MLB may pause season to allow players to participate in 2028 Olympics

[LadyStanley]

MLB team owners 'increasingly supportive' of allowing stars to participate in 2028 LA Olympics, per report - Yahoo Sports

MLB fans could see their favorite sport return to the Olympics in 2028.

sports.yahoo.com

Owners "increasingly supportive" of pausing season to allow players to participate in Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

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[GKJ]

Well that would be interesting.

 

[KevFu]

Well that would be interesting.

My immediate thought is Edwin Diaz. Not just that he got hurt in the World Baseball Classic before the MLB season started, but that it was year one of his contract (5 years, plus team option). So an Olympics in 2028 would give him the chance of bookending that contract deal with horrific national team injuries, which would just be so Mets.

 

[GKJ]

My immediate thought is Edwin Diaz. Not just that he got hurt in the World Baseball Classic before the MLB season started, but that it was year one of his contract (5 years, plus team option). So an Olympics in 2028 would give him the chance of bookending that contract deal with horrific national team injuries, which would just be so Mets.

That was just such a freak injury though. It’s weird to see owners so supportive though given the handwringing we’re used to from the NHL.

 

[KevFu]

Yeah, the WBC injury was definitely a freak thing. And the major thing going for everyone for the Olympics would be that guys are in game shape if they do it in the middle instead of before the season.

But they really should shorten the 2028 MLB season to like 150 games with a break.

 

[joelef]

Nfl ( flag football ) nba and possibly nba stars at the Olympics . That’s pretty huge for the Olympics plus usmnt men’s and women’s both coming off of world cups, high profile women sports women’s basketball and softball , lacrosse which is familiar to Americans and cricket which will bring in Indian audience . Has the potential of being huge Olympics. That’s along ways from 84 and 96 where most were still amateurs.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Nfl ( flag football ) nba and possibly nba stars at the Olympics . That’s pretty huge for the Olympics plus usmnt men’s and women’s both coming off of world cups, high profile women sports women’s basketball and softball , lacrosse which is familiar to Americans and cricket which will bring in Indian audience . Has the potential of being huge Olympics. That’s along ways from 84 and 96 where most were still amateurs.

Olympic men's soccer is primarily a u23 tournament with 3 exemptions, won't be the real MNT.

 

[KevFu]

My mind was still blown by Bettman's statement that they told the IOC they'd love to go in the summer. The NBA doesn't go to the Winter Olympics during their season, they go in the summer. We should be in the summer, too.

When you think about it, the disparity between event numbers and venues needed for the Winter/Summer Olympics is insane. And an absolute ton of Summer Olympic sports are just INSIDE that could be played in any season.

They're not doing things like team volleyball, table tennis, weight lifting and a few dozen other "Summer" sports outdoors. If you CAN do something indoors, they do it indoors. Because Indoor venues are FAR easier to control security and tickets, separate "fans vs staff/participants" and also climate control for comfort/player safety.

The NHL should be lobbying around Los Angeles 2028: Let us be Summer this one time and see how it goes... We'll play in Anaheim and Ontario.

 

[Albatros]

My mind was still blown by Bettman's statement that they told the IOC they'd love to go in the summer. The NBA doesn't go to the Winter Olympics during their season, they go in the summer. We should be in the summer, too.

When you think about it, the disparity between event numbers and venues needed for the Winter/Summer Olympics is insane. And an absolute ton of Summer Olympic sports are just INSIDE that could be played in any season.

They're not doing things like team volleyball, table tennis, weight lifting and a few dozen other "Summer" sports outdoors. If you CAN do something indoors, they do it indoors. Because Indoor venues are FAR easier to control security and tickets, separate "fans vs staff/participants" and also climate control for comfort/player safety.

The NHL should be lobbying around Los Angeles 2028: Let us be Summer this one time and see how it goes... We'll play in Anaheim and Ontario.

The NHL should also be paying for that experiment then.

 

[KevFu]

The NHL should also be paying for that experiment then.

That's what the rambling about indoor/outdoor and sport menu at each Olympics was about.

2022 Winter: 109 events in 15 disciplines.
2020 Summer: 339 events in 50 disciplines.

Balance that out and the Summer Olympics are cheaper and therefore there's no need to pay extra money.

 

[Albatros]

That's what the rambling about indoor/outdoor and sport menu at each Olympics was about.

2022 Winter: 109 events in 15 disciplines.
2020 Summer: 339 events in 50 disciplines.

Balance that out and the Summer Olympics are cheaper and therefore there's no need to pay extra money.

Ice hockey is a reasonably big part of the Winter Games program and that a major source of income for international hockey. It would be hard to change the current status quo in a way that wouldn't inevitably make ice hockey one of the biggest losers.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Would be interesting but good for the game

 

[Voight]

Why not. It's going to be one of the few times they can realistically do this. It wouldn't really work well for an overseas Olympics, so may as well take advantage when its in the country/continent.

 

[sneakytitz]

Honestly, spring training should be shorter so just cut it down by a week on Olympic years, start the season a week sooner, and keep the rest of the schedule largely in place. If you want spring training unaffected, just do more split squad games.

 

[Chileiceman]

That's what the rambling about indoor/outdoor and sport menu at each Olympics was about.

2022 Winter: 109 events in 15 disciplines.
2020 Summer: 339 events in 50 disciplines.

Balance that out and the Summer Olympics are cheaper and therefore there's no need to pay extra money.

As someone else said, hockey is one of the premier events in the winter Olympics. It'd get drowned out by the other sports in the summer games.

 

[joelef]

Honestly, spring training should be shorter so just cut it down by a week on Olympic years, start the season a week sooner, and keep the rest of the schedule largely in place. If you want spring training unaffected, just do more split squad games.

Three too many games and lowering the number would help them in many ways but mlb owners simply aren’t willing to do it.

As someone else said, hockey is one of the premier events in the winter Olympics. It'd get drowned out by the other sports in the summer games.

Also hockey arenas can also be used for figure skating during the Olympics.