GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK — Some powerful people are dreaming of a seventh-inning stretch with a view of the Tetons.
According to a Saturday report by the Washington Post, the Trump administration is considering building a baseball field in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) as part of a plan to host a Major League Baseball (MLB) game in a national park. The article stated GTNP had been scouted this week, citing two anonymous sources who said National Park Service (NPS) Deputy Director Frank Lands visited GTNP and checked out three potential locations for a field within the park’s boundaries.
A statement given to the Post by the White House said MLB has not made any decisions, nor has NPS granted any permits. Following the publication of the detail about Lands, the White House refuted the claim, saying Lands had been on an official trip to parks including GTNP, Yellowstone and Grand Canyon.
“This is not a Presidential directive, nor is it being directed by the White House,” one of the White House’s statements reads. “It’s also not being driven by the Department of Interior. Therefore, this is not a White House or Administration priority. … If the MLB wants to go on site visits of national parks, that is their prerogative.”
Teton County Commissioner Luther Propst spoke to the Post for the piece, stating he met Lands on his visit and that the issue did not come up.
“Grand Teton National Park is about wild America, wildlife, opportunity for solitude, not for more amusement,” Propst is quoted as saying, calling the proposal for a ballpark “a radical departure from the tradition of national parks.”
The plan to host an MLB game in a national park is reportedly linked to the success of the league’s standalone events including the “Field of Dreams” game held in Iowa, inspired by the 1989 film.
