My editorial from Pinstripe News...
I've often commented that every four years, Major League Baseball should take two or three weeks off, and let the "baseball dream team" go represent the US in the Olympics. Every other country in the world who participates thinks nothing of sending their best and brightest, why can't we?
Of course, the owners' issue with that, of course, is "who takes responsibility for injuries"... if a star player is injured in the Olympics he may be on his team's DL for some time afterwards. This is a valid concern and would have to be somehow addressed.
However, something needs to be done when the United States can't even field a team that can qualify for the Olympics. We invented the sport. It's home, both physically and spiritually, is here. Why can't we field a team worthy of beating someone like Mexico? Because all Tommy Lasorda had to work with were a bunch of minor-leaguers, those who were considered "expendable" essentially, by their clubs' management.
This is disgraceful. We need to radically rethink how we field an Olympic baseball team so we can compete on a global playing field. Why do we continue to insist on trying to send people to the Olympics who -- literally -- aren't even second or third string players?
Actually the British invented it. Baseball is just a slight modification of the British game of rounders. And the British have long since realized that it is a game for kids and doesn't belong anywhere near the Olympics. It's all the dullest game on the planet.
Actually, Soccer has to be the most boring game on the planet. At least they don't have commercial breaks so the torture is over sooner.
And if hockey and basketball can work out the compensation issue, surely MLB can.