic basis, the more development and interest you will subsequently see from that particular country.

You also cannot forget about MLB’s plans and efforts to at least get spring training games played inside the country of Cuba as well which is a significant part of growing and expanding the brand as well. The last time baseball was played in Mexico was August of 1999 when the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets played a three-game series at Monterrey, Mexico after the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres opened the 1999 season there as well in Monterrey.


MLB is looking to add these countries and possibly more to the list of places where they have played regular season games. That list includes Tokyo and San Juan, Puerto Rico to name a few. Europe, specifically London, Cuba and Mexico may all see Major League Baseball coming to a town near them very, very soon. 

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)