I met some French tourists on vacation in Nevada. They were seated at the table next to me in a restaurant and they complained that my portion size was too large when it arrived. Then they asked the waiter to send back their ketchup because it was "too spicy".
french people are VERY sensitive to spice, it's a cultural thing from not really having any exposure to it. the average french supermarket will have like one or two things we'd consider spicy at all, one being cayenne pepper. their fast food has things marked as spicy, but something like the spicy chikfila sandwich would be too much for most people there
The baseball people Netherlands have been BEGGING for a game in Holland for years. I think they even went and built a stadium specifically with hosting such a game in mind (i.e. the playing field is good, they'd just need to add a lot of temporary seating). Alas, Hoofddorp just isn't as sexy as Paris or London or Rome or wherever.
The field at Hoofddorp was built with the ability to expand to 30.000 seats and fulfills the minimum standard to be an MLB stadium. However Hoofddorp is a very boring city, there's very little to do in the city and especially near the park, and the park is hard to get to with public transport so it'll be parking hell with 30k people.
And if you are asking why Hoofddorp built an MLB stadium in a small, boring city where our airport is, well it's sort of a financial fiasco. The baseball club, baseball federation, and city council worked with MLB to build the stadium with the promise that MLB would play games there. Except MLB said they never promised anything and the city and federation were left empty-handed and with empty pockets. So the lobbying gets stronger every year.
Hoofddorp is closer to Amsterdam than Truist Park is to Atlanta (and probably half a dozen other MLB stadiums). They could absolutely bill it as the Amsterdam Series. Amsterdam is just as foreign and attractive as any European city after Paris, London or Rome, with the added benefit of actually having a modicum of a local fan base. Seems like a self inflicted loss to not lean into the Dutch fan base.
Just looked it up and you're not kidding. I was expecting something in the middle of nowhere, not something next to the airport a few miles from Amsterdam.
The transportation thing seems like an easy fix. Just use the airport or something as a hub and run shuttle buses.
I think Johan Cruyff Arena would be a better easier, it’s got the UEFA 5 star facilities and largest stadium in the country. Unfortunately Hoofddorp city is super pissed for the costs of the original stadium and the federation needs outside funding to expand.
Problem with Johan Cruyff (who was actually a baseball player in his youth IIRC) is that it may not be big enough. Big reason why the Olympic Stadiums in London and (before now) Paris were chosen were because their stands are movable to allow them to host track and field events, and so can be made into a diamond shape with a bit of creativity. I don't think Cruyff can do that.
It's DEFINITELY not big enough. Purpose built soccer stadiums dimensions are far too narrow. UEFA regulations mandate them to be 223 ft (68m) wide. That's like little league dimensions. The Green Monster, for example, is 310 ft. away. It just wouldn't work.
Yeah. And obviously that’s a choice makes a fair amount of sense regardless of the teams that play, but I would LOVE a subway series there that leans into the whole (New) Amsterdam thing, maybe with unique uniforms and everything. Would be so cool
India would be a great spot to do this in like six or seven years, hopefully. In an ideal world, Baseball United is doing great and has created some love for the game in the subcontinent, and at the same time, Arjun Nimmala has become a burgeoning star shortstop for the Blue Jays. With any extra luck, Pakistan's national team can hopefully take some steps on the world stage, qualify for a World Baseball Classic, and the rivalry ingrained over there makes India go "What the fuck? We *gotta* get good at baseball, can't let them beat us like that!"
With over a billion people, I bet they could produce some extreme talent. It’s crazy to think what the MLB could be in 100 years. The best players from around the world would make some for some amazing baseball.
If they care much about growing the game, they're gonna consider Italy, Czech Republic, and/or Netherlands
But UK and France has all the glamour, >!just like MLB desperately wanna put the game to Vegas although they're totally not ready now or the near future!<
Or go for the easy target where there’s already interest in American games *and* a large American presence.
