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| Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Matt Barnes |
Pitcher Matt Barnes is determined the Boston Red Sox will make the most of their Major League Baseball showdown against the New York Yankees at the London Stadium โ both on and off the field.
The former Olympics venue, now home to Premier League club West Ham, has undergone a dramatic transformation for the two matches between the great rivals on June 29 and 30.
The first regular MLB games to be played in Europe are expected to open up previously untapped markets for the organisation, which has already staged international events in Mexico, Japan, Australia and Puerto Rico.
While the backdrop of Londonโs well-known sights and tourist hot spots will have their own appeal, there is, of course, the small matter of two key ball games to be played โ and in a different time zone.
The Yankees currently top the American League West division, with reigning World Series champions Boston in third place following Wednesdayโs 8-7 defeat by the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park.
โItโs one of the biggest rivalries that we have going over to play the first games in Europe. At the end of the day, though, it is a business trip,โ Boston star Barnes said, quoted by www.mlb.com.
โThose are two big games for us, given where we are in the standings and where they are.โ
The White Soxโs crucial ninth-inning home run from Jose Abreu was smashed away off Barnes, who is determined to stay focused on producing the required response from their trip across the Atlantic.
โItโs going to be cool to see London and wander around, kind of get a feel for their culture, but we have business to take care of as well,โ Barnes said.
As part of the planned events at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the Duke of Sussex is scheduled to attend the MLB match in support of the Invictus Games Foundation, with former competitors from both the USA and UK set to take part as the ceremonial first pitch is thrown on the ball park.
With the Red Sox having been given the โhomeโ field โ on which 141,900 square feet of artificial turf has been imported from France โ pitcher Rick Porcello is set to take to the mound to open against the Yankees on Saturday.
After travelling to England, the Yankees held a clinic for young players followed by barbecue in conjunction with the London Meteorites Baseball and Softball Club at Finsbury Park.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone is in no doubt of the impact bringing live-action MLB can have on this side of the Atlantic.
โIโve never been here, but you see that baseball does have a universal language. It connects people,โ Boone said, quoted by the MLB website.
โTo see people out here, whatever level of experience they have in the game, they share a passion for it.
โItโs connecting with a younger generation in a different place.โ
Press Association
