Less than 24 hours after the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks were entangled in a pier sixer brawl, MLB announced the two teams will open the 2014 season in Australia. 

Hopefully, the Dodgers and D’Backs will have settled down by then. Or perhaps a rugby match will break out. Call it Australian Rules Baseball.

The NL West rivals will play two games at the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 22-23, 2014. 

MLB teams have opened previous seasons in both Japan and Mexico. I love the fact that baseball is expanding its global appeal. There are a handful of Australians in the big leagues. The most prominent is Oakland A’s closer Grant Balfour. 

For the past couple of years, the MLB Network has broadcast the Australian Baseball League championships thus easing my off-season baseball withdrawal. But opening the 2014 season takes things to the next level. I am delighted that Australian baseball fans will get to see MLB up close and personal.