Australia national baseball team at the Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
The Australia national baseball team
was the third nation, after the United States
and Sweden
, to participate in baseball at the Summer Olympics
, making their first appearance at the 1956 Games
in Melbourne
, and again as part of its demonstration
at the 1988 Games
in Seoul
.
Since baseball was first included as a medal sport at the 1992 Games
in Barcelona
, Australia has participated in three of the five tournaments. The best result achieved was in the 2004 Games
in Athens
, where Australia lost the gold medal match to Cuba to receive silver. Their medal tally puts them at 5th, equal to Chinese Taipei.
Australia is the only country to have hosted an Olympic baseball tournament as a medal sport, won an Olympic medal, and done so in separate years: hosted in 2000
, won silver in 2004. Australia is also one of only two countries—the other being the United States
—to have hosted baseball events as both a non-medal and medal sport.
and baseball respectively. Rather than the tournaments that would be played at future Games while still a demonstration sport, a single match was played against a team representing the United States
selected from the U.S. Far East Command, on 1 December 1956, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
.
Though many of the 114,000 people who attended were believed to be attending in anticipation of the athletics events to be held that afternoon, until an exhibition game played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
in 2008 between the Los Angeles Dodgers
and the Boston Red Sox
, it had the largest attendance for a baseball game ever. Even with this distinctive home-ground advantage, the Australians were unable to win, losing 11–5 in six innings.
, Chinese Taipei, Japan
, the Netherlands
, Puerto Rico
, South Korea and the United States
after Cuba
chose to boycott the Games. Australia was pooled with Canada, South Korea and the United States, but failed to qualify for the finals.
of its first opportunity to compete in Olympic baseball.
Australia became the tenth nation to compete for an Olympic medal in baseball, when they played Cuba
in the opening game of their 1996 campaign. This game set the record for the most runs scored in an Olympic baseball match—a record that stood through to the final Olympic tournament in 2008 Beijing Games
in Beijing
—with the two teams combining to score 27 runs, Cuba winning 19–8. The previous record was set at the 1992 Barcelona Games
, when Chinese Taipei defeated hosts Spain
20–0.
After losing their first two mercy rule
shortened games to Cuba and the Netherlands
, Australia recorded their first victory against defending bronze-medalists Japan
. Australia won only one of their remaining four games (against South Korea), which included two more mercy-rule losses to the United States
and Nicaragua
. They finished the preliminary stage seventh, ahead of South Korea.
Though it has been equaled since, the loss to Cuba in the first game remains the largest defeat Australia has suffered in Olympic baseball.
ten months prior, with only one loss in the whole competition—including two victories over powerhouse Cuba
—there were great expectations for Australia to perform in front of home crowds again in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Despite virtually the same line-up of teams (South Africa
qualified for the Games while Chinese Taipei did not) Australia could only manage two victories during the round-robin
phase against South Korea and South Africa.
The loss to the United States
in Australia's final game of the tournament equalled the largest loss they'd suffered in Olympic competition four years previously at the hands of Cuba.
represented Africa, having won the gold medal at the 2003 All-Africa Games. Australia was scheduled to compete against Guam
in the 2004 Oceania Baseball Championship, with the winner advancing to the playoff against South Africa. Three days before the best-of-five game series was due to start, Guam withdrew from the tournament, resulting in Australia's win by default.
Australia hosted the best-of-five game series against South Africa at Blacktown Olympic Park, one of two venues for the 2000 Games
. Australia swept the series 3–0 to advance to the main Olympic tournament in Athens. Australian short stop Glenn Williams
was named the series Most Valuable Player
.
and South Korea, Australia won their next four games to secure a position in the semi finals, including a record setting 22–2 demolition of Netherlands
. No other team before or since has scored more than 20 runs in an Olympic baseball game, and only one other time has a team won by a margin of 20. (Chinese Taipei in 1992
beat Spain
20–0, and Cuba in 1996 beat Italy
20–6.) Olympic baseball operated with a mercy rule
that would stop a game after seven (or eight) innings if one team was leading by ten or more runs, making it more difficult to post such large victories. Canada
defeated Australia in their final round-robin game 11–0, making it the third time Australia had been beaten by a margin of 11 runs in as many tournaments.
