Some Cardinals making first trip ‘across the pond’ for series against Cubs in London

Pack up your novelty hats, strap on your travel wallet, and familiarize yourself with the new, old guy who’s about to start popping up on the money.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs are soon headed to London for a three-years-delayed matchup between what is now the two basement-dwelling teams in the National League Central.

The fish and chips, at least, should be good.

Originally scheduled for the 2020 season but delayed by the pandemic, this year’s MLB London Series follows the 2019 edition which saw the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees drum out 50 runs in two games, including six apiece in the first inning of the first game.

Those games were also played at London Stadium, opened in 2012 for the summer Olympics and subsequently transitioned to the home venue for Premier League club West Ham United.

In an attempt to slightly tamp down the offense and put on a more representative product, MLB’s organizers have made the decision to expand the outfield fences, though center plays still less than 400 feet.

The trip will be the second regular season series the Cardinals have played outside of the United States, joining their trip to Mexico in 2019.

“I’m looking forward to it,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “You’re basically wanting to make sure that you’re prepping for it in a way where you get guys there healthy and get them out of there healthy from a travel standpoint, and just the wear and tear of that. But overall, the group’s excited about those couple of games. It’ll be fun.”

Importing Major League Baseball means importing any number of elements that may go unnoticed on an average game day. FieldTurf, for instance, was laid down as a playing surface both to preserve the underlying soccer field and to guarantee a consistent, familiar ground for players. Even the dirt and clay for the infield and pitching mound had to be imported, sourced from a location in Pennsylvania that services Major League stadiums.

Larger, temporary clubhouses were built for both teams on the stadium grounds, and maintaining those clubhouses falls to the teams themselves. Contrary to standard procedure, the Cardinals are bringing three members of their home clubhouse staff on the trip in order to ensure gameday operations run as smoothly as possible.

Teams are also permitted to travel with a taxi squad for the games, thus eliminating the need to rush players from Memphis across the Atlantic Ocean. The Cardinals haven’t yet announced the group they’ve selected, though at least two extra pitchers and an extra catcher are certain to be included among those on the trip.

MLB has also launched a “Trafalgar Square Takeover,” creating a collection of fan activities in the runup to the games. MLB’s “Home Run Derby X: The Cage,” which utilizes virtual reality and ball tracking to simulate the bath of a baseball for derby-style fun, is the central attraction. At the very least, it will provide an opportunity for visiting American fans to gawk at Brits attempting to swing baseball bats while hoping no one asks them to do the same with the cricket variety.

For the players, an awkward break in the midst of the season for a jewel event like the London Series can feel like a hassle, though there does seem to be a genuine appreciation for the chance at a once-in-a-career experience.

Or, at least, once for some careers. Paul Goldschmidt is set to become the first MLB player in history – and the sixth across the four major professional sports – to play a regular season game in five different countries. Goldschmidt has previously played in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Australia.

“Never been across the pond,” acknowledged Adam Wainwright, who’s set to start Saturday’s game. “I’m going to make kind of a list of things I want to go do and see. I’d love to go see Wimbledon, and see Big Bend and all that kind of stuff.

“But,” added the righty with an old English last name, “I’ve got a lot of potential kinfolk over there too.”

Wainwright’s family isn’t planning to make the journey, leaving his anticipated pubs and fish and chips all to himself. He will at least have eager companionship, as he’s not the only player not using his allotment of seats on the family plane that’s set to meet the team in St. Louis.

Outfielder Alec Burleson also said he’s flying solo for the weekend, unless one counts, “this family in here.” Burleson acknowledged, “I know nothing about London,” but did seem intrigued by the possibility of a spin on the London Eye ferris wheel.

As for Marmol? “I’m just trying to win a baseball game.”

Those games will take place at odd times; Saturday’s is set for noon St. Louis time and Sunday’s for 9 AM. Still, in the midst of a disappointing season, the London Series represents an opportunity for a fan to take in some unexpected visuals and feel the power of an abnormally large crowd. Both games in 2019 were sellouts of more than 59,000, and organizers expect the same this year.

Whether there’s much they’ll enjoy watching remains an open question.