List of Olympic medalists in baseball
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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[1]— more than for any other sport in Olympic history.[2] These exhibitions featured a single game at the first five Olympic appearances and then a tournament format in 1984 and 1988.[1] The International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted baseball official status on October 13, 1986, for the 1992 Summer Olympics.[1][3][4] 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.[5] The Cubans went undefeated in the 1992 Olympics and trailed in only one game.[5] Despite Cuban pitcher Rolando Arrojo defecting ten days prior to the start of the Games, Cuba again went undefeated throughout the 1996 tournament en route to a second consecutive gold medal.[6] The United States won their first medal in 1996, taking the bronze in their home country Games in Atlanta. The 2000 Summer Olympics were the first time professional players were allowed to compete in baseball, but Major League Baseball (MLB) did not permit any player on the 40-man roster of an MLB team to compete.[7] The United States won their second consecutive medal in Sydney, securing the gold medal in a 4–0 victory over Cuba in the final. This was the first Olympics in which Cuba lost a game, first beaten by the Dutch team in round-robin play and then again by the Americans in the gold medal game.[8] In 2004, the United States, reigning champions, did not qualify for the Olympic tournament. Cuba once again took the gold by beating the Australian team, whose silver medal finish was the country's lone podium placing in Olympic baseball.[9]
In 2005, the IOC investigated the addition of sports to the Olympic schedule including golf, rugby sevens, and karate.[2] 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.[7] 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.[2][7][10] Appeals to reinstate both sports for 2012 were rejected.[11] Baseball was still played at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, however, and the South Korean team claimed their first gold and second medal in Olympic baseball overall. The Cuban team won their second silver medal in 2008 and are thus the only team to have won either gold or silver at every Summer Olympics. The international governing bodies of baseball, softball, rugby sevens, golf, karate, roller sports, and squash petitioned the IOC in 2009 to fill two sport slots at the 2016 Olympics.[12] IOC President Jacques Rogge said they were "looking for an added value – wide appeal, especially for young people."[12] Specifically, Rogge told MLB.com that the presence of MLB players and compliance with international doping standards would be two major factors in considering a potential return to the Olympics for baseball.[13] Ultimately, however, the IOC voted to fill the two available slots for 2016 with rugby and golf.[14]
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.[15] Nine other Cuban players won three medals; no player from any other nation accomplished this feat.[16] 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.[16]
Medal winners
Athlete medal leaders
Athletes who won at least two gold medals or three total medals are listed below.[16]
| Athlete | Nation | Olympics | Total | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedro Luis Lazo |  Cuba (CUB) |
1996–2008 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Omar Ajete | Cuba (CUB) |
1992–2000 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Orestes Kindelán | Cuba (CUB) |
1992–2000 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Omar Linares | Cuba (CUB) |
1992–2000 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Antonio Pacheco | Cuba (CUB) |
1992–2000 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Eduardo Paret | Cuba (CUB) |
1996 2004–2008 |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Antonio Scull | Cuba (CUB) |
1996 2004–2008 |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Luis Ulacia | Cuba (CUB) |
1992–2000 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Ariel Pestano | Cuba (CUB) |
2000–2008 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Norge Luis Vera | Cuba (CUB) |
2000–2008 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| José Estrada González | Cuba (CUB) |
1992–1996 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Alberto Hernández | Cuba (CUB) |
1992–1996 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Juan Padilla | Cuba (CUB) |
1992–1996 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Lázaro Vargas | Cuba (CUB) |
1992–1996 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
See also
- Baseball awards
- Baseball at the Summer Olympics
- Baseball World Cup
- Women's Baseball World Cup
- Intercontinental Cup (baseball)
- World Baseball Classic
References
- General
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- Specific
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Italicised years indicate baseball was featured as a demonstration sport.
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