ACOG - News - IBM

(18 July 1996)

Play Ball! Olympic Baseball Competition Set to Begin

Ten hours following the anticipated lighting of the Olympic Flame Friday night outside Olympic Stadium, eight countries will begin play in the baseball competition, just a long fly ball away at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 10:00, Saturday, 20 July.

Nicaragua and host United States will open the round-robin preliminaries with the first of three opening day games at the current, or at least for the next few weeks, former "Home of the Atlanta Braves." With the Major League Baseball franchise taking to the road to allow the baseball venue to be held on its home field, host country the United States welcomes eight countries to Atlanta to compete for the chance to earn a gold medal for just the second time in Olympic history.

After serving as a demonstration or exhibition sport until 1992, baseball returns again for the sophomore season of its Olympic career. Baseball first served as a medal sport in Barcelona in 1992 with Cuba taking the gold. The baseball preliminaries will continue through 31 August with a schedule that will pit each country against each other once to determine the top four squads in the medal round standings to advance to the semifinals with a chance to earn a medal.

Most days will offer fans of "America's favorite pastime" three games at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, with two days scheduled as rest/rain makeup days should the competition face any potential delays due to weather.

Following the United States' opening game with Nicaragua, which is vying for its first-ever Olympic medal after finishing second to Cuba in the America Baseball Cup, 1992 Olympic gold medalist and defending Olympic champion Cuba will play Australia at 15:00, with the Netherlands, a 15-time European champion, facing Japan in the final game of the first day action at 20:00. Italy and South Korea will open the second day at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium with the first game for each country beginning at 15:00 on 21 July.

This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Steven R. Shaff



Olympic Factoid
The Mother Nature was kind to Olympic athletes and spectators. The average high temperature during the Games was 89 degrees with an average low of 72 degrees. Highest temperature registered (20 July) - 99 degrees. Lowest high temperature registered is 79 degrees (28 July).