Sports

Coronavirus Cancels Cubs Cardinals Two-Game Series In London

After Opening Day was delayed last week, the league is preparing to play without fans or for the season to be scrapped altogether.

Willson Contreras of the Chicago Cubs is thrown out at second base against Paul DeJong of the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning at Busch Stadium on September 29, 2019, in St Louis, Missouri.
Willson Contreras of the Chicago Cubs is thrown out at second base against Paul DeJong of the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning at Busch Stadium on September 29, 2019, in St Louis, Missouri. (Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

CHICAGO — A two-game series between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals planned for June 13-14 at Olympic Stadium in London has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, according a statement from Major League Baseball.

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred first announced the cancellation Wednesday in an email to Major League Baseball employees.


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"We made the decision because it was unlikely the events would go forward, and timely cancellation allowed us to preserve important financial resources," Manfred wrote, according to the Associated Press. "We also have canceled agreements with service providers and delayed projects that involve large capital expenditures."

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Series slated for Mexico City and San Juan, Puerto Rico, have also been canceled.

Opening Day had been scheduled for March 26, but it was pushed back until at least May, and teams are preparing to play without fans or for the season to be scrapped altogether, according to an agreement reached last week by MLB and the Player's Association, which hammered out training schedules, service time and player pay, among other issues.

Manfred called the agreement a "first step toward getting the game back on the field."


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