iStockphoto / Michael Agard / Luckysong
Grand Teton National Park background with a baseball diamond in the forefront
President Ulysses S. Grant created America’s first National Park in 1872 when he signed the first park into law. There are now 63 National Parks in America, all overseen by the National Park Service which operates as part of the Department of the Interior, and they are amongst the most treasured lands and pristine in our country and lands that every American citizen has access to.
That is why there has been an immediate uproar over news that the White House and Major League Baseball (MLB) are exploring the possibility of hosting an MLB game inside of Grand Teton National Park. This does NOT mean the game will happen, but reports indicate that locations within Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming have already been scouted as possible sites to build a baseball park to host such an event.
MLB And White House Reportedly Seeking To Build Baseball Park For A Game Inside Of Grand Teton National Park
Over the weekend, The Washington Post confirmed that MLB has approached the White House about hosting a game inside of a national park.
In a statement, the White House made it clear that this was not an initiative that began with them and it was Major League Baseball who proposed the idea. The statement reads “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. Therefore, this is not a White House or Administration priority.”
Even still, the WaPo report cited two sources as saying that Grand Teton National Park was singled out as the potential location for an MLB game and that would require building a baseball park from scratch. Furthermore, The Washington Post‘s report added that National Park Service deputy director Frank Lands visited Grand Teton National Park himself to scout potential locations for the yet-to-be-built stadium, locations located inside of the National Park.
This would all be an extension of Major League Baseball hosting ‘Field of Dreams’ one-off games in recent years which have held games in corn fields in Dyersville, Iowa and at the Little League World Series park. Every baseball fan, aside from season ticket holders who lose out on a game here or there, seem to unanimously agree these games set in unique stadiums are a breath of fresh air and look amazing on TV.
However, when it comes to potentially building a baseball park inside of a National Park just to host an MLB game it seems like baseball fans are unanimously against the idea. I will spare you the replies, but if you search ‘MLB National Park’ on either X or Threads, the responses to this Washington Report are filled with vitriol. Major League Baseball might want to seriously reconsider its proposal or risk alienating millions of fans who hold our 63 National Parks sacred.