. In pool play Australia had won relatively comfortably 9–4, though it took a much more hard-fought effort to clinch their first medal: they won 1–0. This set up a rematch of the very first match of the tournament to decide the gold medal, between Australia and Cuba. As in their previous three encounters, Cuba won to take gold, leaving Australia to claim silver in their best Olympic result, and their best result to date in a major international tournament. (The IBAF includes the Baseball World Cup, World Baseball Classic
and Olympic Games
as major world championships, while the Intercontinental Cup
is considered a minor world championship.)
saw the introduction of an expanded qualification phase. At prior Games, the host nation automatically qualified along with the top two teams from the Americas, Europe and Asia, and the eighth team being determined by a playoff between the best team from Oceania and from Africa. In an attempt to make the qualification a fairer representation of the top baseball nations, this was adjusted to include:
Despite the change to the qualification structure, there were concerns raised by Australia and Canada
about the timing of the tournament. As the tournament was scheduled for March, many of the players who would have otherwise been selected for the Australian, Canadian, and Mexican
teams were unavailable due to commitments in the American Major League
system. Though the Minor League
players were eligible to play both in the qualifying tournament and the main Olympic competition, many were unavailable either due to the Major League clubs denying individuals permission, or players on the cusp of promotion to Major League teams choosing to remain in spring training
camp.
When New Zealand
withdrew from the 2007 Oceania Baseball Championship
—intended to be a five game series between the two nations—Australia was automatically awarded the Oceania
berth in the Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
—a state side—in Sydney
. As some of the players in the Australian team would likely come from the Patriots, New South Wales selected its team first for the two games. Given the lack of match practice at the international level, an additional series was organised, with Australia hosting Canada in what was originally going to be a four game series. However five games were held, two in Brisbane
and three on the Gold Coast
. The Patriots won their series 1–0, and Canada won theirs 3–1, with one game drawn after 9 innings in each series.
----
format against Canada, Chinese Taipei, Germany, Mexico, South Africa
, South Korea and Spain
. Australia failed to qualify for the Olympic Games, finishing the tournament in 5th position. Their largest defeat in the tournament proved to be the decisive game for them, despite being only their second: had Australia beaten South Korea, rather than losing to them 16–2 in a mercy rule
shortened game, Australia would have finished the tournament in 3rd, South Korea in 4th and Mexico 5th. This is particularly interesting, given that South Korea went on to win gold at Beijing.
Australia 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...
was the third nation, after 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...
and Sweden
Sweden national baseball team
The Sweden national baseball team is the national baseball team of Sweden. The team competes in the bi-annual European Baseball Championship.- Placings :Baseball World Cup* 1994: 15th* 2005: 16th* 2009 : 19thEuropean Baseball Championship...
, to participate in baseball at the Summer Olympics
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
, making their first appearance at the 1956 Games
Baseball at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Baseball was again a demonstration sport at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. Though it was nominally the "foreign" demonstration sport of that Olympiad, Australia had a long history of baseball dating back to at least 1889...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, and again as part of its demonstration
Demonstration sport
A demonstration sport is a sport which is played to promote itself, most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events.Demonstration sports were officially introduced in 1912 Summer Olympics, when Sweden decided to include glima, traditional Icelandic wrestling, in the...
