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Earlier this year, it was reported by the Associated Press that the Cubs and Cardinals were under consideration for a series in London in 2020. The Red Sox and Yankees will play two games there next month.
Today, this appears to be official:
The #Cubs and #Stlcards have agreed to play in London next summer. The #Yankees and #Redsox play the inaugural series in Europe next month. #Rivalries going overseas.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 16, 2019
It’s also being reported by local writer Bruce Levine:
Chicago Cubs and St Louis Cardinals will play a series next summer in London. First report @BNightengale
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) May 16, 2019
This is awesome and exciting news. The Cubs and Cardinals, in my opinion, are the best rivalry in sports (yes, better than Red Sox/Yankees, though fans of those teams might disagree). This will mark the third time the Cubs have played outside North America; they also played two games against the Mets in Tokyo, Japan in March 2000 and a three-game series against the Montreal Expos in San Juan, Puerto Rico in September 2003.
Specific dates for this series and an official announcement from MLB and the Cubs have not yet been made, but you’d have to figure that such a series will be played on similar dates that the Red Sox and Yankees are playing this year, June 29 and 30. There’s also no word on which team would be the home team for Cubs/Cardinals. The Red Sox are the home team for both games this year.
When there’s an official announcement I’ll post more details, but since this report is out there, I thought I’d let you all know.
And yes, I’m absolutely all over the idea of heading to London next year to see the Cubs play their arch-rivals in London Stadium, the venue depicted at the top of this post.