In a move that has locals and conservationists reaching for the antacids, Major League Baseball (MLB) reportedly reached out to the White House about staging a one-day game inside Grand Teton national park in Wyoming. The Washington Post broke the news on 26 September, and the backlash was swift enough to make a closer's fastball look sluggish.

Teton county, which describes itself as "a year-round resort community" and sits within the Jackson Hole valley, is also home to grizzly bears, osprey, bison and a host of other wildlife who did not ask for a seventh-inning stretch. The 310,000-acre (125,500-hectare) park is not exactly lacking in natural beauty, which is precisely the point.

The proposal quickly sparked concern about the impact of erecting a field and all the infrastructure needed to hold spectators on the natural landscape and habitat of scores of wildlife. Because nothing says "preservation" like temporary bleachers and a Jumbotron.

The outrage comes as national parks across the US struggle under funding cuts, staffing shortages and consistent overcrowding. So why not add a professional sporting event to the mix? It's like throwing a kegger in a library that's already short on librarians.

Teton county commissioner Luther Propst did not mince words, calling the idea an "incomprehensible and deeply unwelcome notion" that he will work to stop. "We all love baseball but neither [the Grand Teton national park] nor any other national park is an appropriate venue," he posted. "This is a national issue, and completely contrary to the history and mission of our national parks set aside for preservation, contemplation of the beauty of nature, and wildlife habitat."

The National Wildlife Federation echoed those concerns on Facebook. "Our national parks exist to protect wildlife, preserve breathtaking landscapes and give families a chance to connect with nature - not to host corporate sporting events," the non-profit posted on Monday. "Let's keep our national parks wild." A radical suggestion, we know.

In a statement to the Guardian, a White House spokesperson said it was approached by MLB about the possibility of hosting the game, but the National Park Service had not granted any permits to do so and the game is not a White House directive. So, to recap: MLB had the idea, the White House listened, and the Park Service has - so far - not signed off on turning a grizzly habitat into a dugout.

Neither MLB nor the National Park Service immediately responded to the Guardian's request for comment. Perhaps they were too busy checking the weather forecast for a rain delay that never comes.