The 2023 World Baseball Traditional has been a hit and attracted plenty of consideration throughout the baseball world. That has Bryce Harper pondering large.
Harper, who was slated to play for Crew USA earlier than withdrawing because of harm, now desires to see baseball return as an Olympic sport, with lively MLB gamers collaborating.
“I’ve been an enormous advocate of baseball getting again within the Olympics and us [in MLB] taking that pause throughout the common season, sort of like hockey does, to only let the blokes go and play,” Harper advised Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’d be a lot enjoyable to have that and have the sport and see that within the Olympics and have one of the best gamers on the planet doing it.”
Harper acknowledged that even when this occurred and MLB provided gamers a midseason break to take part, getting some to participate can be a giant problem.
“That’s the hardest element, actually making an attempt to get guys and their organizations to allow them to do it,” Harper acknowledged. “Even in case you attempt to go along with younger minor league guys, it’s actually robust for organizations to be like, ‘Hey, you’re our prime canine. Go forward and go pitch.’ After which [Zack Wheeler] and [Aaron Nola], guys like that, you consider your free-agent years, you consider not being insured. It will get to the purpose the place it’s like, ‘Man, it isn’t value it for me and my household to do that.’”
Harper’s concept is an intriguing one, albeit unlikely. Baseball was dropped as an Olympic sport in 2008 save for a quick return at Tokyo 2020. With out MLB gamers taking part, its return to the Olympics is actually a non-starter.
In the end, Harper may need to accept adopting the suggestion one in every of his former teammates had relating to the WBC.
