Cardinals, Cubs try to balance fun, business in London series
LONDON — Chicago Cubs manager David Ross said players do better “when they’re having fun.”
There was plenty of that to go around Friday when the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals held workouts at London Stadium ahead of a two-game weekend series.
Shaking off jet lag, players in batting practice took aim for the outfield seats that spell out “West Ham” in the home of the Premier League club as Major League Baseball returns to the British capital in a renewed bid to grow internationally.
The 16-foot center-field wall — with Union Jack and American flags hanging high above — has been pushed back a bit after the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox cranked 10 homers in the first London series four years ago.
The laid-back vibe — Formula One drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri of the McLaren team took BP — will be replaced with a more serious tone today as both the Cardinals and Cubs resume their pursuit of the red-hot Cincinnati Reds in the National League Central.
The big question is whether fans in the British capital will see more slugfests. New York beat Boston 17-13 and 12-8 in 2019 over 18 innings that took just over nine hours.
“No one knows what to expect,” Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt said. “Nobody was expecting the ball to fly like it did in ’19, and we don’t know if that’s going to happen again. If it does, the games could be long.
“But that was a while ago and a lot of things have changed, whether it’s with the stadium or the baseballs.”
Cardinals scheduled starter Adam Wainwright — the Cubs are countering with Justin Steele — remembers being startled when the first Yankees-Red Sox game was 6-6 after one inning.
“Certainly, it seems like maybe keeping the ball on the ground might be a good idea,” said Wainwright.
However, with artificial turf imported from Montreal, even ground balls might cause some trouble.