London Calling!

[ashie62]

Is Toronto Kingston NY?

[Edgy MD]

[Frayed Knot]

Both Kingstons are in a foreign country for the Blue Jays so it works either way.

[Edgy MD]

FUN FACT:. The Derby County FC, who we meet at the beginning of the highly recommended (by me) film Damned United (2009), spent over 100 years playing at a stadium called "The Baseball Ground". The stadium opened in 1890 as the home park of Derby Baseball Club, then part of the burgeoning British National League, an upstart UK baseball circuit. The stadium operated as such for only five years, but continued on hosting football for 107 years while retaining the name based on its long-neglected original purpose. It was sort of the British version of New York's Polo Grounds.

It was sadly demolished in 2003 and 2004, the baseball diamond it once hosted being long grown over.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Here's a picture from 1895. It looks like it was more spacious then, but it's hard to tell for sure. I would imagine that the configuration we see in the color photo wouldn't have worked well for baseball, even in the 19th Century.

It appears that home plate was in the corner of the ballpark that's in the lower right of Edgy's photo.

[metirish]

The Olympic stadium where the Mets will play is an unloved football stadium now , home to West Ham United

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Come On You Irons

[Cowtipper]

Why London?

[MFS62]

I have to admit it was her idea.

I was all, "What if they're ten games under .500 and Alonso and Lindor are hurt and the pitching sucks again?"

And she was, "Let's do it anyway."

Meanwhile Jr. was like, "I'm in if you're paying."

So, who paid, Lefty?
Later

[Lefty Specialist]

I was sure right about my November misgivings. But here we are- Lefty Jr is with us courtesy of my United points and her Marriott points.

Met some Philly fans on the Tube today. They're nervous that they'll be embarrassed. We told them we eat embarrassment for breakfast. I also told them if they're down two runs going to the 9th, they've got the game in the bag.

As far as a CPF sign, they won't let you take in anything larger than a small purse. Just hope we won't be having any more embarrassment for Sunday breakfast.

[Lefty Specialist]

Went to the Trafalgar Square 'MLB Takeover' today and what a mess. Crappy swag you have to wait on an enormous line to get. Crappy American food. A batting cage you wouldnt get into until 2026. And two Brits playing hip-hop music. Neither of them could pick Bryce Harper or Pete Alonso out of a lineup. Easily 70% Phils fans, obnoxious and overconfident.

[Benjamin Grimm]

It's seeming more and more that this isn't about bringing baseball to the people of London but about bringing American baseball fans to spend money in London.

I think if I was there I would ignore the MLB promotional stuff (other than the game, of course) and spend my time exploring the city.

Is this your first trip to London, or had you been there before?

[metirish]

I would imagine the average londonder cares about this series about as much as the average New Yorker / Long Islander cares about the cricket world cup that's on right now on Long Island ( and elsewhere)

[metirish]

These two would be like Jeff Keppinger and Matt Ginter

[Benjamin Grimm]

Alonso intended to check off many of the same sightseeing highlights as Manaea, with perhaps one other destination in mind.

"I think yelling at the fuzzy-hat guards would be fun," Alonso said, referring to the famously stoic King's Guard outside Buckingham and St James's Palaces.

I guess not all players can be as sophisticated as Ron Darling.

[metirish]

I love that about Pete, he's in the moment and enjoying it all

[bmfc1]

DiComo: "News: Daniel Murphy defeated Chase Utley in the home run derby at Trafalgar Square in London."
I hope that immediately following his defeat, Utley was taken to the Tower of London and beheaded.

[MFS62]

Why not drawn and quartered?
More painful.
Later

[Lefty Specialist]

It's seeming more and more that this isn't about bringing baseball to the people of London but about bringing American baseball fans to spend money in London.

I think if I was there I would ignore the MLB promotional stuff (other than the game, of course) and spend my time exploring the city.

Is this your first trip to London, or had you been there before?

Third time. We've done all the tourist stuff (Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, The Eye, Globe Theater, show on the West End, Picadilly Circus, Windsor Castle, Churchill War Rooms, etc, etc), so this time we went further afield, visiting Oxford (I feel smarter already) and Bletchley Park, which is a fascinating place for students of WW2. And we've been to a few pubs for a pint.

