Over the past decade-plus, Major League Baseball has made many efforts to help grow the game of baseball. They’ve used the Chicago Cubs to support the cause in most opportunities. In 2017, the Cubs were part of the Little League Classic, where an MLB game was scheduled on a Sunday night during the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Then, in 2020, the Cubs were scheduled to play a two-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals in London, England. This was inevitably canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak and the MLB season’s shortening that year. However, the series was rescheduled and played in 2023.
The Cubs also participated in the second playing of the Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa, in 2022. They defeated the Cincinnati Reds 4-2, but the real story was the sweet throwback uniforms they wore for the game.
MLB continues looking for new ways and places to utilize their best players to grow the game globally. Last week, the San Diego Padres unofficially officially kicked off the 2024 season by playing two games in Seoul, South Korea. Commissioner Rob Manfred said he’d continue looking for more places to play games and showcase baseball. And it appears the Cubs are part of that plan for 2025.
Cubs And Dodgers To Open 2025 Season In Japan
Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported that the Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers have been “privately” informed that they will open the 2025 season with a series in Tokyo, Japan. This was probably already in the works well before the Seoul series last week, but the ratings for those two games were over twice the size of the viewership the Japan Series had in 2019 to open the season.
This is also highly impactful because of who will be on the field for the Dodgers and Cubs. The ink is still drying on the historic contracts the Dodgers have signed with two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Cubs also have right-fielder Seiya Suzuki and left-hander Shota Imanaga on their roster. All four players played in Japan before joining Major League Baseball.
Those four are crucial in why the Cubs and Dodgers were chosen to play this series. It will undoubtedly be worth the 4 AM start time not to miss it. The Cubs continue to be part of MLB’s plan to grow the game of baseball on a global stage. But when it comes to Chicago, MLB continues to give the cold shoulder.
The Cubs Want To Host An All-Star Game
The last time the Cubs hosted an All-Star game at Wrigley Field was in 1990. Ever since this ownership group bought in and rejuvenated the ballpark and its surrounding area, the Cubs have been trying to work with Major League Baseball to bring an All-Star game back to the north side of Chicago. But they continue to be given short lists of things to do.
The latest requirement is enhanced security on the streets surrounding the ballpark. Tom Ricketts has asked the city of Chicago to help with $30 million worth of upgrades to meet the requirements. He’s probably not going to receive the help, but he’s proven he will invest in the structural integrity to keep things moving along.
The Cubs have been rumored to be a landing spot for the All-Star game for over a decade. And the neighborhood is no stranger to hosting big events. Concerts, football games, and hockey games continue to be scheduled at the Friendly Confines, with no major issues to report. Hopefully we are close to MLB giving back to the Cubs after they continue to do their part for them.
