ACOG - News - IBM

(21 July 1996; Day 2)

Baseball: 35-Year-Old Italian Shuts Down Koreans

If you told Roberto CABALISTI he had a screw loose, he would probably be more concerned than offended. You see, he has a screw in his right elbow as a result of a 1990 surgery that almost ended his baseball career.

Six years later, screw in place, CABALISTI takes the mound in one of the biggest games of his baseball career and shines in his Olympic moment. The 6-0 right-hander threw a variety of curveballs and change-ups at a Korean squad looking long ball and finished the game amidst a celebration on the mound with his teammates following his complete-game, five-hit performance for a 2-1 victory over Korea.

"This was a great game," said CABALISTI after his first appearance in the Centennial Olympic Games. "I have won other games before, but right now I have the game ball and I will put it in a special place."

CABALISTI attacked his opponent from the start of the contest. "I knew from their strength that they were going to try to hit the long ball," said CABALISTI, who surrendered 13 fly ball outs, including a warning-track shot in the final inning that brought the Korean fans to their feet in anticipation. "I just tried to use defensive tactics to make them hit the fly ball instead of the long ball."

He was successful, as the closest the Korean squad came to the long ball was a game-opening triple by LEE Byoung-Kyu that bounced off the fence in right field. It resulted in the only run of the game for Korea as CABALISTI allowed just four more hits over the rest of the contest, striking out five.

CABALISTI, who at 35 is competing in his first Olympic Games, has missed on previous Olympic Games experiences due to a variety of injuries, including the 1990 surgery on his elbow.

"I have gone through a lot of ups and downs in my career," said CABALISTI. "I have a lot of emotions right now. But I am not thinking about them because we still have a lot of outcomes ahead of us."

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


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The volunteer staff of the 1996 Olympic Games totaled 50,152. They worked an estimated 850,000 shifts.