NPS Scouts 3 Grand Teton Sites for MLB Game as White House Distances Itself
Updated
Updated · The Daily Beast · Sep 27
NPS Scouts 3 Grand Teton Sites for MLB Game as White House Distances Itself
3 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · Sep 27
Summary
Frank Lands, the National Park Service deputy director, visited Grand Teton this week to inspect three possible in-park sites for an MLB ballpark, advancing the league’s push for a national-park game.
MLB approached administration officials with the idea, according to the Washington Post, drawing on its Field of Dreams model even though this proposal would require new construction rather than an existing venue.
The White House said the project is not a presidential directive, not driven by the administration or Interior Department, and not a policy priority, framing any site visits as MLB’s own initiative.
Grand Teton critics — including the National Parks Conservation Association and Teton County officials — said a stadium would disrupt wildlife habitat and solitude, adding that local input has not been sought.
The proposal lands amid broader Trump-era pressure on national parks, including budget and staffing cuts and past consideration of turning some parkland over to private development.
Which MLB teams might eventually step onto a temporary baseball diamond carved into the rugged wilderness of a protected national park?
Will constructing a temporary baseball field in Grand Teton forever change how America utilizes its highly protected natural landscapes for entertainment?