Olympics

Top amateur baseball nations don’t like the idea of allowing professionals to compete in the Olympics, but are willing to give it more thought.

The proposal was the subject of a closed seven-hour meeting in Atlanta with International Baseball Assn. officials from Japan, Australia, Cuba, the Netherlands, Nicaragua and Italy, said Dick Case, executive director of the U.S. Baseball Federation.

The association is the world governing body for baseball, representing 86 nations. Juan Antonio Samaranch, the president of the International Olympic Committee, has asked it to revise the sport’s Olympic eligibility code.

Under IBA rules, pros such as U.S. major league players are not permitted to compete in the Olympics. Team USA, composed of top collegiate players, finished fourth at last summer’s Games in Barcelona.

Case said officials agreed to consider the proposal and report back Jan. 28, when the executive committee of the International Baseball Assn. meets in Caracas, Venezuela.

But he said none of them liked the idea, including the U.S. Baseball Federation.

“We still want amateurs. Why do we want professionals to take away every kid’s dream of playing in the Olympics?” Case said in a telephone interview. “The Olympics were designed for amateurs.”

Case said he doubted the issue would be resolved before the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.