MLB set to inspire next generation of UK stars

BaseballSoftballUK's London Series Legacy manager Jon Rye believes MLB's UK takeover can inspire the next generation of British baseball stars, with the Cubs set to face the Cardinals this weekend at London Stadium. Baseball is a hidden secret in the UK, followed by enthusiastic night owls and weekend warriors, and played by a small but resolute community and that is something BaseballSoftballUK are looking to change.

Ad Hosting six MLB regular season games in the UK across a four-year period provides a unique opportunity to share the magic of baseball, to catapult the sport's popularity and exponentially increase the number of baseball and softball players throughout the country. Baseball / SoftballBaseballSoftballUK CEO hails uniting power of baseball10 MINUTES AGO BaseballSoftballUK aims to increase participation by making the sports even more inclusive, improving the overall playing experience, and driving elite performance of the national squads by working with and through National Governing Bodies the British Softball Federation and the British Baseball Federation.

Rye helped host MLB's First Pitch Festival at Olympic Park on Thursday which saw 900 children from 25 different schools introduced to the sport for the first time, with festivals also taking place in Cardiff and Sheffield. And Rye hopes kids across the country are inspired to give the sport a go when MLB takes centre stage at London Stadium.

«It is a good opportunity to get young people enjoying baseball and softball and having some fun in the sun with some talented stars around us,» said Rye. «MLB First Pitch is a great introduction programme in primary schools, it is suited to their ability and their age.