We have a treat to enjoy this week as an addition to the standard round of Spring Training games.
For the first time, a team representing European baseball will take to the diamond in Tokyo in a two-game exhibition series against Japan.
A Major League team made the same trip back in November and it’s a real mark of respect towards European baseball that Japan has been so keen to host a similar event with some of the best European talent not currently part of MLB organisations.
Unsurprisingly the majority of the playing and support staff are connected to Italy and the Netherlands, historically the two powerhouses in Europe, but a few other countries are represented as well. Great Britain is not among them, yet events like this are a good indicator of how baseball is developing in the continent and that there are potential opportunities for British players to progress as part of this in the future.
Europe and Japan will play against each other on Tuesday and Wednesday. The games will be shown live on British Eurosport 2 from 9 a.m.
Further details about the exhibition series can be found on the International Baseball Federation website.
