(Photo credit score: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)
Now that baseball is formally returning to the Summer Olympics in 2028, birthday boy Bryce Harper hopes his want will come true.
Harper, who turned 31 on Monday, mentioned he would like to take part within the Games in Los Angeles — if Major League Baseball permit its gamers to compete.
“My wife actually had a hair appointment this morning and she texted me ‘Happy Birthday’ with that,” Harper mentioned earlier than he and the Philadelphia Phillies confronted the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Monday.
“She said, ‘Hey, I guess one of your birthday wishes forever got (granted).’ I’m going to be old at that point, so I don’t know if they’re going to want me on the team, but it’s always a dream. I think it’s everyone’s dream to be in the Olympics, especially coming here.”
Along with baseball and softball, 4 different sports activities — cricket, lacrosse, squash and flag soccer — had been added to the 2028 Summer Games on Monday.
Professional baseball gamers had been first allowed to compete within the Olympics in 2000, however MLB would not permit its gamers to participate, which meant minor leaguers crammed the Team USA roster. After the IOC dropped baseball following the 2008 Games, the game returned in 2020 in Tokyo — held in 2021 because of the pandemic — however the U.S. roster once more featured solely minor leaguers.
Harper is hopeful MLB will pause its season to permit gamers to participate within the Olympics, just like the NHL has in the course of the Winter Games.
“You talk about growing the game and that’s the way you grow it to the highest peak — you have guys who are playing in the league take that break, just like in the NHL, and see what happens,” Harper mentioned. “I believe it will be actually cool and numerous enjoyable.
“I don’t know if they’ll ever go for it, but I would love to put ‘USA’ on my chest and represent it at the highest level. I know the WBC, and everyone loves that and it’s great for the game, but it’s not the Olympics.”
–Field Level Media