Baseball is a sport formerly contested at the Summer Olympic Games. It was originally played as a demonstration sport in seven Olympics—1912, 1936, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1984, and 1988— more than for any other sport in Olympic history. These exhibitions featured a single game at the first five Olympic appearances and then a tournament format in 1984 and 1988. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted baseball official status on October 13, 1986, for the 1992 Summer Olympics. The sport was contested at each subsequent Games through 2008, after which the IOC removed it from the roster of Olympic sports.
In 1992, the first official Olympic baseball tournament was won by the Cuban team. Cuba had boycotted the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, missing the previous exhibition baseball tournaments, but entered in 1992 as the favorite, having won the past 12 world championships and with a 62–1 record in international competitions since 1986. The Cubans went undefeated in the 1992 Olympics and trailed in only one game. They went undefeated again at the 1996 Olympics en route to a second consecutive gold medal. The United States won their first medal (bronze) in the 1996 Olympics and then won gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics. 2000 was the first Olympics in which Cuba lost a game: first to the Dutch team in round-robin play and then again to the Americans in the gold medal game. This was also the first time professional players were allowed to compete in baseball, though Major League Baseball (MLB) did not permit any player on the 40-man roster of an MLB team to compete. In 2004, the reigning gold medalist United States did not qualify for the Olympic tournament, while the Cuban team won its third gold medal.
In 2005, the IOC investigated the addition of sports to the Olympic schedule including golf, rugby sevens, and karate. The IOC voted on July 8, 2005, to remove baseball and softball from the 2012 Summer Olympics roster, the first sports removed from the Olympics since polo in 1936. A variety of factors were cited for removing baseball including the absence of MLB players, problems with performance-enhancing drugs, and the high cost of constructing a baseball stadium. Appeals to reinstate both sports for 2012 were rejected. Baseball was still played at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, however, and the South Korean team beat Cuba to claim their first gold medal in the event. The international governing bodies of several sports, including baseball, petitioned the IOC in 2009 to fill two sport slots at the 2016 Olympics. IOC President Jacques Rogge said they were "looking for an added value – wide appeal, especially for young people." The IOC ultimately voted to fill the two available slots for 2016 with rugby and golf. However, the IOC ultimately approved the return of baseball and softball to the Olympic program for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2016.
Baseball was open only to male amateurs in 1992 and 1996. As a result, the Americans and other nations where professional baseball is developed relied on collegiate players, while Cubans used their most experienced veterans, who technically were considered amateurs as they nominally held other jobs, but in fact trained full-time. In 2000, pros were admitted, but MLB refused to release its players in 2000, 2004, and 2008, and the situation changed only a little: the Cubans still used their best players, while the Americans started using minor leaguers. The IOC cited the absence of the best players as the main reason for baseball being dropped from the Olympic program.
Cuba has been the most successful team, winning the most gold and silver medals and never finishing outside the podium. Cuban pitcher Pedro Luis Lazo is the most successful individual athlete, winning four medals—two gold and two silver—from 1996 to 2008. No American ever appeared in the Olympics more than once. Nine other Cuban players won three medals; no player from any other nation accomplished this feat. From the 25 athletes who won two medals in baseball, 18 were Cuban, while the remaining seven included 4 South Korean and 3 Japanese players.
