Eight countries will be represented in the baseball competition in Atlanta, and each team will carry a roster of 20 players. As the host of the Olympic Games, the United States automatically qualifies for the competition. The other seven teams will be decided via a regional qualifying system. In addition to the United States, two other countries will represent the Americas (North, Central, and South). These teams will be determined at the America’s Challenge Cup, scheduled for early August this year in Edmonton, Canada. Two Asian countries will compete. These teams will be determined at the Asian Championships in September. Two European teams will be determined at the European Championships in July. A playoff between the champion teams from Africa and Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, etc.) will determine the final competing team. This playoff will take place in late 1995 or early 1996. The Olympic competition schedule will be determined once all qualifying teams have been determined.
Which players will be on the USA Olympic Baseball Team?
USA Baseball will select the team which will compete in the Olympic Games. This team will be chosen from the group of players which compete for the next two summers against top international competition on the Nations Bank USA Baseball Team Tours. The USA Baseball Team is comprised of the top collegiate ballplayers in the country. Through its national network of coaches and scouting directors, USA Baseball is able to identify the best amateur athletes in the country.
Will professional players be allowed to compete? Will the USA ever have a "Dream Team" for baseball?
The United States leads the international cause to allow the best athletes in the world, including professionals, to participate in the baseball competition at the Olympic Games. However, the most recent vote by the International Baseball Association (IBA) in June 1994 fell short of a two-thirds majority to change the eligibility rules. The date for the next possible IBA vote has not yet been set. Thus, any change will not be effected in time for the 1996 Games and professionals will not be allowed to compete.
It is possible that professionals could compete at the Sydney Games in 2000. However, because the Summer Olympic Games coincide with the Major League Baseball season, a formal plan of cooperation with MLB would be necessary to allow players to miss part of the season.
When and if professionals are allowed to compete in the Olympics, the United States will not, however, be the only nation that would benefit. Teams from countries such as the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Australia would be greatly improved if professionals from MLB and their respective professional leagues were allowed to play.
Where will the games be played? What are the competition dates?
All of the games will be played in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, home of the Atlanta Braves. The preliminary round begins on Saturday, July 20, and continues through Tuesday, July 30. In the preliminary round, each team plays the other seven teams once, in a round-robin tournament. Following the preliminary round, the top four teams advance to the semifinal games which will be played on Thursday, August 1. The medal round games will be played on August 2. The two teams that lose in the semifinal round will face each other in the Bronze Medal Game in the afternoon. The winners will vie for the gold medal that evening.
How much will the tickets cost? Will they be readily available? How can I order them?
Baseball tickets at the Olympic Games will be very affordable compared to other events. In the preliminary round, tickets will range in price from $7 to $16; semifinal round tickets will range from $11 to $32; and the medal games will range from $22 to $64. In total, 32 baseball games will be played during the Atlanta Games. Given the 52,000-seat capacity of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, a total of more than 1.6 million baseball tickets will be available. Until June 30, 1995, fans can pick up a free ticket request form at 15,000 grocery stores nationwide where Coca-Cola products are sold or at one of the 334 Home Depot stores across the country. The ticket order form can then be completed and submitted for processing. Unsold tickets will be available by phone beginning in January 1996 and through over the-counter sales in Olympic Games competition venues one month prior to the Centennial Olympic Games.
Are there any international rules that apply to Olympic competition that Americans may not be accustomed to seeing?
- In international competition, players are allowed to use aluminum bats and the designated hitter rule vs in effect, similar to U.S. collegiate baseball.
- A run-difference rule vs also used. If a team vs losing by 10 or more runs after having batted in at least seven innings, the game vs ended at that point.
- Helmets with double ear-flaps are mandatory for the hitter and baserunners.
- Speed-up rules are also used to limit the length of games. For example, pitchers must deliver each pitch within 20 seconds after the previous pitch or completion of the previous play, and hitters must remain in the batter’ s box unless he makes a request for time out.
At baseball’s official debut in the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, Cuba won the gold medal; Chinese Taipei took the silver, and Japan defeated the Ignited States for the bronze. In 1988, the United States captured the gold medal in Seoul, South Korea, defeating Japan. Puerto Rico took the bronze. The Los Angeles Games in 1984 were won by Japan, which defeated the United States for the gold. Chinese Taipei took the bronze. Back to top
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