ARLINGTON, Tex. — Major League Baseball continues to have its eye on the Olympics — not this year’s Games, but the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
At the league’s owners meetings in February, commissioner Rob Manfred brought in the head of L.A.’s Olympic effort, Casey Wasserman — who also runs a powerful sports and entertainment agency — to make a presentation to the sport’s owners.
“I thought it was best for Casey to carry his own water with the owners,” Manfred said of the February meeting. “He was saying things to me that they had to hear directly, sometimes it’s better that way. And so I invited Casey, and he did a really nice job. He really did. And he was very persuasive.”
Manfred said Tuesday that he sat down with Wasserman again last week.
“I sat with Casey last week, we’re talking about, what can be done?” Manfred said. “What exactly would it look like? What are the compromises that we would have to make in terms of our season? So I remain open-minded on that topic.”
MLB and the players might have to agree to reduce the schedule from 162 games for one season or to extend the playing calendar to accommodate the games. Which group or groups foot the associated costs will naturally be an issue, as well.
“Maybe the thing that I found most persuasive that Casey (was) saying is, you know, forget about what’s going to happen with baseball in the Olympics long-term because I think we all know, when you’re in Paris, they’re probably not going to build a baseball stadium, right?
“But, but, when you’re in L.A., you focus on L.A., it is an opportunity that we need to think about. And I should say this too: doing my player rounds … there’s players interest on this topic. So that’s important.”
Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark said there was no formal position for the players at this point, but that he likes the idea.
“Personally, all I can tell you is that I wish I had an opportunity, even with the WBC (World Baseball Classic), to wear USA across my chest, and I didn’t have that opportunity,” Clark said. “Obviously, the Olympics is something that as a as a youngster, regardless of sport, you watch on TV, and you aspire to participate in. The feedback that we’ve gotten so far from players is such that there is an interest in participating if given an opportunity.
“Based on the feedback that we’ve gotten, that’ll be a conversation we’ll look to have,” Clark continued. “But the players will determine whether and to what extent that is something that needs to be leaned in on. Not just for 2028, but I think it’s probably an important discussion to be had beyond 2028. Knowing that the opportunity to have it in 2028 can be a building block toward being more consistently in the Olympics moving forward.”
(Photo: Maja Hitij / Getty Images)
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