Baseball United announced on Thursday on their website the official schedule for the Dubai Showcase event in November.
Baseball United is the first professional baseball league located in the Middle East and Indian subcontinent. Baseball United will have its first event, the Dubai Showcase, from November 10-12 at Dubai International Stadium, which is mainly used for cricket.
All Baseball United Dubai Showcase games will be played at Dubai International Stadium.
Only two games will be played on Saturday, November 11.
On November 9, all four teams will have on-field batting practice prior to the event to get used to the playing surface.
The stated goal of Baseball United is to grow the sport to two billion people across India, Pakistan, and the Middle East, an area with nearly one billion cricket fans. Baseball United hopes to have franchises in South Asia in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives.
Baseball United’s franchises will also be located in Gulf Cooperation Council member nations and south Asia. The GCC countries include the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The franchise locations will be announced in the league’s foreseeable future along with hiring major staff officials that will be part of the league’s success.
“If we can inspire even a small fraction of that viewership, it will be an incredible stage for baseball in the region. And from an attendance standpoint, we are looking forward to welcoming baseball fans from all walks of life – and from dozens of different countries – to enjoy this classic showdown” said Baseball United President, CEO, and Majority Owner Kash Shaikh.
The Abu Dhabi Falcons and the Dubai Wolves were the final two organizations announced on August 3 at the Baseball United press conference held in Dubai. Baseball United plans to expand the league further next season.
The Dubai Wolves will have former Major Leaguer Felix Hernandez as their honorary general manager and former Major League manager John McClaren will be at the helm during the league’s first season.
The Abu Dhabi Falcons will have Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera as their honorary general manager and former Major League pitcher Dennis Cook will be the manager for the organization.
Former Major Leaguer Chris Sabo will manage the Mumbai Cobras, and Miguel Tejada will manage the Karachi Monarchs in the league’s first season. Former Major Leaguer Adrian Beltre will be the honorary general manager for the Karachi Monarchs and Hall of Famer Barry Larkin will be the honorary general manager for the Mumbai Cobras.