A New Diamond in the Desert: Baseball United's Ambitious Debut
Emerging from the arid landscape on the outskirts of Dubai, a professional baseball field has been constructed with the precise dimensions of New York's famed Yankee Stadium. This marks the ambitious beginning of Baseball United, a new league that hosted its inaugural game on Friday, 14 November 2025. The central question looming over this venture is whether fans across the Middle East and Asia will embrace America's pastime.
Building a League from the Ground Up
The league's first season is a four-team, month-long contest set at the newly built Barry Larkin Field, named for the former Cincinnati Reds shortstop and league investor. To combat the intense Emirati sun, the field features artificial turf. In a strategic move to tap into a passionate regional sports rivalry, the opening match pitted the Mumbai Cobras against the Karachi Monarchs, with each team featuring Indian and Pakistani players. They aim to break into a broadcast market overwhelmingly dominated by football and cricket.
While the league lacks big-name MLB stars, it hopes to generate excitement with its own set of novel rules designed to speed up play and increase scoring. CEO and co-owner Kash Shaikh explained the rationale, stating they had a "blank canvas" and could introduce rules to excite new fans from the onset.
The stadium, located about 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the Burj Khalifa in an area known as Ud al-Bayda, seats approximately 3,000 spectators. Games will be played mostly at night as the weather cools. Notably, the league opted for an artificial field to conserve a massive 45 million litres (12 million gallons) of water annually that would be needed to maintain natural grass. John P. Miedreich, a co-founder and executive vice president, revealed the extraordinary efforts taken, including airlifting clay from the United States and Pakistan for the pitcher's mound.
Innovative Rules and Regional Rivalries
Baseball United is introducing several significant changes to the traditional game, akin to how Twenty20 revolutionised cricket. The new rules include:
- A golden "moneyball" which grants managers three chances per game to double the runs scored from a home run.
- The ability to call in "designated runners" three times during a match.
- If a game is tied after nine innings, a home run derby will decide the winner.
Shaikh believes these changes are key to entertainment and engaging new, younger audiences. The league's other two teams are the Arabia Wolves from Dubai and the Mideast Falcons from Abu Dhabi. The season is scheduled to run until mid-December.
A Challenging Landscape for Baseball
The history of professional baseball in the Middle East offers a cautionary tale. The Israel Baseball League, launched in 2007, folded after just one season. While Americans have introduced the game in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE over the decades, it remains overshadowed by football, which was showcased globally during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Cricket also commands a fervent following, particularly in India and Pakistan, with the International Cricket Council headquartered in Dubai.
Organisers are fully aware of the challenge. During a recent news conference, they found themselves explaining baseball basics, such as home runs and the position of centre field. For Shaikh, the fan experience is paramount. The goal is for people to "come out, eat a hot dog, see mascots running around, to see what baseball traditions that we all grew up with back home in the U.S. — and start to fall in love with the game." The success of this desert dream hinges on that very hope.
