Baseball at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
Baseball at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the third time an Olympic baseball tournament had been held as a full medal sport, and the ninth time it had been part of the Summer Olympic Games in any capacity. It was held in Sydney, Australia from 17 September through to the bronze and gold medal games on 27 September. Two venues were used for the Games: the Sydney Baseball Stadium
and Blacktown Olympic Park. For the first time in Olympic competition, professional baseball players were eligible to participate, though no active players from Major League Baseball
were available.
The United States
won the gold medal by defeating Cuba
4–0. Since becoming a medal sport, it was the first time Cuba had not won the gold medal. The gold medal game was also only the second game Cuba had lost in Olympic baseball, having lost to the Netherlands
earlier in the tournament. South Korea won their first Olympic baseball medal, beating Japan
in the bronze medal match 3–1.
who qualified automatically as hosts. As had been the case at the 1996 Games
in Atlanta, two teams each qualified from the Americas via the 1999 Pan American Games, Asia via the 1999 Asian Baseball Championship, and Europe via the 1999 European Baseball Championship
. The final spot went to the winner of a deciding series between the African and Oceania champions, as determined by the 1999 All-Africa Games and the 2000 Oceania Baseball Championship respectively.
The eight teams met in a round-robin
series, facing each other once. The top four teams from this then met in the finals, with the first and fourth placed teams playing against each other in one semi final, and the second and third placed teams in the other. The losers of these semi finals competed in the bronze medal game, while the winners met in the gold medal game.
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Sydney Showground (Homebush Bay)
The Sydney Showground is a purpose built venue used each year for the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Located at Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, it was opened in 1998, as a venue for the 2000 Summer Olympics and to replace the ageing old Sydney Showground at Moore Park...
and Blacktown Olympic Park. For the first time in Olympic competition, professional baseball players were eligible to participate, though no active players from Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
were available.
The United States
United States national baseball team
The United States National Baseball team represents the United States in international baseball competition. The United States has won the previous two Baseball World Cups, having lost this title to the Netherlands in 2011, and is currently second in the IBAF World Rankings, behind Cuba.The team...
won the gold medal by defeating Cuba
Cuba national baseball team
The Cuba national baseball team is the national team of Cuba. The team is made up of amateur players from the Cuban national baseball system, as there are no professional sports leagues in Cuba...
4–0. Since becoming a medal sport, it was the first time Cuba had not won the gold medal. The gold medal game was also only the second game Cuba had lost in Olympic baseball, having lost to the Netherlands
Netherlands national baseball team
The Netherlands national baseball team is the national baseball team of the Netherlands. They are currently the top team in Europe and currently the sixth ranked men's baseball team in the IBAF World Rankings....
earlier in the tournament. South Korea won their first Olympic baseball medal, beating Japan
Japan national baseball team
The Japan national baseball team is the national baseball team representing Japan in international competitions. They are one of the more successful baseball teams in the world, having won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009...
in the bronze medal match 3–1.
Format
The main tournament featured eight teams. These teams were selected from a series of continental qualifying tournaments, with the exception of AustraliaAustralia national baseball team
The Australian national baseball team represents Australia in international baseball tournaments and competitions. They are ranked as the top team in Oceania, and are the Oceanian Champions, having been awarded the title in 2007 when New Zealand withdrew from the Oceania Baseball Championship. They...
who qualified automatically as hosts. As had been the case at the 1996 Games
Baseball at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Baseball had its second appearance as an official medal sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States, with games played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Eight nations competed, with the preliminary phase consisting of each team playing every other team. Playoffs were then held,...
in Atlanta, two teams each qualified from the Americas via the 1999 Pan American Games, Asia via the 1999 Asian Baseball Championship, and Europe via the 1999 European Baseball Championship
1999 European Baseball Championship
The 1999 European Baseball Championship was won by the Netherlands. It was held in Italy.-Standings:...
. The final spot went to the winner of a deciding series between the African and Oceania champions, as determined by the 1999 All-Africa Games and the 2000 Oceania Baseball Championship respectively.
The eight teams met in a round-robin
Round-robin
The term round-robin was originally used to describe a document signed by multiple parties in a circle to make it more difficult to determine the order in which it was signed, thus preventing a ringleader from being identified...
series, facing each other once. The top four teams from this then met in the finals, with the first and fourth placed teams playing against each other in one semi final, and the second and third placed teams in the other. The losers of these semi finals competed in the bronze medal game, while the winners met in the gold medal game.
Teams
| Team | Qualification method |
|---|---|
| Host nation | |
 |
|
 1999 European Baseball Championship The 1999 European Baseball Championship was won by the Netherlands. It was held in Italy.-Standings:... |
|
| 1999 Asian Baseball Championship | |
 1999 European Baseball Championship The 1999 European Baseball Championship was won by the Netherlands. It was held in Italy.-Standings:... |
|
| 1999 All-Africa Games, then defeated Guam Guam national baseball team The Guam national baseball team is the national baseball team of Guam. The team represents Guam in international competitions. Guam has competed in the Asian Baseball Championship.-Asian Baseball Championship:... in Africa Champion v Oceania Champion playoff |
|
| 1999 Asian Baseball Championship | |
 |
Preliminary round
| Qualified for the final round |
| Team | W | L | PCT | Tiebreaker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | 1–0 | ||
| 6 | 1 | 0–1 | ||
| 4 | 3 | 1–0 | ||
| 4 | 3 | 0–1 | ||
| 3 | 4 | — | ||
| 2 | 5 | 1–0 | ||
| 2 | 5 | 0–1 | ||
| 1 | 6 | — |
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Final round
Semi-finals
Bronze medal game
Gold medal game
Final standings
| Rk | Team | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
8 | 1 | |
| Lost in the gold medal game | |||
 |
7 | 2 | |
| Failed to qualify for gold medal game | |||
 |
6 | 3 | |
| 4 | 5 | 4 | |
| Failed to qualify for semi-finals | |||
| 5 | 3 | 4 | |
| 6 | 2 | 5 | |
| 7 | 2 | 5 | |
| 8 | 1 | 6 | |
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