Boston Red Sox to face LA Dodgers in 'Home Run Derby' baseball event at London's Hyde Park
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Hyde Park will be transformed into a baseball diamond for a quick-fire, Twenty20 cricket-style version of the game never before seen in Europe.
The Major League Baseball takeover will see stars of the game take to the field to smash as many home runs as possible against the clock.
Ex-pro MLB legends Carlos Peña, Cliff Floyd and Shawn Green will be among the big hitters in the Boston Red Sox v LA Dodgers “Home Run Derby”.
Green, who has hit 328 home runs in his career, will pull on the LA Dodgers jersey, while Peña and Floyd, who have scored 286 and 233 home runs in their careers respectively, will play for the Boston Red Sox.
The park’s transformation for the July 4 MLB Battlegrounds showdown will begin after Justin Bieber headlines the main stage for the British Summer Time Hyde Park festival two days before. Kings of Leon resume the festival again on July 6.
Floyd, who played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays, told the Standard it would be “amazing” to be a part of a game which is helping baseball “grow” in the UK.
Speaking from America he said: “They’re trying to establish something that is great, and the game of baseball is great, and to be a part of this is amazing.
“Intensity-wise, we’ll get the adrenaline going just as if we were going to play a Major League Baseball game.”
He added: “This is a great initiative to jumpstart something that has been lacking.”
The baseball takeover is the latest attempt by American games chiefs to import sports from the US.
In January, basketball’s biggest stars returned to the 02 Arena for the seventh regular season game in London when the Indiana Pacers took on the Denver Nuggets. London will also host four National Football League matches for the first time this year.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said he wants to make London the “undisputed sporting capital of the world” and sees more NBA and NFL games in particular as part of this vision.
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Charlie Hill, Managing Director of MLB Europe, said: “This represents an exciting statement of intent for Major League Baseball in Europe.
“Hyde Park is the perfect location to bring a flavour of our game to London with two of the most popular teams in the sport — the Red Sox and the Dodgers — set to provide a night of big hitting on the Main Stage.”
The free baseball event will run from 5pm to 10pm. The sport will be mixed with street food and US music.