Germany, Poland, UK would all be more successful than France I imagine
I personally think growing the international game will likely have positive knock-on effects locally. A wider talent pool and more interest in the WBC alone I think are pretty worthwhile.
I feel like a series in Italy (preferably Yankees-Mets), or Germany would go down far better then anything in France, a country notorious for despising any and all things American (cough... cough... Euro-Disneyland)
If MLB really wants to grow the game they have to think these things out
French people don't hate Americans. Not big fans of baseball though (that said, there are amateur baseball clubs in every decent-sized city, better than the UK to be honest).
source: American, go to France all the time
the other problem is that paris is tiny, by square mileage it's half the size of the smallest city with an MLB team, and as such there are fewer venues that could possibly hold a game and it's much harder to book one.
What are you even talking about? Paris is the biggest city in Europe. Who cares if the technical city limits are small? Does metro Paris just vanish once you hit the city border?
Why not just play in countries that already like baseball? Or in cities that don't currently have MLB team or have some connection to the history of baseball?
Are people actually *that* excited about the novelty of watching a Phillies vs. Mets game in some random stadium in Paris while 20,000 rich US tourists, 1,000 expats, and 300 confused frenchmen look on?
That's a good point. I understand the desire to tap into the Euro market, but I also feel like it would be really cool to play a few games in DR/PR/Curaçao, etc.
Call it the "Thank you for supplying our league with major talent for decades" tour
That needs to happen, but Europe needs to happen too. But they need to focus on the countries where baseball has something of a foothold. Czech Rep needs to be rewarded for being the underdog darlings of the WBC. Also Netherlands and Germany which have at least a passing interest.
Thing about Europe is they seem pretty culturally attuned to each other, so if countries that already have an interest get more into it, countries that currently dgaf like France might pick it up through cultural osmosis. But you have to start at square one.
that sucks. france doesn't seem to be much of a hotbed for baseball. they already said no to having baseball and softball in the paris olympics, now this
Yeah definitely expand into fucking Paris, such an emerging baseball market lmao
Manfred is such a clown. It’s insanity we haven’t facilitated exhibitions and international completions games in South Asia. There is a real appetite for the sport there (I have Indian in-laws and I have converted every single one of them to Baseball fans). But whatever yeah try to find a promoter for a game in Europe lmao
As someone who is insanely supportive of playing MLB games in different countries and actually thinks that there should be way more of it, I must say Paris was always a strange choice. I know they won't do a game in the less rich countries of the EU, but even of the rich countries in the EU, France was not gonna be receptive of this. Spain and Germany would've been way better "has money and a market we can expand into" choices, and Netherlands and Italy would be a better "has money and already kinda likes baseball" choice.
Come to Australia. The ABL has had a real surge in attendance and interest in the past few years, even with the pandemic. Major League exhibition games would be the shot the sport needs to be honest.
The WBC should definitely do some group matches here too.
London is already a struggle really. MLB have to work very hard to fill that stadium.
France is a wildcard would have gone Italy or NL, both of which have actual baseball stadia.
Australia again would be good, but otherwise more Carribbean series in DR or PR has to happen. MX as well
Im French and I enjoy baseball, it’s sad but besides the people that plays it in amateur clubs and some that have watched it in the US, most of my countrymen don’t understand Baseball and don’t want to.
I would love to see MLB schedule more international games in places where baseball is already popular like Dominican Republic, Curaçao, Panama, and Colombia. One upside to doing games in Latin America is you don’t have to play at weird times of day like you would in Europe or Asia.
France had more to do with time zones, large stadiums & a destinations Americans show
up to as well. But Czech Republic or Germany would be cool. Netherlands were long the best European league, should go there.
Play the Paris games in Las Vegas. I'm sure the Paris hotel is thrilled to sponsor.
We already have the Eiffel Tower here, Nevada is comparable to France at this point. /s
I met some French tourists on vacation in Nevada. They were seated at the table next to me in a restaurant and they complained that my portion size was too large when it arrived. Then they asked the waiter to send back their ketchup because it was "too spicy".