at the 1988 Games
Baseball at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Baseball at the 1988 Summer Olympics was a demonstration sport for the seventh time. Eight teams competed in Seoul in the baseball tournament. The format used was the same as the tournament of four years earlier. Five teams that had competed in the 1984 tournament returned.-Preliminary round:There...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
Since baseball was first included as a medal sport at the 1992 Games
Baseball at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Baseball had its debut as an official medal sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Eight nations competed, with the preliminary phase consisting of each team playing every other team. Playoffs were then held, with the four highest ranked teams advancing...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Australia has participated in three of the five tournaments. The best result achieved was in the 2004 Games
Baseball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
-Preliminary round:The top four teams advanced to the semifinals. To determine the seed ranking of teams tied in the standings, the result of the two teams' game against each other was used. Japan therefore received first place due to the win over Cuba. In the semi-finals, Japan played...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, where Australia lost the gold medal match to Cuba to receive silver. Their medal tally puts them at 5th, equal to Chinese Taipei.
Australia is the only country to have hosted an Olympic baseball tournament as a medal sport, won an Olympic medal, and done so in separate years: hosted in 2000
Baseball at the 2000 Summer Olympics
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...
, won silver in 2004. Australia is also one of only two countries—the other being 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...
—to have hosted baseball events as both a non-medal and medal sport.
Melbourne, 1956
In 1956, two demonstration sports were allowed: a sport from the host nation and a foreign sport—Australian rules footballAustralian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
and baseball respectively. Rather than the tournaments that would be played at future Games while still a demonstration sport, a single match was played against a team representing the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
selected from the U.S. Far East Command, on 1 December 1956, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
.
Though many of the 114,000 people who attended were believed to be attending in anticipation of the athletics events to be held that afternoon, until an exhibition game played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
in 2008 between the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, it had the largest attendance for a baseball game ever. Even with this distinctive home-ground advantage, the Australians were unable to win, losing 11–5 in six innings.
Seoul, 1988
1988 was the last time that baseball was included as an Olympic sport without medal status, and was the second time that Australia participated at the Olympic level. Though not originally included in the eight team tournament, Australia joined CanadaCanada national baseball team
Canada has qualified for two Olympic games, in 2004 and 2008. Canadian teams also competed twice when baseball was a demonstration sport, in 1984 and 1988.-1984 Summer Olympics:...
, Chinese Taipei, 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...
, 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....
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico national baseball team
The Puerto Rico National Baseball Team is a team that is selected by the Puerto Rican Baseball Federation to compete in major international events in representation of Puerto Rico...
, South Korea and 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...
after 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...
chose to boycott the Games. Australia was pooled with Canada, South Korea and the United States, but failed to qualify for the finals.
Atlanta, 1996
Prior to the Games proper, Australia had to qualify to compete in the baseball tournament. After the host nation automatically qualifying, two spots were available each to European, American and Asian teams, while the final spot was available to the winner of a playoff between the Oceania Champions and the African Champions. Australia won this contest, depriving South AfricaSouth Africa national baseball team
The South African national baseball team is a baseball team which represents the Republic of South Africa in international baseball competitions such as the World Baseball Classic and formerly the Summer Olympics.-All-Africa Games:...
of its first opportunity to compete in Olympic baseball.
Australia became the tenth nation to compete for an Olympic medal in baseball, when they played 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...
in the opening game of their 1996 campaign. This game set the record for the most runs scored in an Olympic baseball match—a record that stood through to the final Olympic tournament in 2008 Beijing Games
Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held from August 13 to August 23. All games were played at Wukesong Baseball Field, a temporary venue constructed at the Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
—with the two teams combining to score 27 runs, Cuba winning 19–8. The previous record was set at the 1992 Barcelona Games
Baseball at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Baseball had its debut as an official medal sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Eight nations competed, with the preliminary phase consisting of each team playing every other team. Playoffs were then held, with the four highest ranked teams advancing...
, when Chinese Taipei defeated hosts Spain
Spain national baseball team
The Spain national baseball team is the national team of Spain. It is governed by the Royal Spanish Baseball and Softball Federation. It is a member nation of the Confédération Européenne de Baseball, or Confederation of European Baseball....
20–0.
