Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after hitting a solo home run during the first inning in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 16, 2023. /CFP
Slugger Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies hopes that Major League Baseball (MLB) will allow players to participate in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 after the sport was officially included in the Olympics on Monday.
"My wife actually had a hair appointment this morning and she texted me 'Happy Birthday' with that," Harper said on Monday, when he turned 31. "She said, 'Hey, I guess one of your birthday wishes forever got [granted].' I'm going to be old at that point, so I don't know if they're going to want me on the team, but it's always a dream. I think it's everyone's dream to be in the Olympics, especially coming here."
Harper is a seven-time MLB All-Star player who was the National League (NL) home runs leader and won both the Silver Slugger Award the NL Most Valuable Player Award twice. He is with the Phillies competing in the NL Championship Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. They lost 5-3 in Game 1 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Monday.
Bryce Harper (R) of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a run batted in during the third inning in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 16, 2023. /CFP
Baseball is not the new kid in the Olympic town. It was played as an exhibition sport in LA Games in 1984 and as a demonstration sport in Seoul in 1988 before becoming a medal sport between 1992 and 2008. Professional players were allowed to compete in the Olympics since Sydney in 2000, but the MLB didn't release its players to go because the Olympics happens in the middle of the regular season. As a result, USA had to take minor league players to the Games.
Baseball was removed from the Olympics after 2008, made it back in 2021 in Tokyo, but won't be contested in Paris in 2024. Nippon Professional Baseball [Japan Professional Baseball] (NPB) even paused their season for the best players to participate in the Olympics in 2021, but the MLB still refused to give its players the greenlight.
Nick Martinez of USA pitches during the first inning in the baseball final against Japan at the Tokyo Olympic Games in Yokohama, Japan, August 7, 2021. /CFP
"You talk about growing the game and that's the way you grow it to the highest peak, you have guys who are playing in the league take that break, just like in the NHL, and see what happens," Harper said. "I think it would be really cool and a lot of fun."
"I don't know if they'll ever go for it, but I would love to put 'USA' on my chest and represent it at the highest level. I know the WBC, and everyone loves that and it's great for the game, but it's not the Olympics," he added.
Having made five appearances at the Olympics, USA won the gold in Sydney in 2000.