Chicago Cubs: Could a London series be in the clubs future?

(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Last month reports surfaced regarding the intriguing nature of Major League Baseball potentially involving the Chicago Cubs as one team to represent the league in a London series. If this is to become a reality, it sounds like the team is one-hundred percent on board.

It began over two decades ago. Major League Baseball became the trendsetters for the incorporation of regular season professional sports outside of North America. The year was 1996. In front of a crowd of almost 24,000 spectators, the San Diego Padres defeated the New York Mets by a score of 15-10, in a regular season game which took place in Monterrey, Mexico.

The three-game series set an idea in a motion of which to gain high profit. All professional sports leagues had to do was to travel outside the constraints of the United States. Following a single game in Monterrey in 1999, our beloved Cubbies went to the Tokyo Dome in Japan for a two-game series versus the New York Mets the following season.

From there on out it became a regular occurrence for MLB every four years or so. Last season, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres faced off in Monterrey for a three-game set. This season, the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics are scheduled to kick off the regular season the week before Opening Day here stateside, in a two-game set in Tokyo.

If that isn’t enough, the world champion Boston Red Sox will be headed to London this season to face the New York Yankees in a two-game series. Now, MLB is considering additional series in London, and the Cubs are chomping at the bit wishing to receive the opportunity.

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Cheerio, mate!

Baseball is a global game. Ever since the inception of the first World Baseball Classic in 2006, as well as the many professional leagues around the world it was only a matter of time until London became a hub for continuing to grow the game.

As the National Football League has been doing consistently since 2007, the appeal to transition action across the pond for Major League Baseball is something well worth exploring. For the upcoming London series this season, MLB has already negotiated a TV deal with the BBC to make the games available for fans in the United Kingdom.

As the Cubs-Cardinals are one proposed series, the Mets-Nationals are being considered as the other match-up. For fans and the league, division match-ups should bring the most interest.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Logistically speaking

The Red Sox and Yankees are slated to receive a full two days off after their arrival to London, providing much-needed rest. An advantage for both teams is they both will play home games before leaving on a jet plane.

England is closer for most teams than say, Japan. Since Major League Baseball has been traveling to Japan every few years, it would, in theory, become much easier to make London a realistic possibility into the future.

In a piece from Mark Gonzalez of the Chicago Tribune, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant expressed his keen interest on the idea:

“It would be awesome, a cool trip to go over there. I hope it’s us.”

Bryant brought forward the idea of centering a series around the All-Star break to give the team more time to enjoy the worldly experience. It makes sense to schedule a series with extra time off as many of the players to relish at this opportunity.

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For the Mariners and Athletics, traveling to Japan will not provide nearly enough downtime. Tokyo is a 16 hour time difference from the West coast of the United States. The teams will have barely more than a day to acclimate before exhibition games, and then face each other in the opening series.

For the Cubs, a flight to London from Chicago is just under eight hours. The time difference is a mere five hours. It would mean a more relaxed transition without a terrible amount of jet lag. In the same Chicago Tribune piece from Gonzalez, current catching coach Mike Borzello also gave his thoughts about the Yankees trip to Japan in 2004, as a member of the team:

“It’s a difficult trip, just for the jet lag. It felt like everyone was off early when we returned.”

The possibility exists where a trip like this could throw everything off, as it did for the Yankees upon their return in 2004. Nevertheless, implementing a schedule change with more off-days in between could help mitigate some logistical challenges.

(Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
(Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Closing impressions

It would unequivocally be a fantastic thing for MLB moving forward to transition the game globally permanently. Similar to what the NFL does each season, allowing two series per season is a realistic goal to attain.

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The Cubs are one of the top franchises in baseball. As they’ve become a large market team, the club would be a perfect fit. Sooner rather than later this could become a permanent reality, and the idea alone should get fans excited for the future.

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