What Makes Baseball Such a Memorable American Sports Experience
This summer, 1000s of Brits will be heading out to the USA, which will be the primary host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. How long they stay there will be at the mercy of Thomas Tuchel, Harry Kane and the rest of the 3 Lions, but, despite the expense, many fans will see it as a trip of a lifetime.
It’s well known, of course, that football – or soccer – doesn’t get top billing in the US, as it is judged to be behind American football, basketball, baseball and, arguably, ice hockey. Yet, if you were hoping to get to see some US sports between England games, the NFL, NBA and NHL will be in their offseasons, with no games scheduled until autumn.
However, the Major League Baseball season will be in full swing, and there will be MLB games played close to England’s World Cup venues. For example, two days after England play Ghana in Boston, the Boston Red Sox will host the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. That matchup is probably the biggest rivalry in MLB, the equivalent of Manchester United and Liverpool in England.
Plenty of MLB action across the spring and summer
Yet, whether it is the fiery Red Sox and Yankees rivalry or a match-up somewhere else, taking in an MLB game is a brilliant idea for your US holiday, even if you are not going to the World Cup. The experience is unique in American sports, tapping into the tradition of the US heartlands like no other. It’s perfect for families, too.
MLB games are played at a different pace than other sports. It’s designed as a day out, rather than an intense 90 minutes that you would be used to at a football game. The tropes of the hotdogs, peanuts and beers are based on reality. In a sense, it can feel a bit like a picnic. You might put it on a similar level to the experience of a day out at the cricket at Headingley, but there are acute differences that might surprise you.
Of course, there are things that are universal. Tight games tend to help the atmosphere build. Games between rivals can get raucous, especially when the teams are competitive for positions in their division or their overall playoff hopes. Plenty of patrons will bet on MLB baseball games, too, just as UK punters might before a Premier League tie.
There is certainly that sense of long summer days or long, warm evenings with the family. You’ll see plenty of family fun with the mascots, kids trying to catch foul balls as a souvenir, and a kind of insouciance that you won’t find in any other sports games. It’s hard to think of a sport with a friendlier and more familial atmosphere.
Facilities around the stadium are on point
If you don’t have the kids in tow, then there is still plenty that appeals. Tailgating parties – a uniquely American phenomenon – appear in and around the stadiums, with people opening up their cars and camper vans to grill. Arguably, there is more to do in and around the stadiums compared to football stadiums in England, with plenty of bars and restaurants and pool halls.
Overall, though, there is that sense of Americana. Baseball is no longer the most popular sport in the US, but its tagline as “America’s pastime” is very, very apt. Many of the stadiums are modern, whereas some aren’t. But it often feels like you are entering a throwback era, a living museum of America. It should be on your bucket list to do if you happen to be holidaying in the US anytime soon.
