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. For the third time in Olympic competition, professional baseball players were eligible to participate, though no active players from Major League Baseball were available.
Baseball at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Venue | Wukesong Baseball Field | |||||||||
Dates | August 13–23, 2008 | |||||||||
Teams | 8 | |||||||||
Medalists | ||||||||||
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This was the last Olympic baseball tournament before the International Olympic Committee voted to remove baseball from the program in the 2012 Olympics.[1] Along with softball, baseball was rejected for inclusion in the 2016 Summer Olympics at the IOC's meeting in October 2009.[2] However, following a 2016 IOC vote, baseball was again included for the 2020 Games.[3]
This was also the first time that the IBAF's new extra-innings rule was officially in effect, allowing each team to start with two base runners from the 11th inning on.[4] South Korea won the gold medal in a 3–2 final victory against Cuba. The United States won bronze.
Medalists
Competition format
Eight teams are competing in the Olympic baseball tournament, and the competition consists of two rounds. The preliminary round follows a round robin format, where each of the teams plays all the other teams once. Following this, the top four teams advance to a single elimination round culminating in the bronze and gold medal games.
Qualification
Event | Date | Location | Vacancies | Qualified |
---|---|---|---|---|
Host nation | China | |||
American Qualifying Tournament | Aug 25 – Sept 7, 2006 | Havana | 2 | United States Cuba |
European Championship | Sept 7 – Sept 16, 2007 | Barcelona | 1 | Netherlands |
Asian Baseball Championship | Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2007 | Taichung | 1 | Japan |
Final Qualifying Tournament | Mar 7 – Mar 14, 2008 | Taichung and Douliou | 3 | Canada South Korea Chinese Taipei[1] |
TOTAL | 8 |
^1 Chinese Taipei is the official IOC designation for the state officially referred to as the Republic of China (ROC), commonly known as Taiwan.
Team squad
Team | Qualification criteria | Appearance |
---|---|---|
Canada | 1st place of Final Qualifying Tournament | 2nd |
China | Automatic as host nation of the Olympics | 1st |
Chinese Taipei | 3rd place of Final Qualifying Tournament | 3rd |
Cuba | 2nd place of American Qualifying Tournament | 5th |
Japan | 1st place of Asian Baseball Championship | 5th |
South Korea | 2nd place of Final Qualifying Tournament | 3rd |
Netherlands | 1st place of European Championship | 4th |
United States | 1st place of American Qualifying Tournament | 4th |
Group stage
All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8)
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | RF | RA | RD | PCT | GB | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | South Korea | 7 | 7 | 0 | 41 | 22 | +19 | 1.000 | — | Advance to knockout round |
2 | Cuba | 7 | 6 | 1 | 52 | 23 | +29 | .857 | 1 | |
3 | United States | 7 | 5 | 2 | 40 | 22 | +18 | .714 | 2 | |
4 | Japan | 7 | 4 | 3 | 30 | 14 | +16 | .571 | 3 | |
5 | Chinese Taipei | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29 | 33 | −4 | .286[a] | 5 | |
6 | Canada | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29 | 20 | +9 | .286[a] | 5 | |
7 | Netherlands | 7 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 50 | −41 | .143[b] | 6 | |
8 | China (H) | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 60 | −46 | .143[b] | 6 |
Team | G | W | L | RS | RA | WIN% | GB | Tiebreaker |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Korea | 7 | 7 | 0 | 41 | 22 | 1.000 | – | – |
Cuba | 7 | 6 | 1 | 52 | 23 | .857 | 1 | – |
United States | 7 | 5 | 2 | 40 | 22 | .714 | 2 | – |
Japan | 7 | 4 | 3 | 30 | 14 | .571 | 3 | – |
Chinese Taipei | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29 | 33 | .286 | 5 | 1–0 |
Canada | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29 | 20 | .286 | 5 | 0–1 |
Netherlands | 7 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 50 | .143 | 6 | 1–0 |
China | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 60 | .143 | 6 | 0–1 |
August 13
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | - | 10 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 8 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Chris Begg (1-0) LP: Tao Bu (0-1) Home runs: CAN: Scott Thorman (1), Michael Saunders (1) CHN: None |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
South Korea | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Suk-Min Yoon (1-0) LP: Jeff Stevens (0-1) Home runs: USA: Nate Schierholtz (1), Mike Hessman (1) KOR: Dae-Ho Lee (1) |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Cuba | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Norge Luis Vera (1-0) LP: Yu Darvish (0-1) Sv: Pedro Luis Lazo (1) |
August 14
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canada | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Cuba | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | X | 7 | 5 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Vicyohandri Odelín (1-0) LP: Jonathan Lockwood (0-1) Sv: Norberto González (1) Home runs: CAN: Michael Saunders (2), Nick Weglarz 2 (2) CUB: Alexander Malleta (1), Alfredo Despaigne (1) |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese Taipei | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Hideaki Wakui (1-0) LP: Fu-Te Ni (0-1) Home runs: JPN: Shinnosuke Abe (1) TPE: None |
August 15