After losing their first two mercy rule
Mercy rule
A mercy rule, also well known by the slightly less polite term slaughter rule , brings a sports event to an early end when one team has a very large and presumably insurmountable lead over the other team...
shortened games to Cuba and 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....
, Australia recorded their first victory against defending bronze-medalists 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...
. Australia won only one of their remaining four games (against South Korea), which included two more mercy-rule losses to 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...
and Nicaragua
Nicaragua national baseball team
The Nicaragua national baseball team is the national baseball team of Nicaragua. Considered the best in Central America along with Panama It represents Nicaragua in international tournaments.- Placings :Olympic Games* 1992 : did not qualify...
. They finished the preliminary stage seventh, ahead of South Korea.
Though it has been equaled since, the loss to Cuba in the first game remains the largest defeat Australia has suffered in Olympic baseball.
Sydney, 2000
Having hosted and won gold in the 1999 Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (baseball)
The Intercontinental Cup is a baseball tournament between the members of the International Baseball Federation . It was first held in 1973 in Italy, and was held every other year following until 1999....
ten months prior, with only one loss in the whole competition—including two victories over powerhouse 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...
—there were great expectations for Australia to perform in front of home crowds again in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Despite virtually the same line-up of teams (South Africa
South Africa national baseball team
The South African national baseball team is a baseball team which represents the Republic of South Africa in international baseball competitions such as the World Baseball Classic and formerly the Summer Olympics.-All-Africa Games:...
qualified for the Games while Chinese Taipei did not) Australia could only manage two victories during the 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...
phase against South Korea and South Africa.
The loss to 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...
in Australia's final game of the tournament equalled the largest loss they'd suffered in Olympic competition four years previously at the hands of Cuba.
Qualifying
As had been the case in the previous Olympics, Oceania and Africa teams first had to become champions of their respective continents before facing in a deciding series to determine the last of eight spots available. For the third successive Olympic Games, South AfricaSouth Africa national baseball team
The South African national baseball team is a baseball team which represents the Republic of South Africa in international baseball competitions such as the World Baseball Classic and formerly the Summer Olympics.-All-Africa Games:...
represented Africa, having won the gold medal at the 2003 All-Africa Games. Australia was scheduled to compete against 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 the 2004 Oceania Baseball Championship, with the winner advancing to the playoff against South Africa. Three days before the best-of-five game series was due to start, Guam withdrew from the tournament, resulting in Australia's win by default.
Australia hosted the best-of-five game series against South Africa at Blacktown Olympic Park, one of two venues for the 2000 Games
Baseball at the 2000 Summer Olympics
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...
. Australia swept the series 3–0 to advance to the main Olympic tournament in Athens. Australian short stop Glenn Williams
Glenn Williams
Glenn David Williams is a retired third baseman from Australia, who played in the Minnesota Twins organization. He played in Major League Baseball for the Twins during the season. He was a member of the team that won the silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece...
was named the series Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
.
Preliminary phase
Despite losing the first two games against CubaCuba 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...
and South Korea, Australia won their next four games to secure a position in the semi finals, including a record setting 22–2 demolition of 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....
. No other team before or since has scored more than 20 runs in an Olympic baseball game, and only one other time has a team won by a margin of 20. (Chinese Taipei in 1992
Baseball at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Baseball had its debut as an official medal sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Eight nations competed, with the preliminary phase consisting of each team playing every other team. Playoffs were then held, with the four highest ranked teams advancing...
beat Spain
Spain national baseball team
The Spain national baseball team is the national team of Spain. It is governed by the Royal Spanish Baseball and Softball Federation. It is a member nation of the Confédération Européenne de Baseball, or Confederation of European Baseball....
20–0, and Cuba in 1996 beat Italy
Italy national baseball team
The Italy national baseball team is the team that represents Italy in international baseball competition. The Italian national team is currently ranked 12th in the world.-World Baseball Classic:...
