MLB has never ventured to Europe, but officials believe London’s Olympic Stadium is the perfect venue – and where there’s a will, there’s usually a way

In late November, reports circulated that Major League Baseball was deep in negotiations to host a regular season series at London’s Olympic Stadium, sparking great excitement in the small but dedicated enclaves of European baseball. But would such a series be viable? And, if so, what would be its purpose?

Whispers about a possible London series first appeared in the Daily Telegraph, and were later confirmed by a slew of US outlets, notably Fox Sports. MLB has never ventured to Europe, but industry experts say the league has long viewed the Olympic Stadium as a potential venue to stage games. Now, those discussions appear to have reached a critical phase, with officials viewing 2017 as the earliest feasible date for a series.

The Olympic Stadium was built especially for the 2012 Games, but the Premier League’s West Ham will move in next summer as part of a $400m makeover. MLB has measured the venue, and believes its dimension are compatible with baseball, eradicating one of the potential pitfalls. Accordingly, many observers are now looking beyond those initial concerns, into the minutiae and motive of such an audacious project. Just why is baseball so eager to host games in the UK?

Commissioner Rob Manfred wants to continue the work of Bud Selig in expanding baseball to new markets. With such a crowded domestic sports landscape, MLB must seek new interest, ideas and customers from overseas, as recent series in Australia and tours to Japan indicate. But many European analysts hope that games on the continent will be tethered to a commitment by MLB to grow the game in untapped locales, with more investment in academies, infrastructure and coaching helping to improve the standard of play.

“I do believe there is a sincere interest in developing baseball in non-traditional markets,” says Josh Chetwynd, the author of Baseball In Europe and a man who played and covered the game there. “MLB recently installed a new head of international, who previously worked closely with Manfred. Whether that leads to a more robust coordination in developing baseball abroad, we’ll have to see. The key word about all this is ‘coordination.’ You can’t have one series and just assume that people will flock to the sport. The NFL did tons of groundwork in the UK and Europe before they started taking regular season games to London.”

Indeed, the success of Roger Goodell’s International Series at Wembley Stadium must be a key inspiration for Manfred and MLB. The NFL has staged at least one game in Britain every year since 2007, with multiple dates in each of the past three seasons. Next year, Twickenham will also hold a game, while the prospective new home of Tottenham Hotspur will host at least two contests per year between 2018 and 2027, in a remarkable show of unity.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Dodgers played the Diamondbacks at Sydney Cricket Ground in March 2014. Photograph: Matt King/Getty Images

Almost 1.2 million people have attended the 14 NFL regular season games at Wembley to date, with an average crowd of 83,061 making it a very attractive and profitable enterprise. NFL’s popularity has soared in Britain, as fan rallies and television broadcasts continue to draw considerable interest, creating huge demand for tickets, which usually sell out within days. Of course, many traditionalists dislike the concept of London games, but from the league’s viewpoint, the project has been an undoubted success.

Major League Baseball does a fine job with academies in Europe. But much more can be done to grow the game there – it lags far behind the NBA and NFL in popularity in Europe. One man particularly keen to see that happen is Liam Carroll, the head coach of Great Britain. “I think an MLB game played here would make my job a little easier, as well as even more enjoyable and rewarding,” says Carroll, who has been involved with the national team as a coach and player since 1996.

“Participation increases will be inevitable. More people will find out that there are opportunities for so many different types to succeed in our sport. The visibility of what already exists would be massively enhanced, which will open up doors to areas including sponsorship. Even if we’re dealing with rumors at this stage, the key for everyone involved now is to make sure that we’re ready for the interest and coverage if indeed it happens.”

But whether Europe as a whole is ready to host MLB games is still unclear. For a long time, the Netherlands was typically viewed as the chief embryo of MLB,with a purpose-built ballpark in Hoofddorp, near Amsterdam, having considerable input from league officials. That facility was built to fit MLB specifications, and there were some indications that Selig tried to expedite the process of taking games there during the last months of his reign, but a deal was never completed. Now, his successor seems intrigued by London, likely due to the shared language and general familiarity.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Yankees’ Didi Gregorius is a star for the Dutch national baseball team. Photograph: Elsa/Getty Images

Britain has a long and often tenuous relationship with baseball, but one steeped in history. “You had an 1874 tour between the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Athletics in the UK,” explains Chetwynd. “Then, in 1888-89, a tour run by one of baseball’s first great magnates, AG Spalding, featured major leaguers and made stops throughout Britain, France and Italy.

“In 1912-13, Charles Comiskey of the Chicago White Sox and John McGraw of the New York Giants led another European tour, while, in terms of more recent efforts, MLB sent minor league representatives of the Red Sox and Mets to play each other at the Oval cricket ground in 1993.

“The takeaway from these efforts have ebbed and flowed for many years. Still, with all the success the NFL is having and the general understanding that, to survive in today’s incredibly competitive landscape, sports must succeed in as many markets as possible, MLB must be, and should be, looking at taking the plunge into holding regular European series more seriously than ever.”

So, how will a prospective London series be achieved? The initiative would certainly have major hurdles, such as scheduling to both appease West Ham and give the players time to recover from unusual travel arrangements. However, with long-term planning and complete transparency from all parties, such challenges can be overcome.

Due to baseball’s status as a niche sport in Britain, MLB would be best served sending famous teams to London, with east coast organizations making the most sense0. Therefore, the Yankees and Red Sox would be a tantalizing proposition, and both franchises already have strong ties to Britain. The Yankees maintain a relationship with Manchester City, while Liverpool FC and the Red Sox are owned by the same group. Yankee officials have already stated a desire to explore playing in Britain, so MLB could perhaps use those links to break down some barriers and smooth the entire process.

Where there’s a will, there’s usually a way. If Major League Baseball is genuinely devoted to the idea of playing games in London, it has the power and networking possibilities to make it a considerable success, following the NFL model. Britain also has a small but dedicated set of baseball fans, advocates and volunteers, who would love the opportunity to welcome their heroes to the island.

Ultimately, in this age of increased globalization, North American sports have never been more popular overseas, and we’ve never had more tools with which to spread them far and wide, reaching into non-traditional territories to change perceptions and enhance lives.

For Major League Baseball, Europe represents a new frontier. Exciting times lie ahead, as America’s national pastime flirts with new horizons.