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cuba | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
WP: Pedro Luis Lazo (1-0) LP: Jeff Stevens (0-2) Home runs: CUB: Alfredo Despaigne (2) USA: Jayson Nix (1) |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Korea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-0) LP: Mike Johnson (0-1) Home runs: KOR: Keun-Woo Jeong (1) CAN: None |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Japan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | X | 6 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Toshiya Sugiuchi (1-0) LP: Alexander Smit (0-1) Home runs: NED: None JPN: Takahiko Sato (1) |
August 16
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chinese Taipei | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Cuba | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 1 | 5 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Elier Sánchez (1-0) LP: Chen-Chang Lee (0-1) Sv: Norberto González (2) Home runs: TPE: None CUB: Frederich Cepeda (1) |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
China | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Leon Boyd (1-0) LP: Kai Liu (0-1) Sv: David Bergman (1) Home runs: NED: Sharnol Adriana (1), Sidney de Jong (1), Bryan Engelhardt (1) CHN: None |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Suk-Min Yoon (2-0) LP: Hitoki Iwase (0-1) Sv: Tae-Hyon Chong (1) Home runs: KOR: Dae-Ho Lee (2) JPN: Takahiro Arai (1) |
August 17
August 18
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Korea | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 16 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese Taipei | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Ki-Joo Han (1-0) LP: Fu-Te Ni (0-2) Sv: Suk-Min Yoon (1) Home runs: KOR: Young-Min Ko (1) TPE: None |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cuba | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | - | 14 | 16 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Netherlands | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 3 | 10 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Jonder Martínez (1-0) LP: Juan Carlos Sulbaran (0-1) Home runs: CUB: None NED: Bryan Engelhardt (2), Percy Isenia (1) |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | X | 9 | 9 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Jake Arrieta (1-0) LP: Chenhao Li (0-1) Home runs: CHN: Yang Yang (1) USA: None |
August 19
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cuba | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | X | 7 | 9 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Seung-Jun Song (1-0) LP: Vicyohandri Odelín (1-1) Sv: Seung-Hwan Oh (1) |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Japan | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | X | - | - | 10 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Hideaki Wakui (2-0) LP: Nan Wang (0-1) Home runs: CHN: None JPN: Tsuyoshi Nishioka (1) |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chinese Taipei | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | X | 4 | 10 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Brandon Knight (1-0) LP: Wen-Hsiung Hsu (0-1) Sv: Kevin Jepsen (1) Home runs: TPE: Chih-Sheng Lin (1) USA: John Gall (1) |
August 20
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Korea | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | 10 | 16 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 4 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Won-Sam Jang (1-0) LP: Alexander Smit (0-2) Home runs: KOR: Dae-Ho Lee (3), Taek-Keun Lee (1) NED: None |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | R | H | E | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chinese Taipei | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
Canada | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
WP: Fu-Te Ni (1-2) LP: Chris Reitsma (0-2) Sv: Chih-Chia Chang (1) Home runs: TPE: Chih-Sheng Lin (2), Che-Hsuan Lin (1) CAN: Stubby Clapp (1) |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
WP: Jeff Stevens (1-2) LP: Hitoki Iwase (0-2) Sv: Casey Weathers (1) |
Knockout stage
Semifinals | Gold Medal Match | |||||
2008-08-22 - Beijing | ||||||
Japan | 2 | |||||
2008-08-23 - Beijing | ||||||
South Korea | 6 | |||||
South Korea | 3 | |||||
2008-08-22 - Beijing | ||||||
Cuba | 2 | |||||
United States | 2 | |||||
Cuba | 10 | |||||
Bronze Medal Match | ||||||
2008-08-23 - Beijing | ||||||
Japan | 4 | |||||
United States | 8 |
Semifinals
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Cuba | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | X | 10 | 14 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Norge Luis Vera (2-0) LP: Stephen Strasburg (1-1) Sv: Pedro Luis Lazo (2) Home runs: USA: None CUB: Alfredo Despaigne (3), Frederich Cepeda (2), Alexei Bell (1), Ariel Pestano (2) |
Bronze medal match
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
United States | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 8 | 9 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Brett Anderson (1-0) LP: Kenshin Kawakami (0-1) Home runs: JPN: Masahiro Araki (1), Norichika Aoki (1) USA: Matt LaPorta (2), Matt Brown (2), Jason Donald (1) |
Gold medal match
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Korea | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Cuba | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-0) LP: Norberto González (0-1) Sv: Tae-Hyon Chong (2) Home runs: KOR: Seung-Yeop Lee (2) CUB: Michel Enríquez (2), Alexei Bell (2) |
Final standings
2008 Olympic champions |
---|
South Korea First title |