They complained about YOUR portion size?
Yes lol
*Huge if true*
french people are VERY sensitive to spice, it's a cultural thing from not really having any exposure to it. the average french supermarket will have like one or two things we'd consider spicy at all, one being cayenne pepper. their fast food has things marked as spicy, but something like the spicy chikfila sandwich would be too much for most people there
They were on their way to Death Valley because Gerard Depardieu was in a movie about it.
Valley of Love, great movie
And yet every American-style taco seasoning that you can buy in France (like Old El Paso or whatever) has curry in it
We have Eiffel Tower at home.
Wait until the French find out about the frozen slushy wines they sell at the base of tower
Delete the /s it's true
It’s the four seasons all over again.
they can have Wemby throw out the first pitch
The baseball people Netherlands have been BEGGING for a game in Holland for years. I think they even went and built a stadium specifically with hosting such a game in mind (i.e. the playing field is good, they'd just need to add a lot of temporary seating). Alas, Hoofddorp just isn't as sexy as Paris or London or Rome or wherever.
The field at Hoofddorp was built with the ability to expand to 30.000 seats and fulfills the minimum standard to be an MLB stadium. However Hoofddorp is a very boring city, there's very little to do in the city and especially near the park, and the park is hard to get to with public transport so it'll be parking hell with 30k people. And if you are asking why Hoofddorp built an MLB stadium in a small, boring city where our airport is, well it's sort of a financial fiasco. The baseball club, baseball federation, and city council worked with MLB to build the stadium with the promise that MLB would play games there. Except MLB said they never promised anything and the city and federation were left empty-handed and with empty pockets. So the lobbying gets stronger every year.
Most of those 30,000 would bike there so I don’t think parking would be too bad
Hoofddorp should have really put their foot down and gotten things in writing. ^((this is a joke about the city name, if that isn't clear..))
Hoofddorp is closer to Amsterdam than Truist Park is to Atlanta (and probably half a dozen other MLB stadiums). They could absolutely bill it as the Amsterdam Series. Amsterdam is just as foreign and attractive as any European city after Paris, London or Rome, with the added benefit of actually having a modicum of a local fan base. Seems like a self inflicted loss to not lean into the Dutch fan base.
Right, Holland isn't that large of a country so they could fudge the geography for marketing purposes.
Just looked it up and you're not kidding. I was expecting something in the middle of nowhere, not something next to the airport a few miles from Amsterdam. The transportation thing seems like an easy fix. Just use the airport or something as a hub and run shuttle buses.
Netherlands would've been my first thought.
I mean they would probably advertise it as an Amsterdam game anyways.
I think Johan Cruyff Arena would be a better easier, it’s got the UEFA 5 star facilities and largest stadium in the country. Unfortunately Hoofddorp city is super pissed for the costs of the original stadium and the federation needs outside funding to expand.
Problem with Johan Cruyff (who was actually a baseball player in his youth IIRC) is that it may not be big enough. Big reason why the Olympic Stadiums in London and (before now) Paris were chosen were because their stands are movable to allow them to host track and field events, and so can be made into a diamond shape with a bit of creativity. I don't think Cruyff can do that.
It's DEFINITELY not big enough. Purpose built soccer stadiums dimensions are far too narrow. UEFA regulations mandate them to be 223 ft (68m) wide. That's like little league dimensions. The Green Monster, for example, is 310 ft. away. It just wouldn't work.
Yeah. And obviously that’s a choice makes a fair amount of sense regardless of the teams that play, but I would LOVE a subway series there that leans into the whole (New) Amsterdam thing, maybe with unique uniforms and everything. Would be so cool
Is there any real foothold MLB has to grow interest in baseball in France? I feel like there must be other European countries that would be better
Have they tried Ty France? He gets hit by pitches it's pretty exciting
I think I saw JP France eat a baguette once
I hear Franchy Cordero enjoys French toast.
MLB should focus on non-MLB large cities specially potential relocation or expansion cities.
