Major League Baseball is seriously floating a wild idea to the White House: hosting a game in a national park. Can you believe it? Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, one of the 10 most-visited national parks in the country, was specifically mentioned as a possibility. But hold up, the administration is already slamming the brakes on this whole concept, making it clear this isn’t their jam.
The White House Says ‘Not Our Priority’ For MLB’s Park Plan
MLB’s been trying out standalone games in special locations for a while. We’ve seen the Field of Dreams games and a matchup at NASCAR’s Bristol Motor Speedway. This latest idea, however, might just be their most controversial yet. According to the Washington Post, the league approached the White House to see if a national park game was even possible. But the White House hit back with a statement, making it crystal clear: “This is not a Presidential directive, nor is it being directed by the White House. It’s also not being driven by the Department of Interior.” They wrapped it up, stating, “Therefore, this is not a White House or Administration priority.” They even noted MLB hasn’t made any decisions and the Park Service hasn’t granted any permits, stating, “If the MLB wants to go on site visits of national parks, that is their prerogative.”
An ‘Unprecedented’ Idea and Loud Criticism
And if the idea itself wasn’t wild enough, there’s already controversy around the scouting. Park Service deputy director Frank Lands reportedly checked out three potential spots in Grand Teton recently, with one site described as “already disturbed land.” After the Washington Post broke the story, the White House issued *another* statement, denying Lands was “actively scouting sites” for MLB. They claimed he was on an official trip to multiple national parks, and MLB “happened to schedule their trip to Grand Teton at the same time that Frank was there.” Kinda convenient timing, right?
Here’s the deal though: holding a professional sporting event in a national park is totally unprecedented. These are lands protected for conservation! But honestly, precedent hasn’t seemed to slow this administration down much when it comes to sports; remember that UFC card they hosted on the White House’s South Lawn back in June?
The outrage is real, too. Betsy Buffington from the National Parks Conservation Association didn’t hold back, calling the idea “ludicrous,” “crazy,” and “ridiculous.” Teton County commissioner Luther Propst piled on, saying it would be “a radical departure from the tradition of national parks.” All of MLB’s other special games, like Rickwood Field or the Little League World Series facility, have been in existing sports venues. Even the Fort Bragg game back in 2016, which cost the league and the Players Association $5 million, was about turning golf course land into a stadium on a military base.
So yeah, while MLB is out there trying to figure out how to play hardball in a national park, our Mariners were grinding it out here in the Emerald City! The boys absolutely took care of business, snagging a solid 8-4 victory against the Los Angeles Angels. That’s a final score for the good guys, 8-4 over the Halos. Keep that energy going, M’s! Let’s go, Seattle!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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