(23 July 1996; Day 4)
Most Wednesday mornings, pitcher Peter CALLENBACH is commuting to his regular job in The Netherlands. But for 16 days in Atlanta, he is moonlighting as a baseball player on the Netherlands national team competing in the Centennial Olympic Games at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. As for this particular Wednesday, he took the mound for his home country as the starting pitcher against international power Cuba.
It was a task that turned out to be very overwhelming as the Cuban squad hit CALLENBACH for 11 runs on 11 hits en route to a 18-2 victory by the international run-difference rule.
"We have 20,000 people to chose from and they have a few million," said Jan Dick LEURS, the head coach of the Netherlands squad, comparing his country with Cuba. "We have five very good players in our league in Europe, but they are not allowed to play because they are considered professional even though they play only on weekends."
While some of the top players might not be in Atlanta, LEURS is very proud of the dedication his amateur players exhibit to play baseball. Most days they are every-day, average guys who go to work to support themselves and their families in The Netherlands. But, they play baseball on the weekends when they have the opportunity to play games.
"The way we play in Europe, the players work five days a week and practice at night," says LEURS. "They play on Saturdays and Sundays and still get in 60 games a year. It is very impressive. "
Without an extensive number of games under their belts, The Netherlands still qualified as one of eight teams for the Olympic baseball tournament. They earned their ticket to Atlanta by claiming the 1995 European tournament title with a final three-game sweep of rival Italy, going 8-1 over the length of the tournament. The Netherlands, a 15-time European champion, is making its first Olympic tournament appearance, but the Dutch squad also competed in the 1988 exhibition series in Seoul, tying for sixth place.
Despite the success, LEURS feels some people still do not know The Netherlands, which handed Australia a 16-6 loss on 22 July for its first win of the Olympic Games, even fields a team. Says LEURS, "I think a lot of people do not realize we play baseball."
If there is still any question, yes they do. In fact, they play it very well. While they were not good enough to handle the offensive Cuban squad on Wednesday, Olympic baseball fans will see by the completion of the round-robin tournament what results from their weekend work.
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 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). |