Yankees' Gerrit Cole, Jazz Chisholm Jr. in favor of playing in 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles
Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, left, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. would want to participate in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles if MLB allows its players to compete. Credit: Jim McIsaac; AP / Julia Nikhinson
Olympics fever is sweeping through every corner of the Yankees clubhouse.
Well, at least the corner where Gerrit Cole has his locker. And the corner clear across the large room where Jazz Chisholm Jr. has his locker.
You may or may not know that baseball is returning to the Olympics in 2028, when the Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles. Major League Baseball is in the early stages of considering whether big-league players will participate.
For Cole and Chisholm, it’s a no-brainer, even with all the logistical challenges of halting the season in July.
Yeah,” Cole told Newsday on Tuesday without hesitation when asked if he would want to be on Team USA in four years. “It’d be cool. What athlete doesn’t want to play for their country?”
Chisholm, who as a native of the Bahamas has played for Great Britain in a World Baseball Classic qualifying round, told Newsday: “Oh, yeah, for sure. Definitely love to play within the Olympics. That would be sick. I was just in the (WBC) qualifier, so I can imagine how the Olympics would really be. I think it’d be sick.”
The logistics would be daunting. The NHL has shut down seasons in the past to provide for an Olympic break so its players can participate, but baseball has never done that.
Would it be a good idea to take a two-week break in the middle of a baseball season so some big leaguers – but not all, obviously – can proudly wear the colors of their countries?
“I didn't think about the logistics of it,” Cole said. “Just thought about the dream aspect of it.”
At this point it’s just a dream. But the two men who would be most responsible for making it a reality – commissioner Rob Manfred and players union chief Tony Clark – are on board with at least talking about it.
Manfred recently invited Casey Wasserman, the chairman of the 2028 L.A. Olympics, to talk to team owners about the possibility of big leaguers playing in the Games.
“I invited Casey in, and he did a really nice job,” Manfred said at the All-Star Game last month. “He was very persuasive. I said to Casey last week, ‘We're talking about what can be done. What exactly would it look like? What are the compromises that we would have to make in terms of our season?’ I remain open-minded on that topic.”
Clark, also at the All-Star Game, said: “The feedback that we've gotten so far from players is such that there is an interest in participating if given an opportunity. So, we expect at least as of right now, based on the feedback that we've gotten, that it will be a conversation we'll look to have.”
Cole, who pitched for Team USA in international competitions when he was at UCLA, will be 37 during the 2028 Olympics. But he obviously plans on pitching that season since his Yankees contract runs through 2028.
Chisholm is 26, so it’s more likely that players of his generation (or that of 23-year-old Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe) would be tabbed for the various Olympic squads.
Phillies star Bryce Harper, who has played in the WBC, is lobbying for big leaguers to play in the Los Angeles Games.
“Putting the nation's colors on your chest, there's nothing like it,” said Harper, 31. “There's no greater feeling going into another country and winning and hearing your anthem blast. So I'm hoping we can get something done. Obviously, it's tough logistically, but it would be a lot of fun to be able to get baseball there and have the best players there doing it and representing their country.”
Tuesday’s rainout allowed Yankees players to head home early since the scheduled game against the Angels was called at about 3 p.m.
Might Cole and/or Chisholm have settled in to watch the Paris Olympics?
“I’m watching a little bit,” Chisholm said. “I’m a little busy with my job. It’s been fun to watch.”
Chisholm said his favorite Olympic sport to watch has been track and field. Cole listed track and field, swimming and gymnastics.
Professional athletes are just like us in one way – they can get captivated by the amazing performances they see at the Olympics.
Just like the kids in all those endless Olympics commercials, they can dream about performing on that stage themselves. Logistical complications be damned.
“It’s the Olympics,” Cole said. “The Olympics.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.