LONDON (AP) — A bit of American sports culture is to be on display in London's Hyde Park as baseball comes to town on July 4, the U.S. Independence Day.

The exhibition Tuesday will feature several former major leaguers playing a Home Run Derby in one of London's best-known open spaces.

It's part of a plan by Major League Baseball to showcase the game in a bid to build interest in the sport in Britain and Europe despite the region's longstanding preference for soccer.

Charlie Hill, the managing director of Major League Baseball for Europe, says it's possible that some official games will be played in London during the 2019 season. He said the Independence Day exhibition is an attempt to "lay down roots" in Britain.