Medal winners
1992 Barcelona Omar AjeteRolando ArrojoJosé Raúl Delgado DiezGiorge Diaz LorenOsvaldo FernándezJosé Estrada GonzálezLourdes GourrielOrlando HernándezAlberto HernándezOrestes KindelánOmar LinaresGermán MesaVíctor MesaAntonio PachecoJuan PadillaLuis UlaciaErmidelio UrrutiaJorge Luis ValdésLázaro Vargas Chang Cheng-HsienChang Wen-ChungChang Yaw-TeingChen Chi-HsinChen Wei-ChenChiang Tai-ChuanHuang Chung-YiHuang Wen-PoJong Yeu-JengKu Kuo-ChianKuo Lee Chien-FuLiao Ming-HsiungLin Chao-HuangLin Kun-HanLo Chen-JungLo Kuo-ChongPai Kun-HongTsai Ming-HungWang Kuang-ShihWu Shih-Hsih Tomohito ItoShinichiro KawabataMasahito KohiyamaHirotami KojimaHiroki KokuboTakashi MiwaHiroshi NakamotoMasafumi NishiKazutaka NishiyamaKoichi OshimaHiroyuki SakaguchiShinichi SatoYasuhiro SatoMasanori SugiuraKento SugiyamaYasunori TakamiAkihiro TogoKoji TokunagaShigeki WakabayashiKatsumi Watanabe1996 Atlanta Omar AjeteMiguel Caldés LuisJosé ContrerasJorge FumeroJosé Estrada GonzálezAlberto HernándezRey IsaacOrestes KindelánPedro Luis LazoOmar LinaresOmar LuisJuan ManriqueEliecer Montes de OcaAntonio PachecoJuan PadillaEduardo ParetOrmari RomeroAntonio ScullLuis UlaciaLázaro Vargas Kosuke FukudomeTadahito IguchiMakoto ImaokaTakeo KawamuraJutaro KimuraTakashi KurosuTakao KuwamotoNobuhiko MatsunakaKoichi MisawaMasahiko MoriMasao MorinakaDaishin NakamuraMasahiro NojimaHideaki OkuboHitoshi OnoYasuyuki SaigoTomoaki SatoMasanori SugiuraTakayuki TakabayashiYoshitomo Tani Chad AllenKris BensonR. A. DickeyTroy GlausChad GreenSeth GreisingerKip HarkriderA. J. HinchJacque JonesBilly KochMark KotsayMatt LecroyTravis LeeBraden LooperBrian LoydWarren MorrisAugie OjedaJim ParqueJeff WeaverJason Williams2000 Sydney Brent AbernathyKurt AinsworthPat BordersSean BurroughsJohn CottonTravis DawkinsAdam EverettRyan FranklinChris GeorgeShane HeamsMarcus JensenMike KinkadeRick KrivdaDoug MientkiewiczMike NeillRoy OswaltJon RauchAnthony SandersBobby SeayBen SheetsBrad WilkersonTodd WilliamsErnie YoungTim Young Omar AjeteYovany AragonMiguel CaldésDanel CastroJosé ContrerasYobal DueñasYasser GómezJosé IbarOrestes KindelánPedro Luis LazoOmar LinaresOscar MacíasJuan ManriqueJavier MéndezRolando MeriñoGermán MesaAntonio PachecoAriel PestanoGabriel PierreMaels RodríguezAntonio ScullLuis UlaciaLázaro ValleNorge Luis Vera Chong Tae-HyonChung Min-TaeChung Soo-KeunHong Sung-HeonJang Sung-HoJin Pil-jungKim Dong-JooKim Han-SooKim Ki-TaeKim Soo-KyungKim Tae-gyunKoo Dae-SungLee Byung-KyuLee Seung-HoLee Seung-YeopLim Chang-YongLim Sun-DongPark Jae-HongPark Jin-ManPark Jong-HoPark Kyung-OanPark Seok-JinSon Min-HanSong Jin-Woo2004 Athens Danny BetancourtLuis BorrotoFrederich CepedaYorelvis CharlesMichel EnríquezNorberto GonzálezYuli GurrielPedro Luis LazoRoger MachadoJonder MartínezFrank MontiethVicyohandri OdelínAdiel PalmaEduardo ParetAriel PestanoAlexei RamírezEriel SánchezAntonio ScullCarlos TabaresYoandry UrgellésOsmani UrrutiaManuel VegaNorge Luis Vera Craig AndersonThomas BriceAdrian BurnsideGavin FinglesonPaul GonzalezNick KimptonBrendan KingmanCraig LewisGraeme LloydDave NilssonTrent OeltjenWayne OughChris OxspringBrett