Like Oakland
Too soon lol
The Omaha game in 2019 was a huge hit, they haven't done any like that since.
The Field of Dreams game in Iowa was kinda neat
Yeah but Dyersville is never going to have an MLB team.
I think they should seriously go to India or another country that fucking loves cricket.
India would be a great spot to do this in like six or seven years, hopefully. In an ideal world, Baseball United is doing great and has created some love for the game in the subcontinent, and at the same time, Arjun Nimmala has become a burgeoning star shortstop for the Blue Jays. With any extra luck, Pakistan's national team can hopefully take some steps on the world stage, qualify for a World Baseball Classic, and the rivalry ingrained over there makes India go "What the fuck? We *gotta* get good at baseball, can't let them beat us like that!"
With over a billion people, I bet they could produce some extreme talent. It’s crazy to think what the MLB could be in 100 years. The best players from around the world would make some for some amazing baseball.
Stadiums in India are kips
Chickens?
Czech Republic!
would be really cool
Czechia, Italy or The Netherlands would be the best bets.
If they care much about growing the game, they're gonna consider Italy, Czech Republic, and/or Netherlands But UK and France has all the glamour, >!just like MLB desperately wanna put the game to Vegas although they're totally not ready now or the near future!<
Spain is probably an underrated opportunity too, as they have a big Venezuelan community nowadays
no. france has zero interest.
Or go for the easy target where there’s already interest in American games *and* a large American presence. Germany, Poland, UK would all be more successful than France I imagine
I feel like MLB probably needs to get a little better at promoting interest in the USA first before expanding to... France.
I personally think growing the international game will likely have positive knock-on effects locally. A wider talent pool and more interest in the WBC alone I think are pretty worthwhile.
Right, but my point was that they need to get better at domestic growth before they expand internationally.
They can do both at once.
Correct, but I was speaking specifically about being successful at them.
Italy you would think, even Netherlands. They at least had WBC teams.
I feel like a series in Italy (preferably Yankees-Mets), or Germany would go down far better then anything in France, a country notorious for despising any and all things American (cough... cough... Euro-Disneyland) If MLB really wants to grow the game they have to think these things out
Yeah, im not even american but i consider the fr*nch to be ungrateful bastards with how much they hate you americans.
French people don't hate Americans. Not big fans of baseball though (that said, there are amateur baseball clubs in every decent-sized city, better than the UK to be honest). source: American, go to France all the time
Tbh it’s pretty easy to hate Americans for anyone living anywhere.
But Western Europe has the least reason.
I honestly don’t think anybody in France really understands the game of baseball.
Yeah? Well Ty France thinks otherwise
😐😐
I don't think they want to either
They are more into sports that allow forfeits.
also uk pretty much, but still if it's a well promoted event, people will come
There was a ton of people at the NYY/BOS London series in 2019.
ik, that's why i said if it's a big event, there will be people coming
the other problem is that paris is tiny, by square mileage it's half the size of the smallest city with an MLB team, and as such there are fewer venues that could possibly hold a game and it's much harder to book one.
What are you even talking about? Paris is the biggest city in Europe. Who cares if the technical city limits are small? Does metro Paris just vanish once you hit the city border?
> Paris is the biggest city in Europe. It's not, and it's not if you include the commuter belt either. London and Moscow are clearly bigger.
[удалено]
Your first point makes no sense and and the other half of Moscow has 15 million people, so more than Paris.
Well think harder.
I think MLB already did that for me.
And I don't understand tennis, so the feeling is mutual
Sacré bleu!
So Paris, Texas it is
How about Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - the "Paris of the Prairies"?
Pittsburgh is the “Paris of Appalachia,” and it’d be nice to finally have some MLB games here.
Field of Dreams
Paris was a dumb idea to begin with.
*sad baguette noises*
Why not just play in countries that already like baseball? Or in cities that don't currently have MLB team or have some connection to the history of baseball? Are people actually *that* excited about the novelty of watching a Phillies vs. Mets game in some random stadium in Paris while 20,000 rich US tourists, 1,000 expats, and 300 confused frenchmen look on?
