ARLINGTON, Texas — Major League Baseball keep an eye on the Olympic Games — not this year’s Games, but those of 2028 in Los Angeles.
At the league’s owners’ meetings in February, commissioner Rob Manfred brought in LA’s CEO. Olympic effort, Casey Wasserman — who also runs a powerful sports and entertainment agency — to make a presentation to the owners of the sport.
“I thought it was best for Casey to bring his own water to the owners,” Manfred said of the February meeting. “He was telling me things that they needed to hear directly, sometimes it’s better that way. So I invited Casey, and he did a really good job. He really did. And he was very persuasive.”
Manfred said Tuesday that he spoke with Wasserman again last week.
“I talked to Casey last week, we talked about what can be done,” Manfred said. “What exactly would that look like? What are the tradeoffs we would have to make in terms of the season? So I’m open-minded about that.”
MLB and the players may have to agree to reduce the 162-game schedule for a season or extend the schedule to accommodate those games. Who or what groups will bear the associated costs will naturally also be an issue.
“Perhaps the thing I found most compelling about what Casey was saying was, you know, forget about what’s going to happen with baseball in the Olympic Games in the long run because I think we all know that when you’re in Paris, they’re probably not going to build a baseball stadium, right?
“But, but, when you’re in LA, you’re focused on LA, it’s an opportunity that we have to think about. And I have to say this too: doing my players tour… there’s an interest from the players on this topic. So it’s important.”
Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark said there is no official position for players at this point, but he likes the idea.
“Personally, all I can tell you is I would have loved to have had the opportunity, even with the WBC (World Baseball Classic), to wear the American flag on my chest, and I didn’t get that opportunity,” Clark said. “Obviously, the Olympic Games It’s something that as a youngster, regardless of the sport, you watch on TV and aspire to be a part of. The feedback we’ve had so far from the players is that they’re interested in taking part if the opportunity arises.
“Based on the feedback we get, we’ll consider having that discussion,” Clark continued. “But the players will determine if and to what extent it’s something to pursue. Not just for 2028, but I think it’s probably an important discussion to have beyond 2028. Knowing that the opportunity to have it in 2028 can be a building block to being more consistent at the Olympics in the future.”
(Photo: Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
