Prior to tonight’s All-Star Game, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke in the media today, talking about various topics related to the league. A topic with a lot of discussion is the potential for players to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Major League Baseball. Baseball will be a game at the Olympics, Dodger Stadium is the venue, but it has not been confirmed whether MLB players will be able to play. Manfred suggested that the league could take a little longer midsummer break to include the All-Star Games and the Olympics, without affecting the regular season.
“It’s possible to play the All-Star game in normal positions, with a longer break, but still play 162 games without bleeding until mid-November,” Manfred said. “It’s possible.”
MLB players have never participated in the Olympics. Baseball is occasionally a game in the Olympics, but was once a game for minor league players or college players. In recent years, it is not uncommon for MLB players to participate in international competitions. Since 2006, the World Baseball Classics has started every few years, even though the Covid-19 pandemic has kept the normal schedule for a while.
The main difference from the Olympics is timing. WBC was held in March, ahead of the regular season. The 28th Olympic Games are scheduled to be held in Los Angeles from July 14 to 30. According to JJ Cooper of Baseball America, the baseball stadium will include six teams set by the Qualification Championship, which will compete from July 15 to 20. According to Evan Drellich of athleticism, the league hopes to be a little earlier. The All-Star Game is usually the second Tuesday in July, July 11, 2028. The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is scheduled to be held on July 14.
There are logistical challenges, but it is theoretically possible to put everything in a row. The fact that the game is played in the United States is also convenient compared to a faraway country.
In the past, it was suggested that the league might skip the All-Star Game for a year, while the Olympics took over major midsummer events. Manfred’s comments today both suggest that both raise some interesting questions. It is speculated that there may be a lot of overlap in terms of the All-Star Choice and the Olympic roster. If a player intends to compete in the Olympics and is also selected as an All-Star, will they skip the latter like an injured player? Will some people try to do both?
In terms of planning, the details are not clear. In recent years, there have been some teams in the Major League Baseball season that start the regular season in mid-March to play games in other countries such as Japan or South Korea. Earlier, the regular season start of all teams may allow longer mid-term breaks, although this can lead to many weather-related annoyances in some parts of the country.
According to Cooper, insurance is another potential barrier. For WBC, if one of their players is injured, there is an appropriate insurance policy to compensate the MLB team. However, the WBC was proposed by the Major League Baseball (MLB), while the Olympics were held by the International Olympic Committee. As Cooper pointed out, it is unclear whether the IOC is willing to pay insurance premiums or whether the Major League Baseball is willing to do so. Major League Baseball won’t benefit directly from the event because the IOC has gained benefits, although the league clearly hopes that the Olympics will help develop the MLB brand and expand its reach. Cooper mentioned the possibility of Olympic committees covering insurance premiums in various countries, but said it was the most unlikely situation.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that logistical challenges could lead to San Francisco hosting the 2028 All-Star Game. She said the league and MLBPA hoped that the West Coast Club host that year was hosted in order to get close to the Olympics in Los Angeles. She noted that San Diego, Seattle and Arizona all recently hosted All-Star celebrations, while the Giants were last held in 2007.
Slusser added that MLBPA executive director Tony Clark also appears to be open to players who agree to the Olympic plan, although there are still some details to be addressed. “Only a lot of conversations need to be done early, not later to see how feasible it is,” Clark said. “But we hope we can work for the good of the game.”
If it involves the Giants host in 2028, it will open the way for other clubs that are waiting for their turn to kick. Last year, Manfred admitted that the Blue Jays were due because they hadn’t held since 1991. However, the Phillies were held in 2026, a decision that was made long ago with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Cubs, which have not been hosted since 1990, appear to be held in 2027. The 2028 competition in San Francisco will mean that Jays and other teams who wish to host may have to wait until 2029 as early as possible.
Manfred still appears to be on Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, having a Toronto All-Star game on his radar. “Obviously,[the Blue Jays]put it at the top of the list based on time,” he continued. “I want to go back to Toronto. Rogers made a very significant investment in improving the stadium. At this point, TBD.” Davidi added that the Orioles and the Red Sox were also interested. Baltimore was last held in 1993 and Boston was held in 1999.
Photo courtesy of Brett Davis, image
