According to a report, Major League Baseball has asked the White House for permission to hold an official pro ball game at a national park.
The request did not specify which park MLB was seeking to book, but the league appealed to the Trump administration because the National Park Service has not yet agreed to the request, the Washington Post reported.
The White House told the paper that the request is not a priority for the Trump administration. It is not a “Presidential directive, nor is it being directed by the White House,” and it is also not a campaign driven by the Department of the Interior. “Therefore, this is not a White House or Administration priority,” the statement said.
Still, the White House encouraged MLB officials to tour the nation’s parks to find a suitable spot for such an endeavor. “If the MLB wants to go on site visits of national parks, that is their prerogative,” the White House said.
The White House also told the paper to consult the league with any further questions, perhaps suggesting the idea is a low priority for the administration.
The park game plan is one of the many PR stunts that MLB has been considering to raise focus on pro baseball. And the idea isn’t new. MLB has held games at Dyersville, Iowa’s Field of Dreams movie diamond, at Bristol Motor Speedway, and at Alabama’s Rickwood Field, among other non-league-affiliated places.
The Post also notes that the Trump administration has already looked at several properties where a national baseball field could be built in the Grand Teton National Park, located in northwest Wyoming.
National Park Service Deputy Director Frank Lands reportedly looked at spots in Grand Teton that were already disturbed areas—i.e., not pristine wilderness areas.
One such area included a large plot of land being used to store materials and broken or unused equipment owned by the Park Service.
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