MLB Game at National Park Eyed Following Success of Field of Dreams and Little League Classic Games

The MLB is pitching the federal government with a stand-alone game idea that could impact how national parks are protected in the future.

The Washington Post's Jake Spring and Stephanie Apstein reported Saturday MLB has "approached the Trump administration about hosting a game at a national park."

Spring and Apstein also reported "the administration has scouted locations in Grand Teton National Park to build a baseball park to host an MLB game."

Should the administration allow construction of a ballpark in the Wyoming wilderness, it could "set a new precedent" for the use of national park land, Spring and Apstein reported.

The White House confirmed in a statement to Spring and Apstein MLB had asked if it was possible to host a national park game "similar to the Field of Dreams game," but said MLB has not been granted any permits.

Spring and Apstein reported an MLB official also named the Fields of Dreams game as inspiration for the national park idea.

According to Spring and Apstein, "the idea of playing a game in a national park is one of several that MLB is exploring."

The news comes amid an August report from the New York Times' Shawn Hubler and Maxine Joselow the Trump administration had proposed trading land inside Yosemite National Park with a private developer.

The NHL hosted two regular-season games in 2021 on the shore of Lake Tahoe, which is surrounded by federally-protected land, although the games were played without crowds and the temporary ice rink was built on private property.

The Field of Dreams game returned for the first time since 2022 this year as the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins played in a permanent ballpark located on the site where the 1989 movie was filmed in Dyersville, Iowa.

Resale ticket prices for the game regularly topped $1,000 before a below-sellout crowd of 7,163 attended the game.

The MLB already has two specialty games scheduled for next season, including a Field of Dreams matchup between the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals in Dyersville and a Little League Classic between the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.