Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics
| Baseball at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wukesong Baseball Field | ||||||||||
| Dates | August 13–23, 2008 | |||||||||
| Teams | 8 | |||||||||
| Medalists | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in
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 | Douliou
|
3 |  Canada South Korea Chinese Taipei[1]
|
| TOTAL | 8 | |||
All times are
Team squad
Team
Qualification criteria
Appearance
Canada
1st place of Final Qualifying Tournament
2nd
China
Automatic as host nation of the Olympics
1st
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
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
Netherlands0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
1
Chinese Taipei0
1
0
3
0
1
0
0
X
5
7
0
WP: Wei-Yin Chen (1-0) LP: David Bergman (0-1)
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Canada0
0
0
3
2
0
1
4
-
10
10
0
China0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-
0
8
2
(1)
CHN: None
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
United States1
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
3
7
12
1
South Korea0
2
1
0
3
0
0
0
2
8
9
1
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Japan0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
2
9
1
Cuba0
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
7
8
9
R
H
E
United States0
1
0
4
0
0
1
1
-
7
10
0
Netherlands0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-
0
1
0
NED: None
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
R
H
E
China0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
South Korea0
0
0
0
0
-
0
3
0
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Canada0
0
2
1
0
2
0
1
0
6
9
2
Cuba0
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
Japan0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
4
6
9
1
Chinese Taipei0
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
12
R
H
E
Chinese Taipei0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
4
7
11
1
China0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
5
8
11
3
(1)
CHN: None
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
R
H
E
Cuba2
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
5
10
0
United States0
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 Korea0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
0
Canada0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
1
CAN: None
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Netherlands0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
1
Japan4
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
X
6
10
0
August 16
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Canada0
1
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
4
10
1
United States0
0
0
2
1
0
2
0
X
5
9
1
WP: Brian Duensing (1-0) LP: Chris Reitsma (0-1)
Home runs:
CAN: None
USA: Brian Barden (1)
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Chinese Taipei0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
1
Cuba0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
X
1
5
0
(1)
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Netherlands0
0
0
1
5
0
0
0
0
6
9
1
China0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
4
11
1
Home runs:
NED: Sharnol Adriana (1), Sidney de Jong (1), Bryan Engelhardt
CHN: None
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
South Korea0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
3
5
9
1
Japan0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
3
7
1
JPN: Takahiro AraiAugust 17
Team
6
7
8
9
10
11
R
H
E
China-
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
2
South Korea0
0
0
0
0
1
1
7
0
August 18
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Japan0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
5
0
Canada0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
WP: Yoshihisa Naruse (1-0) LP: Chris Begg (1-1) Sv: Koji Uehara (1)
Home runs:
JPN: Atsunori Inaba (1)
CAN: None
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
South Korea7
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
9
16
2
Chinese Taipei0
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
0
8
12
2
TPE: None
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Cuba1
0
0
0
5
4
0
4
-
14
16
0
Netherlands0
1
1
0
0
0
1
0
-
3
10
2
(1)
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
China0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
4
1
United States1
0
0
0
3
1
4
0
X
9
9
0
(1)
USA: None
August 19
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Canada0
0
1
2
0
0
0
1
0
4
7
1
Netherlands0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
WP: Brooks McNiven (1-0) LP: Shairon Martis (0-2)
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Cuba0
3
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
4
7
2
South Korea0
0
0
5
0
1
1
0
X
7
9
0
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
China0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-
-
0
2
0
Japan0
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 Taipei0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
2
5
0
United States0
0
0
0
1
2
0
1
X
4
10
2
USA: John GallAugust 20
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
China0
0
0
0
0
0
1
-
-
1
2
1
Cuba0
9
1
4
1
2
X
-
-
17
20
0
(1)
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
South Korea2
0
0
0
4
2
0
2
-
10
16
1
Netherlands0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-
0
4
1
NED: None
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
R
H
E
Chinese Taipei1
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
6
10
2
Canada2
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
5
10
3
(1)
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
R
H
E
United States0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
4
5
0
Japan0
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 Japan2 2008-08-23 - Beijing South Korea6
South Korea3 2008-08-22 - Beijing Cuba2
United States2 Cuba10
Bronze Medal Match 2008-08-23 - Beijing Japan4 United States8
Semifinals
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Japan1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
6
2
South Korea0
0
0
1
0
0
1
4
X
6
10
1
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
United States0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
2
6
2
Cuba0
0
2
1
0
1
0
6
X
10
14
2
Bronze medal match
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Japan1
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
6
1
United States0
1
3
0
4
0
0
0
X
8
9
0
Gold medal match
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
South Korea2
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
3
4
0
Cuba1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
5
1
Final standings
Place
Team
South Korea
Cuba
United States
4
Japan
5
Chinese Taipei
6
Canada
7
Netherlands
8
China
2008 Olympic champions
South Korea
First title
Notes
References
External links
Tournaments 
Qualifications Squads
