When the announcement came out of the 2005 International Olympic Committee meetings in Singapore that softball and baseball were being eliminated from the Olympic program in 2012, many, including myself, were stunned.
I could understand why baseball was eliminated. The fact that Olympic teams do not include the best players in the world was one of the major factors in that decision.
Major League Baseball has no vested interest in the Olympics. Why should they? Participating in the Olympics would not give the teams, players, and owners any benefits that would be tangible.
Could you see the owners shutting down the season for a few weeks so some of their best could participate? I think not!
I think Major League Baseball’s transparent drug policy might also have had something to do with the decision. Participation in the Olympic Games would require all professional players submitting to year-round, mandatory, and random drug tests. The Players Union would never go for that.
My belief is “so what.” The Olympic doesn’t need major league players. Participate with those that wanted to follow th...
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