Cubans May Square Off Against U.S. Pros Rumblings Emerge On Ending Baseball’s Amateur Status, But The Majors’ Best May Be Busy

Uninspired by the story of young amateurs who’ve practiced and played together for two years with one goal - winning the Olympic gold medal against the odds? Want a U.S. team guaranteed to beat Cuba like a conga drum?

Sorry, but a rotation of Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson and Tom Glavine facing Orestes Kindelan and Omar Linares seems unlikely in the 2000 Olympics. Same with a lineup of Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, Tony Gwynn, Mike Piazza and Frank Thomas against Cuban pitchers Pedro Lazo and Omar Luis.

The U.S. baseball team that lost its semifinal Thursday against Japan had been anticipating a gold medal showdown tonight with Cuba, which defeated Nicaragua, 8-1, in the semifinals. Cuba, the defending world champion, hasn’t lost a meaningful international game in nine years.

The Americans, average age 20, may be the last all-amateur team representing the United States in the Olympics.

There is support for having professional ballplayers in the Olympics - if the many technical hurdles can be worked out.

The International Baseball Association meets in September and is expected to vote to approve professional participation for the next Olympics. International Olympic Committee head Juan Antonio Samaranch has expressed his support.

“Yeah, I’d play,” Griffey said Wednesday night. “I think anyone in this locker room would want to go out there for their country.”

But there are problems.

The 2000 Games are scheduled for Sept. 16 through Oct. 1, and some baseball officials have suggested that teams mathematically eliminated from the pennant races supply a player or two to the U.S. team. But acting commissioner Bud Selig worries that still would affect the pennant race.

“Let’s say your team and my team are out of it and we supply a player, but we’re playing a team that’s not out of it. That’s skewers the pennant race. That’s what a lot of people worry about,” he said.

U.S. baseball head coach Skip Bertman is opposed to pros, but sees it as inevitable.

“It’s about television, advertising, marketing. It’s about making money,” he said.

Also today, U.S. boxers Floyd Mayweather, Antonio Tarver and David Reid have semifinal matches; track and field finals including American Lawrence Johnson’s bid for pole vault gold; and women’s basketball has semifinals.