Tomorrow we're going to the top of The Shard for a view of the city before heading over to the stadium. There's so much to do that it almost feels wrong to interrupt it with a Met game or two. As far as I can tell the Brits don't care at all, but they're happy to take our money.

[Cowtipper]

I love that about Pete, he's in the moment and enjoying it all

I'm not. Very disrespectful way to act for a public figure such as himself.

That's one of the reasons why I've never been a huge fan of his. He seems very immature. I give him credit for seeming to grow up in the past couple years, but he's still very immature.

[Gwreck]

It's seeming more and more that this isn't about bringing baseball to the people of London but about bringing American baseball fans to spend money in London.

What is this assessment based on?

There are plenty of Americans here, certainly. But my sense is that the majority are European.

[Cowtipper]

It's seeming more and more that this isn't about bringing baseball to the people of London but about bringing American baseball fans to spend money in London.

They should really do these series in cities whose countries have a greater affinity for baseball and that can be ever-burgeoning sources of potential baseball talent.

Australia and Brazil are the first two countries that come to mind. But there are countries in Europe that have a bigger baseball presence than the UK/England. France (Division Elite) and Italy (Serie A1/Italian Baseball League) are the two big ones—a lot of former pros in the USA go there to play. But even places like Germany (Bundesliga) and Spain (Division Honor) would be better choices than London.

It seems like they chose London more because it is a name city, rather than a good city for baseball to be featured.

If their goal is to introduce baseball to England/the UK, well, it was introduced. And it was very popular once. Then it became unpopular. It's not like Englanders don't know what baseball is.

[Edgy MD]

It's also a financial capital and and an easily workable destination for fans wanting to make an overseas trip to an English-speaking nation. I would imagine that more US-based fans made the trek for this series than went to Tokyo or Seoul.

The intersection of wealthy economies and a hegemony of baseball affinity is not vast.

[Edgy MD]

London Neighborhoods Ranked by a Guy who Has Never Been to London, but is Dimly Aware of the City, Mostly from Rock Records

1) Soho — It’s where Roger Daltrey woke up in somebody’s garden and it was the epicenter of all that was swinging in 1968. Also, Shane MacGowan snogged some girl there while taking shelter on a rainy night, and I'd like to do the same.

2) Mayfair — On the London Monopoly board, Mayfair is their Boardwalk. Also, it's where some hairy-handed gent was spotted by Warren Zevon after he ran amok in Kent.

3) Waterloo — Sure you can take in a play at the Old Vic, but if you don’t want to watch a sunset with Ray Davies here, you and I can’t be friends.

4) Hampstead — God damn it, when Chrissy Hynde describes fat cats driving past corrugated tin shacks full up with kids, she specifies that she doesn’t mean a Hampstead nursery, and I can only conclude that Hampstead has the finest nurseries in the world. If you want to fuck with rich House of Lords kids, this is clearly where to find them.

6) Covent Garden — Robyn Hitchcock says he’s been hanging round here for centuries, and I can only conclude that it’s clearly never boring.

7) West End — If you’re gonna go nuts, pointing a gun in your hand at your head, kicking in chairs and knocking down tables, this is the place to do it. Otherwise, there’s probably a Miss Saigon revival you can take in.

8) Brighton — Go to the beach, or rumble with The Stray Cats — really, it's up to you!!

9) King’s Cross and Euston — It’s where the Pet Shop Boys found themselves lost and it’s where I can visit the British Library.

10) Notting Hill — It’s where Mark Knopfler formed The Notting Hillbillies and the epicenter of some of the Londoniest parks.

11) Kensington and Chelsea — All the best museums are there, even if Elvis Costello didn’t want to go there.

12) Shoreditch — Rod Stewart didn’t want to get married there, but it has a badass name and I think it would give me some street cred to be able to claim I've been there.

13) Islington — Apart from the lovely strolls upon the canal, Marillion identified this as where The Thief of Baghdad hides, presumably when he’s not in Baghdad.

14) The City — The Jam says there's a thousand faces here and they’re all shining bright. Also, the kids there know where it’s at, so this is a place I’d totally want to check out on my first visit to London. Plus … St. Paul’s Cathedral!!

15) Camden — A world-famous market, and The Devil Moon took Shane MacGowan up here in pursuit of a London girl.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Goddammit Michael Kay?