The Dodgers and D-Backs open the 2014 MLB Season in Australia Saturday as the league continues its stringent efforts to expand its reach across the globe
1/2 a world, 15 hours and the entire Pacific Ocean later, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks have arrived in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Upon their arrival, both teams took a little time to take in some of the sights the surrounding area had to offer, but it wasn’t too long until the players realized that this is a business trip and unlike what has taken place back in Arizona – these games count. The Dodgers added oft-injured outfielder Carl Crawford (birth of son) and newly-signed starter Dan Haren to the list of names not be making the trip, joining starter Zack Greinke.
You can’t blame either of the teams for taking in a couple sights on their way to the Sydney Cricket Ground – I mean c’mon – if MLB is going to send these teams to a far off land they can at least make the best of it and get some enjoyment out of it. The players and managers have played the PR card right, have been completely respectful and have shown enthusiasm about their travels, but in reality everyone understands how puzzling it is that the 2014 season opens up roughly 7,497 miles away from the motherland. What’s with commissioners always trying to (in essence) “study abroad”?
Sydney Cricket Ground opened its doors in the 1880’s – roughly 30 years before Wrigley Field opened up. The British Troops played cricket on the same area in the 1850’s and for the fans and people Australia the grounds are considered sacred.
Now on first thought curiosity takes over of how exactly can MLB games take place on a field that isn’t meant for baseball?…… Well as simply quoted by “The Voice” in 1989’s classic film Field of Dreams, ”If you build it, they will come.”
In this case it is not Ray Kinsella who has to do the work, it’s legendary carver Murray Cook. Cook has made a career of carving baseball fields out of non-baseball fields. Weeks ago MLB sent Cook over to Sydney to begin development for this weekends opening series. A crew, materials on hand and 500 tons of clay from Southern California later, you couldn’t tell a difference with this playing field and one from the states. The only difference truly is the amount of foul territory this stadium provides which stems from the fact the stadium is nearly double the size of a regular U.S. baseball field.
For Diamondbacks pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith – Australia native – it’s a return home, but for a majority of the others on both teams – it’s a first time trip to the land down under. The teams are expected to have a mixture of leisure and business, but come Saturday night the 2014 season is officially on. Clayton Kershaw will face Wade Miley for Game 1 of the series – Saturday at 1 am PDT.
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