LOS ANGELES (AP) — The organizers of the Los Angeles Olympics are hopeful that Major League Baseball will collaborate with the NFL to allow top athletes from both sports to participate in the 2028 Games.
LA28 president and chair Casey Wasserman indicated he is in ongoing discussions with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred regarding the league’s and players’ union’s decisions on sending players to the Olympics during the middle of the 2028 baseball season. There is currently no set timeline for these decisions.
“This is about doing what’s best for baseball, supporting the players, and enhancing the Olympic experience,” Wasserman shared with the Associated Press on Wednesday. “When a solution benefits all parties, we typically find a way to make it happen.”
Last week, LA28 was encouraged by the unanimous decision from NFL owners to permit players to compete in the inaugural Olympic flag football event, which Wasserman described as a “fantastic day.” The Los Angeles Organizing Committee is hopeful for similar announcements regarding baseball when decisions are finalized.
“We are in direct communication with the commissioners,” Wasserman noted. “We had discussions with him in anticipation of the NFL announcement, ensuring they were informed. They’re currently in the middle of their season, which adds another layer of complexity, but we’re committed to continuing our dialogue with the aim of positive outcomes.”
Players Union Head Tony Clark mentioned that many players are eager to compete against those with international experience, particularly from past World Baseball Classics. Several high-profile athletes have publicly shown interest in participating in the Los Angeles Olympic baseball event.
However, given that the Olympics occur during the regular season, the decision for baseball will be significantly more challenging, necessitating major scheduling adjustments similar to those seen for the NHL during the Winter Olympics. Additionally, baseball’s presence in the Olympics has been sporadic, unlike core sports such as ice hockey.
While NFL players representing the country’s 10 flag football teams are not expected to miss more than a few days of training camp in July 2028, MLB would need to implement substantial changes to its competitive calendar.
Manfred addressed the issue last month during an Associated Press sports editors’ gathering in New York. Wasserman has been advocating to Manfred for over a year about the advantages of showcasing his sport on the Olympic stage.
“This presents a complex challenge for us,” Manfred shared at the APSE event. “We are working to untangle it because a significant number of major league players are likely to be involved, and the timing could disrupt the season considerably.”
Baseball, historically regarded as a quintessential American pastime, was only featured as a single-game Olympic exhibition until it was included as a demonstration sport in the Los Angeles Games of 1984.
It became an official Olympic sport at the 1992 Barcelona Games; however, American experts could not participate until 2000 when minor leaguers were permitted to compete. This absence of international players contributed to baseball’s exclusion from the London and Rio de Janeiro Games.
The sport returned to the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, but it was limited to MLB players not on the 40-man roster. Japan won gold as its premier league shut down its season.
Baseball was dropped again for the Paris Games but has been reinstated for LA28. The tournament will be held at the historic Dodger Stadium, the same venue that hosted the 1984 Olympic baseball event.
Wasserman expressed his hopes for baseball’s future after an event that highlighted MLB’s considerable marketing potential. NBCUniversal will take over a large soundstage complex in suburban Sun Valley, producing extensive multimedia content for the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in nine months, which will boost the visibility of winter stars, including celebrities like Crowe, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Lindsey Vonn.
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Source: apnews.com