Bryce Harper wants to represent Team USA in the 2020 Olympics
Baseball is back in the Olympics. It was announced Wednesday that the sport would make its return to the 2020 Tokyo games. While there are still a lot of uncertainties on how that will play out, at least one major-league star wants to take part in the festivities.
Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper wants to wear the Team USA jersey in 2020. Harper posted a picture on his Instagram page, and wrote a lengthy note expressing his desire to represent his country.
The relevant passage reads:
Nothing is like playing for your country representing the red white and blue…standing on the baseline listening to the National Anthem and just knowing you represent something way bigger than yourself! Nothing in that moment or time means more than THE USA ???????? on your chest..I really hope we as a group have a huge opportunity to play in the @olympics in 2020!
While Harper seems excited about the idea, finding teammates may wind up being an issue. The Olympics typically take place during the baseball season. Major League Baseball would have to agree to suspend play for a few weeks while its stars went to Tokyo to compete.
That’s really the only way for this to work. If MLB doesn’t agree to suspend play, teams aren’t going to allow superstar players to leave for two weeks and risk injury to play in the Olympics. That’s just not going to happen.
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But let’s say MLB does actually agree to put the season on hold. Even in the best case scenario, Harper may have a tough time recruiting players to put on the Team USA jersey.
The Associated Press talked to players about the prospect of playing in the Olympics in June, and many of did not share Harper’s enthusiasm. The biggest issue among players is that the Olympics would add more games, and travel, to an already grueling season.
Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant summed things up pretty well in the piece.
“I wore ‘USA’ across my chest one time in college, and it was an awesome experience. It’d be fun to do that again,” he said. “But baseball season’s so long the way it is. You play 162 games and to add another two weeks, I don’t know if it would be the best decision for ourselves and our bodies.”
Watching the best MLB players come together and take on international competition in the Olympics would be fantastic, and it’s probably something most fans would enjoy. At the same time, it’s easy to understand why some players would be hesitant to commit.
While Harper’s support is significant, it seems pretty unlikely MLB is going to drastically alter its season to accommodate the Olympics. A lot can change over the next four years, but if Harper really wants to put together a team and dominate international competition, he’s got his work cut out for him.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