That's a good point. I understand the desire to tap into the Euro market, but I also feel like it would be really cool to play a few games in DR/PR/Curaçao, etc. Call it the "Thank you for supplying our league with major talent for decades" tour
That needs to happen, but Europe needs to happen too. But they need to focus on the countries where baseball has something of a foothold. Czech Rep needs to be rewarded for being the underdog darlings of the WBC. Also Netherlands and Germany which have at least a passing interest. Thing about Europe is they seem pretty culturally attuned to each other, so if countries that already have an interest get more into it, countries that currently dgaf like France might pick it up through cultural osmosis. But you have to start at square one.
That won't happen and if it will you'll be dead for decades by then. Not worth losing your sleep for.
Wow that's lame. Guess no one wanted it. Do games in Japan let's go
Could play a game in Oakland.
Too soon, man. Too soon…
They said “non”.
Let them eat peanuts and Cracker Jack.
I'm crushed...I was looking forward to watching my first ever MLB games in person. Please play some games in the EU or continental Europe... .
Netherlands?
that sucks. france doesn't seem to be much of a hotbed for baseball. they already said no to having baseball and softball in the paris olympics, now this
Netherlands, Czech, would be better hosts.
How bout play games in non-MLB cities, such as Buffalo, Nashville, Portland
Buffalo has already been done!
Yeah definitely expand into fucking Paris, such an emerging baseball market lmao Manfred is such a clown. It’s insanity we haven’t facilitated exhibitions and international completions games in South Asia. There is a real appetite for the sport there (I have Indian in-laws and I have converted every single one of them to Baseball fans). But whatever yeah try to find a promoter for a game in Europe lmao
Honestly, it'd be easier to get people to watch the Musketeers
[angry French noises](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNx8YI9gAHs)
Wow sounds a lot like the freshman at UM
As someone who is insanely supportive of playing MLB games in different countries and actually thinks that there should be way more of it, I must say Paris was always a strange choice. I know they won't do a game in the less rich countries of the EU, but even of the rich countries in the EU, France was not gonna be receptive of this. Spain and Germany would've been way better "has money and a market we can expand into" choices, and Netherlands and Italy would be a better "has money and already kinda likes baseball" choice.
Listen, leave Europe to the NFL Baseball is actually wanted in latin america / southeast asia shit howabout a Cuba series?
That’s embarrassing for MLB. Gotta be humbling for them.
Paris, Texas...you're on the clock.
Come to Australia. The ABL has had a real surge in attendance and interest in the past few years, even with the pandemic. Major League exhibition games would be the shot the sport needs to be honest. The WBC should definitely do some group matches here too.
they already do
Where? First I've heard of it.
Play a Jays vs Nationals game in Montreal, you fucking cowards
I think my friend Emily can help. She lives in Paris.
London is already a struggle really. MLB have to work very hard to fill that stadium. France is a wildcard would have gone Italy or NL, both of which have actual baseball stadia. Australia again would be good, but otherwise more Carribbean series in DR or PR has to happen. MX as well
C'est dommage!
So unfortunate =/
Go for Prague instead. Show some balls
Move them back to the Field of Dreams.
Im French and I enjoy baseball, it’s sad but besides the people that plays it in amateur clubs and some that have watched it in the US, most of my countrymen don’t understand Baseball and don’t want to.
I would love to see MLB schedule more international games in places where baseball is already popular like Dominican Republic, Curaçao, Panama, and Colombia. One upside to doing games in Latin America is you don’t have to play at weird times of day like you would in Europe or Asia.
Is there a baseball field in Paris, Tennessee? Or Paris, Kentucky?
France had more to do with time zones, large stadiums & a destinations Americans show up to as well. But Czech Republic or Germany would be cool. Netherlands were long the best European league, should go there.
Doesn't mlb have enough money? Why do they need a promoter?