The Chicago Cubs are headed to London. Lastly.
Initially scheduled to play the St. Louis Cardinals inside the London Sequence in 2020, the rescheduled video video games will occur Saturday and Sunday at London Stadium.
Our Cubs reporter Meghan Montemurro is headed all through the pond to doc all of it. Observe her on Twitter at @m_montemurro, maintain with the every day sights on our Instagram and browse all of it at chicagotribune.com/cubs.
Right here’s what to know in regards to the London Sequence, along with how — and what time — to look at the video video games.
Why had been the video video games delayed three years?
One phrase: COVID.
The pandemic compelled the cancellation of the gathering inside the shortened 2020 baseball season.
When the video video games had been first launched in 2019, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant were photoshopped as Paul McCartney and George Harrison on the long-lasting “Abbey Highway” cowl to promote the London video video games. However Bryzzo is now gone, as is former Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who had the John Lennon spot inside the image, retired after remaining season.
Have the Cubs carried out exterior the US sooner than?
The Cubs are having fun with internationally for the second time.
They opened the 2000 season in Tokyo for two video video games versus the New York Mets — the first-ever frequent season video video games exterior North America. The Cubs acquired the first sport 5-3 in entrance of 55,000 on the Tokyo Dome on March 29, then misplaced the next sport 5-1 on March 30.
That journey marked the tip of extended absence for the Cubs, who had been inside the US for each week and most had not been residence since mid-February at spring teaching. “I do know everyone within the clubhouse is able to get dwelling,” then-manager Don Baylor talked about.
The Cubs moreover traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico — a U.S. territory — to play a three-game assortment in the direction of the Montreal Expos in 2003.
What’s the historic previous of the gathering?
The weekend set could be the second time regular-season MLB video video games may be carried out inside the UK’s capital.
The Boston Pink Sox and New York Yankees carried out inside the inaugural assortment in 2019 at London Stadium. The Yankees acquired every high-scoring video video games: 17-13 on June 29 and 12-8 on June 30. The Yankees and Pink Sox combined for 10 residence runs.
Then-Prince Harry and his partner Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attended the first sport.
“Y.M.C.A.” and “Candy Caroline” had been every carried out in the midst of the game, as per traditions at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park.
MLB plans to stage video video games in London in 2024 and 2026 — with Paris being eyed as a quantity metropolis in 2025.
Is London ready this time spherical?
The fences are being pushed once more at London Stadium — nonetheless MLB says that’s not attributable to 2019 slugfests.
The middle-field wall may be 392 toes from residence plate, seven toes deeper than 4 years up to now, as part of modifications from seat restructuring.
Even with the rise, the center-field fence may be among the many many shortest inside the majors. The 16-foot wall in coronary heart self-discipline is once more; it slopes down on both sides to eight toes spherical the rest of the outfield.
Down each line may be 330 toes — an identical as remaining time — nonetheless the seating adjustments will convey followers nearer to the sector.
The Cubs might have the home dugout down the third-base line for every video video games.
The artificial turf is from Montreal — the 2019 turf was donated to the Farnham Park nationwide baseball and softball superior exterior London — and the clay is as soon as extra from Slippery Rock, Pa.
London Stadium in 2021 upgraded to an LED lighting system. Beforehand, the stadium lights had been coated in hen wire to protect them from flying baseballs.
The venue was constructed for the 2012 Olympics and was designed for minimal wind. It’s normally nonetheless often called Olympic Stadium. Capability is 62,500 for West Ham video video games.
Going to the video video games?
There are nonetheless tickets on the market for every video video games, starting at £91.30 (or about $116.85) on Saturday and proper all the way down to £59.40 (or $76.02) on Sunday.
A number of “native” meals selections from Chicago and St. Louis may be at London Stadium, along with the London Sequence Boomstick Scorching Canine and Chilli Nachos, the St. Louis Donut Burger, Cardinals and Cubs Canine, and Chicago Tacky Brisket Sandwich. Sorry, deep dish pizza, increased luck subsequent time.
For London followers with out tickets to the game, Trafalgar Sq. is the place to be. The Sq. is being grew to become baseball central — along with the game on three massive screens, free of price.
Easy methods to observe the video 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 score at residence.
Justin Steele will start Saturday’s sport for the Cubs, with Marcus Stroman getting the nod Sunday.
Each video video games will get the nationwide TV remedy: FOX on Saturday and ESPN on Sunday.
See you then for prime tea!
The Related Press contributed to this report
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