THE YANKEES TOUCH DOWN IN LONDON TOWN

Source: MLB

Before we get into the upcoming London Series against the Red Sox, let’s talk about the Stanton of it all. Just as we got our power squad back, Giancarlo Stanton strained his knee on Wednesday leaving him out until August according to Brian Cashman per ESPN. Stanton has only played nine games this season, and is out again just before not only the London Series, but the Subway Series as well.

You would think with the amount you see the Yankee logo across the globe as a fashion statement, that Londoners among other Europeans, would be more excited about the series this weekend. Especially that it is one of the biggest rivalries in baseball.

“It’s a shame really,’’ says Chris Edwards, 54, a London attorney, wearing a Red Sox cap. “It should be great for London, but baseball is just not well-known here. People don’t understand it. Traditionally, the perception is that baseball is a slow game, but ironically, so is cricket, and you see how popular it is here," reported USA Today.

Source: Newsday

The series will take place at London Stadium, built for the 2012 Olympics. 130,000 people will attend the games this weekend, with 70% of the tickets being sold in the United Kingdom, and 10% being sold in the United States. 

While this contradicts the statement above, it is very possible that those UK tickets were sold to Americans who live in Europe. But, it would be cool if Europeans were actually interested in seeing our team play. 

Source: Newsday

To help Europeans become educated on the game, the scoreboard will read Runs, Hits, and Errors rather than, R-H-E. There also will be volunteers to help teach fans sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

It’s not impossible to learn how baseball works, especially for foreigners. My step-dad is from Ireland, and while at first he really did not like or understand baseball (even turning down the chance to go to Derek Jeter’s last game), but now you can catch him watching the Yankee game most nights. 

I can't wait to watch this series this weekend. I hope the Londoners root for the Yankees.

--Missy O'Rourke

BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke