Manfred and the owners are trying to figure out if it is worth shutting down the season in exchange for Olympics’ recognition.
At one time, the World Series was Major League Baseball’s crown jewel event. The winners of the American and National League’s regular season met in a simple best of seven or in the early part of the 20th century, a best of nine series that lasted between five days and 11 days and the season ended. But over the years, more and more teams were thrown into the playoff mix and the reason for that money. Money is talking again as Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and his 30 owners are thinking about closing the season down for a week or two and having MLB players participating in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
It is early in the game in the MLB-2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics negotiations. But there is interest on both parts, Manfred and MLB and Casey Wasserman who is the point person for the LA Games. “I think the pros are the potential for an association between two great brands,” Manfred stated. “I love that combination of nationalism and sport. The con is the logistics. If you look at the calendar, its complicated by the proximity to the All-Star Game.” The Los Angeles Summer Olympics event is scheduled to run between July 14th and 30th, 2028. The Major League Baseball All Star Games is generally held the second or third Tuesday of July in any given year. The MLB All Star Game is no longer a big event but it is an opportunity for MLB to throw a corporate party and amass lots of money from that corporate party. The 2032 Summer Olympics will be held in Australia. MLB might not want to shut down because of distance and time zone differences in 2032. “I have always been of the view, we had multiple-year commitment,” Manfred said. “Casey softened me a little bit.” The dance has started.
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