Professionals Get Clearance For Olympic Baseball Play

Baseball’s world governing body on Saturday opened the sport to professionals for the Olympics, although there’s no guarantee major leaguers will play in Sydney in 2000.

With its long-term status as an Olympic sport in jeopardy, the International Baseball Association voted to rescind its amateur-only rule for the Olympics, world championships and other IBA-sanctioned events.

The motion, which required a two-thirds majority, passed with 56 votes in favor, seven against and two abstentions.

The United States was among the countries supporting the move, while those voting against were Cuba, Brazil, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Puerto Rico and Panama. Nicaragua and Hong Kong abstained.

The IBA had twice previously rejected proposals to open the sport to pros, most recently in June 1994 when the measure fell three votes short of the required majority.

Baseball now falls into line with basketball and ice hockey in allowing pros to take part in the Olympics, but several hurdles remain before baseball “Dream Teams” become reality.

IBA president Aldo Notari of Italy denied reports that the IOC had threatened to drop baseball from the Sydney Olympics unless pros were allowed to play. But Notari said the sport could have been in danger for future games.