The Integrity of the 162-game Schedule

Last week, while I was watching part of the Olympic baseball coverage, I listened to the broadcasters talking about the possibility of representing the US with major league players, our best players, as we do in basketball and hockey.

I had previously thought about this point myself. Sending NBA players to the Olympics doesn't really conflict with the NBA regular season, but the NHL season must take a two-week hiatus to allow their players to compete in the Olympics. Such would be the case with major league baseball.

The broadcasters considered this point and agreed that "the integrity of the 162-game schedule must be protected." What the heck is that supposed to mean? Might it destroy MLB if once every four years the schedule were to be adjusted to accommodate Olympic participation by the best baseball players in the world, not only for the US but other nations as well?