The Dune of Dreams: Upstart league Baseball United hosts inaugural game in Dubai with its own rules | National News

UD AL-BAYDA, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Emerging like a mirage in the desert outskirts of Dubai, a sight unfamiliar to those in the Middle East and Asia has risen up like a dream in the exact dimensions of the field at Yankee Stadium in New York.

Now that it’s built, though, one question remains: Will the fans come?

kAm%92EVD E96 492==6?86 7@C E96 :?2F8FC2= D62D@? @7 q2D632== &?:E65[ 2 7@FC\E62>[ >@?E9=@?8 4@?E6DE E92E H:== 368:? uC:52J 2E E96 ?6H q2CCJ {2C<:? u:6=5[ 2CE:7:4:2==J EFC765 7@C E96 3C@:=:?8 DF? @7 E96 &?:E65 pC23 t>:C2E6D 2?5 ?2>65 7@C 2? :?G6DE@C H9@ 😀 2 7@C>6C r:?4:??2E: #65D D9@CEDE@A]k^Am

kAm%96 AC@76DD:@?2= =628F6 D66D[ 2D E96 |F>32: r@3C2D @? uC:52J H:== 7246 E96 z2C249: |@?2C49D] t249 E62> 92D x?5:2? 2?5 !2<:DE2?: A=2J6CD D66<:?8 E@ 3C62< :?E@ E96 3C@2542DE >2C<6E D2EFC2E65 3J D@446C 2?5 4C:4<6E 😕 E9:D A2CE @7 E96 H@C=5]k^Am

kAmp?5 H9:=6 92G:?8 ?@ 3:8\?2>6 A=2J6CD 7C@> |2;@C {628F6 q2D632==[ E96 =628F6 92D 4C62E65 D@>6 @7 :ED @H? ?@G6= CF=6D E@ DA665 FA 82>6D 2?5 AFE >@C6 CF?D @? E96 3@2C5 — 2?5 A@E6?E:2==J 86?6C2E6 :?E6C6DE 7@C &]$] 72?D 2D E96 C68F=2C D62D@? E96C6 92D 6?565]k^Am

kAm“!6@A=6 96C6 8@E E@ =62C? E96 CF=6D 2?JH2J D@ H6’C6 =:<6 :7 H6 86E E@ DE2CE 2E 2 3=2?< 42?G2D E96? H9J 5@?’E H6 :?EC@5F46 D@>6 ?6H CF=6D E92E H6 36=:6G6 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 6I4:E6 E96> 7C@> E96 @?D6E[Q q2D632== &?:E65 rt~ 2?5 4@\@H?6C z2D9 $92:<9 E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD]k^Am

k9am%96 5F?6 @7 5C62>Dk^9am

kAmp== E96 82>6D 😕 E96 D62D@?[ H9:49 6?5D >:5\s646>36C[ H:== 36 A=2J65 2E q2D632== &?:E65VD DE25:F> @FE 😕 E96 C62496D @7 sF32:VD 56D6CE 😕 2? 2C62 @H? 2D &5 2=\q2J52[ D@>6 b_ <:=@>6E6CD W`g >:=6DX 7C@> E96 qFC; z92=:72[ E96 H@C=5VD E2==6DE 3F:=5:?8] %96 DE25:F> D:ED 2=@?8D:56 %96 $6G6?D $E25:F>[ H9:49 9@DED 2? 2??F2= CF83J D6G6?D E@FC?2>6?E @H? 7@C 92C5\A2CEJ:?8 72?D 5C:?<:?8 2=4@9@= 2?5 H62C:?8 4@DEF>6D]k^Am

kAmpD ;@FC?2=:DED >6E q2D632== &?:E65 @77:4:2=D @? %9FCD52J[ EH@ 7:89E6C ;6ED 2?5 2 >:=:E2CJ 42C8@ A=2?6 42>6 😕 7@C =2?5:?8D 2E E96 ?62C3J p= |:?925 p:C q2D6[ 7=J:?8 @G6C 2 =2?57:==]k^Am

kAm%96 7:6=5 D62ED D@>6 b[___ 72?D 2?5 H:== 9@DE 82>6D >@DE=J 2E ?:89E[ E9@F89 E96 H62E96C 😀 DE2CE:?8 E@ 4@@= 😕 E96 t>:C2E6D 2D E96 D62D@? 492?86D] qFE 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 4@?46C?D 92G6 366? <6AE 😕 >:?5 — q2D632== &?:E65 564:565 E@ 8@ 7@C 2? 2CE:7:4:2= 7:6=5 E@ 2G@:5 E96 492==6?86 @7 FD:?8 >@C6 E92? cd >:==:@? =:E6CD W`a >:==:@? 82==@?DX @7 H2E6C 2 J62C E@ >2:?E2:? 2 ?2EFC2= 8C2DD 7:6=5[ D2:5 y@9? !] |:65C6:49[ 2 4@\7@F?56C 2?5 6I64FE:G6 G:46 AC6D:56?E 2E E96 =628F6]k^Am

