MLB, IBAF Swing And Miss At 2016 Olympics

The president of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), Dr. Harvey Schiller, met with Major League Baseball team owners last week to discuss, among other things, how baseball can return to the Olympics for 2016.

In an IBAF press release which billed the meetings as “successful,” Schiller is quoted as saying:

“Our meetings this week were very positive and supportive with the owners, both for the Olympics and  the continual commitment to grow the sport worldwide,” Schiller said.  “As far as the Olympics goes, our message remains the same…all parties are working together to have a representative group of the BEST players for 2016.  We have never maintained that MLB has to shut down to do this, just as other professional leagues and businesses do not during the Olympic games.  Everyone in baseball is working to get the BEST talent for the Olympics possible in 2016, and MLB, like all the other professional leagues around the world, support that effort.”

MLB.com noted, however, that Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig reiterated his opposition to have an Olympic break in the middle of the Major League season:

(In reference to a statement Selig had issued last November stating that “The 2016 Olympics will have the best representation of professional players in Olympic history.”)

“I don’t think there really was a departure from my views on the subject,” Selig said. “We’d like to be flexible. We’d like to be back in. We’d like to help. We’d like to do whatever we can. And Harvey knows that. But it isn’t rocket science. You can’t stop a season in August and tell your fans we’ll see you in 2½-3 weeks. That would not play well. And look, you’d be playing baseball into December. Just pragmatism takes over.”

On the other hand, Major League Baseball has no qualms with players missing most of spring training by participating in the World Baseball Classic this March 5 through March 28, 2009.

Neither Schiller nor Selig have offered details as to possible solutions to have MLB players participate in the Olympics.  Both men have hedged their statements by saying essentially that the “best available” players will be involved.  This is not a commitment that all MLB players will be allowed to play in the Olympics.

Baseball, softball, golf, karate, skating, rugby and squash are all candidates for inclusion in the 2016 Olympics.  These sports will be voted on sometime between October 7 and October 9, 2009, during the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, Denmark.