Take me out to the… national park?
You’ve heard of the “Field of Dreams Game,” right? The same organization that brought you that – corn fields and Kevin Costner and all – is reportedly looking into hosting a professional baseball contest at one of the United States’ most beautiful national parks: Grand Teton National Park.
When tourists travel to Grand Teton National Park (located in northwest Wyoming), they are likely to see bald eagles and ospreys flying above, bighorn sheep traversing the mountainous terrain, and animals like elk, moose and bison wandering along in the flats of the property. There’s also a fair amount of black bears and grizzly bears that live throughout the park of the Teton Mountain Range.
And if the MLB had it’s vision come to fruition, tourists visiting the beautiful national park could even catch a baseball game.
From what we understand, Major League Baseball approached the White House (not the other way around) to gauge interest in hosting a game within one of the country’s many national parks. The one site that was actually scouted out rather than just theorized was Grand Teton National Park.
However, the Washington Post is saying that it’s not an administration priority to make the game happen, and that the National Park Service has not issued any permits to allow for the plan to move forward:
“The MLB, not the White House, initiated the idea of hosting a game in a national park. The White House said this is not a presidential directive or an administration priority. MLB has made no final decision, and the National Park Service has issued no permits. Officials have only scouted possible locations in Grand Teton National Park.”
Would a game within one of our great country’s national parks be a sight to see? Could a home run framed by the towering Rocky Mountains be once-in-a-lifetime viewing? It’s certainly easy to see why there is intrigue.
However, those protective over the national parks – like the National Parks Conservation Association – aren’t so thrilled about the idea.
And I get it. Why is a baseball game – and the build out of a baseball stadium – necessary to showcase the beauty of a national park? It’s not. The pristine, untouched, non-commercial nature of America’s national parks is exactly what makes them special… don’t mess it up.
There are plenty of other ways to draw attention towards places like Grand Teton National Park, and Betsy Buffington, the Northern Rockies Regional Director for National Parks Conservation Association, says that having an MLB game within the national park would be a disgrace:
“Grand Teton National Park is more than a pretty backdrop to drum up attention for special interests. This park has left an indelible mark in the heart of every person lucky enough to set foot here. There is no other place like it on earth.
If this administration is willing to carve out a piece of Grand Teton for special interests, they would be turning their back on a century of enthusiastic bipartisan support and a legacy of national parks that are, in the words of President George H. W. Bush, our ‘common heritage borrowed from future generations which should be passed on as a precious inheritance.’”
Seems unlikely to happen… stay tuned.
