Major League Baseball contacted the federal government about the possibility of one day hosting a game in Grand Teton National Park in western Wyoming, an idea that quickly met resistance from environmental groups and others.
MLB and players association played some regular season games far from the 30 big league stadiums in recent years, notably in the Iowa cornfields made famous by the movie “Field of Dreams.”
An MLB official familiar with the discussions confirmed Monday that the league had contacted the Trump administration about possibly hosting a game in a national park. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league had not authorized comment on the matter and said it was among many ideas being explored by MLB.
A White House official said MLB asked the administration whether it was possible to hold a game in a national park, but stressed that it was not a presidential directive and was not driven by the administration. The National Park Service has not issued any permits, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because there was no authorization to speak on the record.
MLB special event games included games in Dyersville, Iowa, in 2021, 2022 and 2026, with another scheduled for next August between Boston and Kansas City.
Additionally, regular season games have been played at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2024 and at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, in 2025, and games have been played since 2017 in conjunction with the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
MLB has also played international matches in London; Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico; Seoul, South Korea; Sydney; and Tokyo; and a few in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Grand Teton includes a commercial airport – Wyoming’s busiest – and a vast expanse of Jackson Hole bottomlands with spectacular views of the Teton Range. There is no shortage of flat land on which a temporary baseball stadium could be built.
The possibility of building a baseball field on the territory of a national park quickly raised many questions.
“This is abhorrent,” Mike Gierau, a Democratic senator and baseball fan who represents Jackson and nearby Grand Teton, wrote in a text message. “Baseball is America’s sport. National parks are America’s greatest idea. But a national park must be protected for its undeveloped and scenic values.”
Environmental groups have also spoken out against the idea, first reported by The Washington Post.
“Americans want to see protections for our national parks and public lands strengthened. Bulldozing these lands for a baseball stadium has the opposite effect, destroying the beautiful landscapes that millions of people come to experience,” Chris Kassar, the group’s Wyoming director, said in a statement.
A message left with Grand Teton officials seeking more information was not immediately returned.
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