MLB players in 2020 Olympics?

[jerichoholicninja]

I'm surprised there wasn't a thread about it but baseball will be back in the next summer Olympics in 2020. Just read an article in SI about ways to get MLB players to play. One suggestion was to play less games during the Olympics so that the missing players won't have as big an impact, which is just stupid to me. The other was to shut down for two weeks like hockey does. Not as bad an idea but still not good.

 

I personally don't care one bit about the Olympics and would not want the MLB season halted to accommodate players playing in it. Frankly, I see no reason for baseball to even be in the Olympics. Baseball doesn't lend itself well to tournament play and even if it's somehow worked out for MLB players to make it you can bet the majority of really good pitchers aren't going to risk getting hurt playing in it. The WBC does a fine job of pitting the best from each country against each other and it hardly effects the MLB season.

[Fear The Chorizo]

There are still Olympics?

[Crash2303]

I know not everyone is fans about the WBC, but to me that's as close to a great thing as international baseball competition is going to get. I just wish there were more incentives for fans to attend games- so sad to see so many empty stadiums on tv. also, I'd like to see a unified Cuba team.

 

I think the baseball Olympics could work, if all the teams were amateur based.

[MadScientist]

I don't see shutting down working out well for baseball. You'd either loose 200 games ($$$), or they'd have to be made up as double headers. Plus this happens right around the trade deadline. Just use minor leaguers.

 

A really crazy idea would be to make a domed stadium and have baseball in the winter Olympics.

[jerichoholicninja]

I was actually thinking about the winter Olympics. The SI article kept talking about how supposedly adding basketball to the Olympics is the 70's "saved" it by making it a world wide sport and the same would happen with baseball. I doubt there's any truth to that but it's the NBA offseason so you can get guys to play and not have an impact on your season. If you put baseball in the winter Olympics then you don't effect the MLB schedule but all the Latin American and Mexican leagues play in the winter. I still wouldn't care though.

[MrTPlush]

No way MLB players are going to be allowed to participate. It makes no sense for anyone involved. I also highly doubt any MiLB players would be allowed either. I am too young to remember what they did in the past, but I imagine it will be all amateur players. I could see players that just got drafted playing too if they wanted.

 

I think it is great and will enjoy watching it, but obviously the US won't get far not being able to use their best talent.

[jerichoholicninja]

Minor league players play. Hence Ben Sheets American hero and Matt LaPorta taking one in the dome.

[Invader3K]

So is the WBC going away or not? I actually liked it, as it was like a World Cup for baseball...not just "another sport" in the Olympics.

[Bombers]

What they should do is play baseball in the Winter Olympics. Basketball is a winter sport in the sense it is played during the winter but yet play in the Summer Games. So why not just have baseball play in a dome and in the Winter Olympics.

[pacopete4]

The US should play with retired stars. Clemens, Bonds, ect... Get out there and win us a gold and maybe we'll put you in the Hall.

[paul253]

I'd rather just see college kids play because I don't want to watch a bunch of professionls who are more worried about getting injured and losing money than winning. For some reason only professional hockey players seem to care enough about the Olympics to actually want to play in them. And I love Olympic hockey because of it. But I don't care to see a "dream team" of USA baseball where, for instance, James Shields is the ace of the staff. I'd love to see baseball players care as much as hockey players but as the WBC as shown its just not happening.

[Crash2303]

I could potentially see professional non-25 man roster players, or even non 40 man roster guys play. it's not taking players from their MLB team, affecting standings, and it's not stopping play for two weeks, disrupting scheduling and revenues. But, it's allowing developing players to play against outstanding competition and for their country. this is great exposure and experience for the players, in the middle of their season as opposed to the early start of WBC, and its great exposure for baseball. the world getting to see the stars of tomorrow. it's kind of like the Futures game, but an expanded Futures Tournament in the Olympics- that would be great.

 

I think there would also have to be innings restrictions in place for pitchers to appease teams releasing their guys to play.

[pacopete4]

Think of quality to good players that are 33-34 & up that might be retiring by 2020. That's who I want to see.

[torts]

yeah, i'd love to see MLB players join. NHL halts their season for the olympics, though its easier for them to condense their season, and that tournament is pretty awesome. MLB probably wont stop their season, but we might also be looking at a 154 season beginning by 2020 with the new CBA, so that could make up for some of the time lost if they were to stop. I want to see the best athletes perform in the olympics.

[JohnBriggs12]

yeah, i'd love to see MLB players join. NHL halts their season for the olympics, though its easier for them to condense their season, and that tournament is pretty awesome. MLB probably wont stop their season, but we might also be looking at a 154 season beginning by 2020 with the new CBA, so that could make up for some of the time lost if they were to stop. I want to see the best athletes perform in the olympics.

 

Just start the regular season around March 20th with games the first 2 weeks played at:

 

 

Tampa Bay

Miami

Atlanta

Toronto

Texas

Houston

Phoenix

San Diego

Los Angeles

Anaheim

Oakland

San Francisco

Seattle

St. Louis

Washington D.C.

 

Miller Park is excluded because of the difficulty getting grass ready that early in spring though still a possible sight.

 

Allow teams to use non-Olympian major leaguers on minor league rosters during the games to keep them fresh. That would be a nice boost to minor league franchises as well

 

Note average Hi temp for St. Louis and Washington DC on March 20 is 58. You could probably rotate series in those places with Baltimore and Philly which are in that range as well.

 

No need to cut back to 154 either. Unfortunately, MLB is run by owners more interested in their team's individual bottom lines than they are the overall good of the game.