MLB London series cancelled

*Photo from Visit London*

   Major League Baseball has cancelled it's London series this summer due to COVID-19 Pandemic. The series was set to take place June 13-14 at West Ham's Olympic Stadium between the Chicago Cubs and St.Louis Cardinals. MLB had made a deal for two years of the London series in an effort to garner worldwide attention of baseball. That deal ends this year, and it is unclear if teams will play in London again. The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees were the first to play in London last year, with the Yankees winning both times. 

   The series had been in jeopardy since the spread of COVID-19 reached worldwide pandemic levels. MLB cancelled spring training and subsequently delayed opening day by at least 8 weeks as a result of the outbreak. All London series tickets purchased through ticketmaster will be refunded in full, including service charges. This year would have been the Cardinals second straight year playing abroad, as they played in Monterrey, Mexico against the Reds in 2019. Baseball has extended it's international scope in the last few years, with several games outside of the United States having been played, in Mexico as well as London. The Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers also played a spring training game in the Dominican Republic this spring, before the games were cancelled.

   MLB commissioner Rob Manfred addressed the situation to all 30 teams in a statement. He said that "We made the decision because it was unlikely the events would go forward, and timely cancellation allowed us to preserve important financial resources, we also have canceled agreements with service providers and delayed projects that involve large capital expenditures." He also talked about the agreement between MLB and the MLBPA last week, saying that "The agreement provided much needed certainty to our clubs and avoided a confrontation with the players' association at a time when our country has limited tolerance for petty squabbles, most important, I truly believe that the agreement is a necessary first step toward getting the game back on the field."

   Before the cancellation of the London series, MLB cancelled two other international series planned for this season. The Mexico series, played by the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, has been cancelled, and the games have been moved to Arizona, as the D-Backs were the scheduled home team in that series. The Puerto Rico series, scheduled to be played by the New York Mets and Miami Marlins, has been cancelled and the games have been moved to Miami due to the Marlins being the scheduled home team. The games of the London Series will be played in St.Louis this summer, as the Cardinals would have been the home team in London.