RonebergRyan Rowland-SmithJohn StephensPhil StockmanBrett TamburrinoRichard ThompsonAndrew UttingRodney Van BuizenBen WigmoreGlenn WilliamsJeff Williams Ryoji AikawaYuya AndoAtsushi FujimotoKosuke FukudomeHirotoshi IshiiHisashi IwakumaHitoki IwaseKenji JohjimaMakoto KanekoTakuya KimuraMasahide KobayashiHiroki KurodaDaisuke MatsuzakaDaisuke MiuraShinya MiyamotoArihito MuramatsuNorihiro NakamuraMichihiro OgasawaraNaoyuki ShimizuYoshinobu TakahashiYoshitomo TaniKoji UeharaKazuhiro WadaTsuyoshi Wada2008 Beijing Bong Jung-KeunChong Tae-hyonHan Ki-jooJang Won-samJeong Keun-wooJin Kab-yongKang Min-hoKim Dong-jooKim Hyun-SooKim Kwang-hyunPark Jin-manKim Min-jaeKo Young-minKwon HyukLee Dae-HoLee Jin-youngLee Jong-WookLee Seung-yeopLee Taek-keunLee Yong-kyuOh Seung-hwanRyu Hyun-JinSong Seung-junYoon Suk-min Alexei BellFrederich CepedaAlfredo DespaigneGiorvis DuvergelMichel EnríquezNorberto GonzálezYulieski GourrielMiguel LaheraPedro Luis LazoJonder MartínezAlexander MayetaRolando MeriñoLuis NavasHéctor OliveraVicyohandri OdelínAdiel PalmaEduardo ParetYadier PedrosoAriel PestanoLuis RodríguezElier SánchezEriel SánchezYoandry UrgellésNorge Luis Vera Brett AndersonJake ArrietaBrian BardenMatt BrownTrevor CahillJeremy CummingsJason DonaldBrian DuensingDexter FowlerJohn GallMike HessmanKevin JepsenBrandon KnightMichael KoploveMatt LaPortaLou MarsonBlaine NealJayson NixNate SchierholtzJeff StevensStephen StrasburgTaylor TeagardenTerry TiffeeCasey Weathers2012–2016 Not included in the Olympic program2020 TokyoKōyō AoyagiSuguru IwazakiMasato MorishitaHiromi ItohYoshinobu YamamotoMasahiro TanakaYasuaki YamasakiRyoji KuribayashiYūdai ŌnoKodai SengaKaima TairaRyutaro UmenoTakuya KaiTetsuto YamadaSōsuke GendaHideto AsamuraRyosuke KikuchiHayato SakamotoMunetaka MurakamiKensuke KondoYuki YanagitaRyoya KuriharaMasataka YoshidaSeiya SuzukiShane BazAnthony CarterBrandon DicksonAnthony GoseEdwin JacksonScott KazmirNick MartinezScott McGoughDavid RobertsonJoe RyanRyder RyanSimeon Woods RichardsonTim FederowiczMark KolozsvaryNick AllenEddy AlvarezTriston CasasTodd FrazierJamie WestbrookTyler AustinEric FiliaPatrick KivlehanJack LópezBubba StarlingDarío ÁlvarezGabriel AriasJairo AsencioLuis Felipe CastilloJumbo DíazJunior GarcíaJhan MariñezCristopher MercedesDenyi ReyesRamón RossoÁngel SánchezRaúl ValdésRoldani BaldwinCharlie ValerioJosé BautistaJuan FranciscoJeison GuzmánErick MejiaGustavo NúñezEmilio BonifácioMelky CabreraJohan MiesesYefri PérezJulio Rodríguez2024 Not included in the Olympic program2028 Los Angeles
Athlete medal leaders Athletes who won at least two gold medals or three total medals are listed below. Athlete Nation Olympics TotalGoldSilverBronze1996–200842201992–200032101992–200032101992–200032101992–2000321019962004–2008321019962004–200832101992–200032102000–200831202000–200831201992–199622001992–199622001992–199622001992–19962200
See also Baseball awards Baseball at the Summer Olympics Baseball World Cup Women's Baseball World Cup Intercontinental Cup (baseball) World Baseball Classic List of Asian Games medalists in baseball
References
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