kAm“(6 925 E@ 2:C=:7E 4=2J 😕 7C@> E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ 2:C=:7E 4=2J 7C@> !2<:DE2?” 7@C E96 A:E496CVD >@F?5[ 96 25565]k^Am

kAm%96C6 H:== 36 7@FC E62>D 4@>A6E:?8 😕 E96 :?2F8FC2= D62D@?] y@:?:?8 E96 r@3C2D 2?5 E96 |@?2C49D H:== 36 E96 pC23:2 (@=G6D[ sF32:VD E62>[ 2?5 E96 |:562DE u2=4@?D @7 p3F s923:]k^Am

kAm%96C6 2C6 492?86D E@ E96 EC25:E:@?2= 82>6 😕 q2D632== &?:E65[ AFEE:?8 2 5:776C6?E DA:? @? E96 82>6 D:>:=2C E@ 9@H E96 %H6?EJa_ 7@C>2E 5C2DE:42==J DA65 FA EC25:E:@?2= 4C:4<6E] %96 32D632== =628F6 92D :?EC@5F465 2 8@=56? “>@?6J32==[Q H9:49 8:G6D >2?286CD E9C66 492?46D 😕 2 82>6 E@ FD6 2E 32E E@ 5@F3=6 E96 CF?D D4@C65 @77 2 9@>6 CF?]k^Am

kAm%62>D 42? 42== 😕 “56D:8?2E65 CF??6CD” E9C66 E:>6D 5FC:?8 2 82>6] p?5 :7 2 82>6 😀 E:65 27E6C ?:?6 :??:?8D[ E96 E62>D 7246 @77 😕 2 9@>6 CF? 56C3J E@ 564:56 E96 H:??6C]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 6?E6CE2:?>6?E[ 2?5 :E’D 6I4:E:?8[ 2?5 :E’D 96=A:?8 86E ?6H 72?D 2?5 J@F?8 72?D >@C6 6?82865 😕 E96 82>6[Q $92:<9 D2:5]k^Am

k9amp>6C:42VD A2DE:>6 92D =:>:E65 DF446DDk^9am

kAmq2D632== 😕 E96 |:55=6 t2DE 92D 925 >:I65 DF446DD[ E@ AFE 2 A@D:E:G6 DA:? @? E96 32==] p 8C@FA @7 p>6C:42? DFAA@CE6CD =2F?4965 E96 AC@76DD:@?2= xDC26= q2D632== {628F6 😕 a__f[ 4@>AC:D65 2=>@DE 6?E:C6=J @7 7@C6:8? A=2J6CD] w@H6G6C[ :E 7@=565 27E6C ;FDE @?6 D62D@?] p>6C:42?D DAC625 E96 82>6 😕 AC6C6G@=FE:@? xC2?[ $2F5: pC23:2 2?5 E96 &pt @G6C E96 564256D[ E9@F89 :E 92D 366? 5H2C765 3J D@446C] $2F5: pC23:2[ E9C@F89 E96 p>6C:42?D 2E :ED @:= 4@>A2?J pC2>4@[ 92D D6?E E62>D E@ E96 {:EE=6 {628F6 (@C=5 $6C:6D 😕 E96 A2DE]k^Am

kAmqFE D@446C C6>2:?D 2 72G@C:E6 😕 E96 |:562DE[ H9:49 9@DE65 E96 a_aa uxup (@C=5 rFA 😕 “2E2C] %96? E96C6VD 4C:4<6E[ H9:49 C6>2:?D 2 A2DD:@? 😕 3@E9 x?5:2 2?5 !2<:DE2?] %96 x?E6C?2E:@?2= rC:4<6E r@F?4:=[ E96 H@C=5VD 8@G6C?:?8 3@5J 7@C E96 DA@CE[ 92D :ED 9625BF2CE6CD 😕 sF32: ?62C E96 4:EJVD 4C:4<6E DE25:F>]k^Am

kAm~C82?:K6CD @H E96J 92G6 E96:C H@C< 4FE @FE 7@C E96>] pE @?6 A@:?E 5FC:?8 2 ?6HD 4@?76C6?46 %9FCD52J E96J H6?E @G6C 32D632== 32D:4D — 9@>6 CF?D[ @C82? >FD:4 2?5 H96C6 46?E6C 7:6=5 D:ED]k^Am

kAm“%96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E A2CE 😀 E96 6IA6C:6?46 7@C 72?D E@ 4@>6 @FE[ 62E 2 9@E 5@8[ D66 >2D4@ED CF??:?8 2C@F?5[ E@ D66 H92E 32D632== EC25:E:@?D E92E H6 2== 8C6H FA H:E9 324< 9@>6 😕 E96 &]$] — 2?5 DE2CE E@ 72== 😕 =@G6 H:E9 E96 82>6 3642FD6 H6 @H E92E @?46 E96J DE2CE E@ =62C? E9@D6[ E96J H:== 364@>6 3:8 72?D[Q $92:<9 D2:5]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! DA@CEDi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^DA@CEDQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^DA@CEDk^2mk^Am

kAmp! |:55=6 t2DE DA@CEDi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^DA@CED\>:55=6\62DEQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^DA@CED\>:55=6\62DEk^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.