Wladimir Balentien suited up for the Netherlands at the Olympics in Athens in 2004, a point in his career before he'd made his MLB debut or even given the first thought to playing in Japan. Balentien might be in the process of winding things down four years from now, but the Tokyo Yakult Swallows slugger isn't ruling out another trip to the Summer Games.
Baseball, which hasn't been on the Olympic program since 2008, was one of five sports formally approved for inclusion for the 2020 Tokyo Games on Wednesday, and Balentien was happy to hear the news.
"If I'm still healthy and in good condition, of course I want to play," Balentien said Thursday after batting practice at Jingu Stadium, where the Swallows were preparing for the night's game against the Hiroshima Carp.