20–6.) Olympic baseball operated with a mercy rule
Mercy rule
A mercy rule, also well known by the slightly less polite term slaughter rule , brings a sports event to an early end when one team has a very large and presumably insurmountable lead over the other team...
that would stop a game after seven (or eight) innings if one team was leading by ten or more runs, making it more difficult to post such large victories. Canada
Canada national baseball team
Canada has qualified for two Olympic games, in 2004 and 2008. Canadian teams also competed twice when baseball was a demonstration sport, in 1984 and 1988.-1984 Summer Olympics:...
defeated Australia in their final round-robin game 11–0, making it the third time Australia had been beaten by a margin of 11 runs in as many tournaments.
Final phase
In the semis, Australia faced JapanJapan 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 pool play Australia had won relatively comfortably 9–4, though it took a much more hard-fought effort to clinch their first medal: they won 1–0. This set up a rematch of the very first match of the tournament to decide the gold medal, between Australia and Cuba. As in their previous three encounters, Cuba won to take gold, leaving Australia to claim silver in their best Olympic result, and their best result to date in a major international tournament. (The IBAF includes the Baseball World Cup, World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
and Olympic Games
Baseball at the Summer Olympics
Baseball at the Summer Olympics had its unofficial debut at the 1904 Summer Games and its official sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Baseball has a long history as an exhibition/demonstration sport in the Olympics. However, for 1992 Barcelona the International Olympic Committee granted the sport...
as major world championships, while the Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (baseball)
The Intercontinental Cup is a baseball tournament between the members of the International Baseball Federation . It was first held in 1973 in Italy, and was held every other year following until 1999....
is considered a minor world championship.)
Beijing, 2008
The 2008 Olympic Games baseball tournamentBaseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held from August 13 to August 23. All games were played at Wukesong Baseball Field, a temporary venue constructed at the Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center...
saw the introduction of an expanded qualification phase. At prior Games, the host nation automatically qualified along with the top two teams from the Americas, Europe and Asia, and the eighth team being determined by a playoff between the best team from Oceania and from Africa. In an attempt to make the qualification a fairer representation of the top baseball nations, this was adjusted to include:
- the host nation
- the top 2 teams from an Americas qualifying tournament
- the top team from the 2007 European Baseball Championship2007 European Baseball ChampionshipThe 2007 European Baseball Championship was an international baseball tournament held from September 7 to 16, between national baseball teams of the Confederation of European Baseball. The tournament was held in Barcelona, Spain and served as the qualifying competition for the 2008 Summer Olympic...
- the top team from the 2007 Asian Baseball Championship2007 Asian Baseball ChampionshipThe 24th Asian Baseball Championship was contested in Taichung, Taiwan in November and December 2007. The tournament is sanctioned by the Asian Baseball Federation. The winner of the tournament will gain automatic entry into the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing...
- the top 3 teams from the Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament, consisting of:
- the 3rd & 4th placed American teams
- the 2nd & 3rd placed European teams (in actuality, the 2nd placed Great BritainGreat Britain national baseball teamThe Great Britain national baseball team is the national baseball team of Great Britain. It is governed by the British Baseball Federation, which is a member nation of the Confederation of European Baseball.-History:...
withdrew, and were replaced by 4th placed GermanyGermany national baseball teamThe Germany national baseball team is the national baseball team for Germany. They are a contender for the European Baseball Championship and have competed in the Baseball World Cup.-Placings:Baseball World Cup* 1972 : 16th* 1973 : 11th* 2007 : 14th...
