14 Jun 2013

Major League baseball to open season in Sydney

12:50 pm on 14 June 2013

Major League Baseball officials have cited Australia's impressive ability to produce players as one of the big reasons for starting the next Major League season in Sydney.

The Arizona Diamondbacks will host the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the season's first two matches on March 22 and 23rd.

The chief exectuive of the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust Jamie Barclay says it will take about a week to make the necessary changes to the ground, including the temporary removal of 3500 square metres of turf and the erection of a 2.4 metre-high home run wall.

It will be just the sixth time the MLB opening day game has been held outside the United States.

Over 30 Australians are currently attached to MLB clubs.