New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Major League Baseball is returning to Panama for the first time since 1947 when the New York Yankees meet the Miami Marlins in exhibition play.
The "Legend Series" will be played on March 15th-16th at Panama City's Rod Carew Stadium and will honor the legacy of newly retired Yankees great and Panama native Mariano Rivera, the game's all-time saves leader.
Rivera will serve as one of the promoters of the affair and the series will also include charitable events off the field, including a gala featuring representation of both teams on March 14 that will benefit the Mariano Rivera Foundation.
"As long as I can remember, it has been my dream to bring my team, the Yankees, to play baseball in Panama," Rivera said. "I grew up in Puerto Caimito, where I developed my passion for baseball and began a journey that brought me to New York. It is my hope that this legacy series will inspire other young players to pursue their dreams. I am grateful to Major League Baseball, the Players Association, the Yankees and the Marlins in making this dream become a reality."
The games will be a rematch of the 2003 World Series and Panama will become the seventh country to host games between major league clubs (Mexico, Japan, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and China).
In the spring of 1947, the Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers played exhibition games in Panama during a trip that also featured stops in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
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