25 June 2023 , 18:35
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The Major League Baseball London series had plenty of celebrity guests in attendance on Sunday. The Chicago Cubs were playing the St. Louis Cardinals at the London Stadium, home of Premier League club West Ham United.
The two-game series took place on Saturday and Sunday, with the Cubs winning the first game 9-1 on Saturday. A day later, though, the Cardinals got a 7-5 win.
Brandon Donavan had two RBI to help the Cardinals claim the win, with Paul Goldschmidt, Lars Nootbaar, Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker also batting in a single run each. The loss would have been a disappointment to Bill Murray, who is a Cubs fan.
The Hollywood actor, famous for such films as Caddyshack and the Ghostbusters series, was at the London Stadium. In the UK broadcast of the game on BT Sport, the 72-year-old was interviewed about his connection to baseball and the Cubs.
“I was baptised a Cub fan, and there was a religious ceremony,” said Murray. “I lived on the north side of Chicago, so my father was a Cub fan.
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“That’s how it happens, your parents raise you a certain way and a certain religion, it’s a Cub religion.”
Murray added: “I’ve been very impressed by how they have put this event on over here (in London). There’s a lot of excitement.
Actor Billy Murray sings 'Sweet Caroline' during MLB game at the London Stadium (BT Sport)“About 60 per cent of people have come from America to see it, and the other 40 per cent are locals and who knows what. There’s a lot of people, it’s a lot of fun and it’s the same game, the rules are the same.
“Everybody’s excited, London is a lot more fun than it ever used to be.”
Later during the broadcast, Murray interrupted his interview to go and chat with fellow actor John Goodman, who was wearing a Cardinals jersey. Shortly after returning to finish the interview, the song ‘Sweet Caroline’ by Neil Diamond began playing over the tannoy system while the game was playing.
Murray started singing the song into the BT Sport microphone and began serenading nearby fans in the stadium. The actor finished by walking around the podium in the studio, still singing the song, before eventually handing the microphone back to the presenters.
The attendance of Murray in London comes weeks after reports emerged that the actor had begun dating 43-year-old singer-songwriter Kelis. Reports emerged on June 8 that the pair had been spotted together attending a festival in London, having previously met in the United States.