Bryce Harper was one of the many who soaked up the sights and sounds of London but wishes he could linger longer.
One of the highlights of this past weekend’s MLB London Series was the fourth-inning solo home run Harper hit on Saturday against the rival New York Mets.
Harper celebrated the blast with a soccer-style knee-slide as he headed to the dugout.
The exciting series marked the third time Major League Baseball has ventured overseas, following the Yankees and Red Sox in 2019 and the Cardinals and Cubs last year.
All in all, only six MLB games have been played in the UK, but Harper has bigger ideas.
“We’re excited as a team to be over here and play in front of different fans,” Harper said. “Obviously, they love their football over here and being able to go into a different country and play in front of a new fan base is going to be a really fun time for us, and a fun time for them.”
Harper elaborated on the vision he has for the future.
“I wish that Major League Baseball would bring four teams over here, make it a round-robin and stay for a week and a half or two weeks, just so U.K. baseball fans can rally around it,” he said.
“It’s so in and out and so quick, it would be fun to rove across the country a bit, take the trains into different places and see all that. I think it would be a lot of fun.”
Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo supported Harper’s idea, calling it a “great idea.”
“Once you get acclimated to the time change, you might as well spend a couple of weeks over here and play in some different cities and go ahead and make a round-robin out of it. That would be fantastic,” Nimmo said.
“I think the biggest part is that initial 24 hours and once you get past that then you’re sitting in a lot better space physically and mentally.
“I’d love to see that, I think it would be good for the game and I think it would grow in a sportive way. So I think it’s a great idea.”
Harper may very well be onto something.
His idea to improve MLB’s involvement in London sounds both intriguing and extremely realistic.
By all accounts, this weekend’s London Series was a significant success … So why not grow and capitalize on it?
The NBA initiated an in-season tournament this past season, which was a huge success.
Ratings surged during the games, and the competition level was notably higher than usual.
Members of the winning team each received $500,000 – which was certainly a nice little incentive for the players.
As for what actually happened on the field this past weekend, the series ended in a competitive 1-1 split.
The Phillies won the first game on Saturday by the score of 7-2.
The Mets bounced back yesterday with a dramatic 6-5 victory.
Philadelphia improved their NL-leading record to 45-20, while questions will surely continue to hover over the Mets who now stand at a disappointing 28-36.
What are your thoughts on Harper’s idea?
In the bigger picture, what are your thoughts on MLB exposing the game to Europe?
What should the ultimate end-goal be???