Watching your favorite team play abroad is a huge commitment — but that did not dampen the hopes of the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets fans who traveled to London for the MLB London Series.
A Phillies supporter, who is a pilot, flew over 4,000 miles to be at the London Series. A Mets fan spent £280 ($355) to rebook a flight that was canceled last-minute, while two Phillies supporters refused to pass up the opportunity to watch superstar Bryce Harper, whom they liken to Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham.
Major League Baseball returned to the UK this weekend for a third time in six years. This weekend, at the London Stadium, the Phillies’ Harper, the Mets’ Pete Alonso, and more of the league’s top talent put on a show at the home of Premier League soccer team West Ham United and the 2012 Olympic Games.
Ahead of the two-game series, The Athletic spoke to supporters from both teams who discussed their love for baseball, why people in the UK should give the sport a chance, and how hopeful they are of their team winning the World Series.
“I’m a pilot for United Airlines, so I travel to London roughly four times a month. This is a big deal, so I made sure I was here for the game.
“My brother is a flight attendant and he was on my plane on Friday. All I had to do was fly to London because we’d already paid for our tickets. Mine cost roughly £89. It’s great to experience this trip with loved ones and we’ve been looking forward to it for a long time.
