The MLB London Series has officially been cancelled

Last week, the UK newspaper The Sun reported that the 2020 MLB London Series, scheduled June 13 and 14 between the Cubs and Cardinals, had been cancelled.

No other media outlet had reported this at that time, and a MLB source told me at the time that no official decision had been made, which is why I didn’t post anything about this last week.

Now, the cancellation is official:

This cancellation was inevitable given the cancellation or postponement of other sporting events around the world, including the Olympics. The Wimbledon tennis tournament, which generally takes place in England in early July, is expected to be cancelled sometime today.

For me personally, this is disappointing as I had planned to go to these games. Of course, considering what’s happening in the world today, this disappointment is minor in comparison.

I hope MLB will be able to re-schedule the Cubs vs. Cardinals in London for another time, perhaps 2021.

If these games are played at all, they would be played in St. Louis, as they were set to be Cardinals home games. But considering the current state of the world, not to mention baseball, it’s possible these two games will not be played at all, or might be played in an empty stadium at a neutral site.

MLB’s announcement of the cancellation included this:

The decision has been taken in line with the UK Government’s actions stopping public gatherings and the need to focus emergency services resources on combating the pandemic.

While we understand that this news is disappointing, we are faced with an unprecedented situation worldwide and nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our players, employees and fans.

We send our best wishes to all individuals and communities that have been impacted by COVID-19.

Ticket holders will receive a full refund, including any ticketing service charges paid.

Be well and safe during this extraordinary time in human history.