Editor’s Note: This is a developing story and may be updated.
Update 2:55 p.m.:
The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce and Teton County Commissioners signed onto a letter Monday calling on the Trump administration to nix an idea from Major League Baseball (MLB) to host a game inside Grand Teton National Park (GTNP).
Even temporary infrastructure can fragment habitat, spike human presence in wildlife areas, and strain park resources, states the letter addressed to U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
The letter also raises concern about setting a precedent for allowing “major commercial entertainment” where it is currently not allowed.
That builds on local anxiety after actions from the Trump administration resulted in Grand Teton losing a quarter of its staff, eliminating signs about Indigenous history and suddenly changing course on plans for a bike path in a sensitive area.
The Washington Post first reported that MLB had pitched the Trump administration on the idea of building a temporary field to build on the success of other stand-alone games. In statements to several news outlets, the White House said that the MLB has not made any decisions, the National Park Service has not granted any permits, and the issue is not an Interior Department or administration priority.
Interior Department Deputy Director of Operations Frank Lands looked at three potential locations for a ball field inside Grand Teton’s boundaries, according to the report.
Reached by phone on Monday, Lands did not say whether the league scoped other national parks and declined further questions.
“I was there for multiple reasons, including to look at some construction projects that they’ve got going on,” Lands told KHOL. “But I don’t think I’m in a position to talk about anything that happened there.”
Though many in Jackson Hole find the idea of a commercial game inside a national park absurd, Teton County Commissioner Luther Propst wanted to present a sincere front.
“A lot of the comments I heard from folks yesterday [were] not taking it seriously. I think we have to take this seriously,” Propst said during a Monday meeting.
Representatives from MLB did not immediately respond to KHOL’s requests for comment. Grand Teton National Park directed questions to offices in Washington, D.C., which did not immediately respond.
Evan Robinson-Johnson contributed to reporting. – Ed.
At first, many didn’t believe the headline.
“Exclusive: MLB approached the Trump administration about hosting a game at a national park, officials said, and Grand Teton was scouted,” read the Washington Post’s Facebook post, linking to an article titled, “Trump administration considers building baseball park in Grand Teton National Park.”
“When I read the headline and full story, I first thought, ‘This has to be a joke or an AI spoof,’” said Teton County resident Joan Anzelmo, a former park service superintendent and spokesperson.
Online commenters used words like “diabolical” and “satire.”
According to a Saturday report from the Washington Post, officials from Major League Baseball (MLB) recently looked at a few sites in Grand Teton National Park and approached the Trump administration to build a park to host at least one game.
The league is looking to national parks for what it says is the success of other “stand-alone” games, such as a recurring “Field of Dreams” game in Iowa, according to the report, which cited anonymous sources unauthorized to speak on the record.
In statements to several news outlets, the White House said that the MLB has not made any decisions, the National Park Service has not granted any permits and the issue is not an Interior Department or administration priority.
But the news of MLB’s scouting trip immediately made waves locally.
Teton County Commissioner Luther Propst called the idea “bizarre” and told the Post it would be a “radical departure from the tradition of national parks.”
The three locations were not reported, one of which was described as “already disturbed land.” But Propst said they wouldn’t matter.
“If you want a baseball field [inside the national park], Congress has to pass a law, and then the county would have to rezone it,” he told KHOL.
Anzelmo, who is leading a charge against building a bike path in a particularly wildlife-rich section of Grand Teton, addressed the league bluntly.
“MLB, you should know that Grand Teton National Park, home to free ranging wildlife, including grizzly bears, bison, wolves, moose, cougars and elk, is not an appropriate or safe venue for your baseball fantasy,” she said.
Even enthusiasts of America’s favorite pastime favored America’s “best idea.”
Jackson Hole Youth Baseball coach George Cartwright said the park would make for a picturesque pitch but would likely leave “a significant environmental footprint on the fragile ecosystem.”
Propst said he plans to raise the issue at the Teton County Board of County Commissioners meeting on Monday morning.
