Reinstatement of Baseball as an Olympic Sport in Doubt

According to an article on MLB.com last week, the International Olympic Committee has made it clear to MLB that if baseball is to be reinstated as an Olympic sport, MLB players will have to participate in the Summer Games. MLB president and CEO Bob DuPuy says that Commissioner Bud Selig would like to see baseball return to the Summer Games, but it presents logistical issues for the league. While the Games are taking place in late July or August, divisional races are heating up. At this point, the league has two options. Either shut down the season for two weeks while players participate in the Games for their respective countries, just as the NHL did for the 2006 Winter Games, or allow just a few of the top players to participate while the regular season continues on.

I see problems with both scenarios. If you shut down league play for two weeks in August, teams in the divisional races could lose momentum, and it’s difficult to regain it when the teams resume play. And if you do shut down the season for two weeks, do you make up the games at the end of the season, thus extending the season well into October? The season is already long enough. On the other hand, if only the top players participate, they risk getting injured, which especially hurts those teams that are in the playoff hunt. I understand Selig’s reluctance to commit players to the Olympics. Unless MLB can come up with an alternative plan, it may be wise to say “Thanks, but no thanks.”