) - the 2nd & 3rd placed Asian teams
- the top team from an Oceania qualifying tournament
- the top team from an African qualifying tournament
Despite the change to the qualification structure, there were concerns raised by Australia and Canada
Canada national baseball team
Canada has qualified for two Olympic games, in 2004 and 2008. Canadian teams also competed twice when baseball was a demonstration sport, in 1984 and 1988.-1984 Summer Olympics:...
about the timing of the tournament. As the tournament was scheduled for March, many of the players who would have otherwise been selected for the Australian, Canadian, and Mexican
Mexico national baseball team
The Mexico national baseball team is the baseball team which represents Mexico in international tournaments. They are currently the eighth ranked baseball team in the world.-Pan American Games:*1951 Bronze Medal *1963 Bronze Medal...
teams were unavailable due to commitments in the American Major League
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...
system. Though the Minor League
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
players were eligible to play both in the qualifying tournament and the main Olympic competition, many were unavailable either due to the Major League clubs denying individuals permission, or players on the cusp of promotion to Major League teams choosing to remain in spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
camp.
When New Zealand
New Zealand national baseball team
The New Zealand national baseball team is the representative team at international level for New Zealand. The team is controlled by Baseball New Zealand, the country's governing body. The team competes in the Oceania Championship, where in 2007 withdrew from play giving Australia an automatic berth...
withdrew from the 2007 Oceania Baseball Championship
Oceania Baseball Championship
The Oceania Baseball Championship is contested between participating baseball federations in Oceania. It is sanctioned by the Baseball Confederation of Oceania ....
—intended to be a five game series between the two nations—Australia was automatically awarded the Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
berth in the Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Warm-up
A series of exhibition games were scheduled, both to give match practice to the players, and also to serve as selection trials for the tournament itself. Two games were played against the New South Wales PatriotsNew South Wales Patriots
New South Wales Patriots compete in the Claxton Shield baseball championship in Australia.The Patriots were one of the founding teams of the Claxton Shield in 1934 and competed as New South Wales until 1988 when the Claxtion Shield was awarded to the winner of the Australian Baseball League...
—a state side—in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. As some of the players in the Australian team would likely come from the Patriots, New South Wales selected its team first for the two games. Given the lack of match practice at the international level, an additional series was organised, with Australia hosting Canada in what was originally going to be a four game series. However five games were held, two in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and three on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
. The Patriots won their series 1–0, and Canada won theirs 3–1, with one game drawn after 9 innings in each series.
----
Qualifying
Four days after the exhibition series on home soil, Australia competed in a round-robinRound-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...
format against Canada, Chinese Taipei, Germany, Mexico, South Africa
South Africa national baseball team
The South African national baseball team is a baseball team which represents the Republic of South Africa in international baseball competitions such as the World Baseball Classic and formerly the Summer Olympics.-All-Africa Games:...
, South Korea and Spain
Spain national baseball team
The Spain national baseball team is the national team of Spain. It is governed by the Royal Spanish Baseball and Softball Federation. It is a member nation of the Confédération Européenne de Baseball, or Confederation of European Baseball....
. Australia failed to qualify for the Olympic Games, finishing the tournament in 5th position. Their largest defeat in the tournament proved to be the decisive game for them, despite being only their second: had Australia beaten South Korea, rather than losing to them 16–2 in a mercy rule
Mercy rule
A mercy rule, also well known by the slightly less polite term slaughter rule , brings a sports event to an early end when one team has a very large and presumably insurmountable lead over the other team...
shortened game, Australia would have finished the tournament in 3rd, South Korea in 4th and Mexico 5th. This is particularly interesting, given that South Korea went on to win gold at Beijing.
See also
- Australian Baseball FederationAustralian Baseball FederationThe Australian Baseball Federation is the national governing body of Baseball in Australia. Baseball is played in all the mainland states and territories, but it struggles for popularity due to the popularity of many other sports, including the comparable sport of cricket, in which Australia has...
- Australia national baseball teamAustralia national baseball teamThe 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...
- Baseball at the Summer OlympicsBaseball at the Summer OlympicsBaseball at the Summer Olympics had its unofficial debut at the 1904 Summer Games and its official sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Baseball has a long history as an exhibition/demonstration sport in the Olympics. However, for 1992 Barcelona the International Olympic Committee granted the sport...