# 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, with the four highest ranked teams advancing. For the semifinals, the 1st place team played the 4th place team and the 2nd place team played against the 3rd place team. The winners of those semifinals competed against each other for the gold medal, with the loser getting the silver medal. The teams defeated in the semifinal played a match for the bronze medal.
Baseball was an event open only to amateurs for the second and last time. Meanwhile, Cuba used its best players as they were amateurs in name only, with all necessary funding coming from the state.

## Medalists

| Gold: | Silver: | Bronze: |
| Cuba Juan Manrique Garcia Orestes Kindelán Antonio Scull Alberto Hernández Antonio Pacheco Massó Juan Padilla Omar Linares Lázaro Vargas Alverez Miguel Caldés Luis Eduardo Paret José Estrada González Rey Isaac Vaillant Luis Ulacia Alverez Pedro Luis Lazo Eliecer Montes de Oca José Contreras Omar Luis Martinez Omar Ajete Ormari Romero Jorge Fumero | Japan Masahiko Mori Jutaro Kimura Masao Morinaka Hitoshi Ono Takashi Kurosu Masahiro Nojima Makoto Imaoka Kosuke Fukudome Takayuki Takabayashi Yasuyuki Saigo Masanori Sugiura Takeo Kawamura Koichi Misawa Hideaki Okubo Nobuhiko Matsunaka Tadahito Iguchi Takao Kuwamoto Daishin Nakamura Tomoaki Sato Yoshitomo Tani | United States Kris Benson R. A. Dickey Troy Glaus Chad Green Seth Greisinger Travis Lee Augie Ojeda Jason Williams Chad Allen Kip Harkrider A. J. Hinch Jacque Jones Mark Kotsay Matt LeCroy Braden Looper Brian Loyd Warren Morris Jeff Weaver Jim Parque Billy Koch |

## Teams

* United States (Hosts)
* Japan (1995 Asian Baseball Championship gold medalist)
* South Korea (1995 Asian Baseball Championship silver medalist)
* Netherlands (1991 European Baseball Championship gold medalist)
* Italy (1991 European Baseball Championship silver medalist)
* Cuba (1995 Pan American games gold medalist)
* Nicaragua (1995 Pan American games silver medalist)
* Australia (Oceania Baseball Championship gold medalist, defeat 1995 Africa Cup Baseball Championship South Africa in a playoff)

## Preliminary round

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | RF | RA | RD | PCT | GB | Qualification |
| 1 | Cuba | 7 | 7 | 0 | 97 | 49 | +48 | 1.000 | — | Advance to knockout round |
| 2 | United States (H) | 7 | 6 | 1 | 81 | 27 | +54 | .857 | 1 | Advance to knockout round |
| 3 | Japan | 7 | 4 | 3 | 69 | 45 | +24 | .571 | 3 | Advance to knockout round |
| 4 | Nicaragua | 7 | 4 | 3 | 44 | 30 | +14 | .571 | 3 | Advance to knockout round |
| 5 | Netherlands | 7 | 2 | 5 | 32 | 76 | −44 | .286 | 5 | |
| 6 | Italy | 7 | 2 | 5 | 33 | 71 | −38 | .286 | 5 | |
| 7 | Australia | 7 | 2 | 5 | 47 | 86 | −39 | .286 | 5 | |
| 8 | South Korea | 7 | 1 | 6 | 40 | 59 | −19 | .143 | 6 | |

### Day 1 (July 20)

| 10:00AM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| Nicaragua | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| 3:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Cuba | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 3 | | 19 | 20 | 2 |
| Australia | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 8 | 12 | 5 |
| 8:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Japan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | | | 12 | 17 | 0 |
| Netherlands | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | | 2 | 6 | 4 |

### Day 2 (July 21)

| 3:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| South Korea | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Italy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 8:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E |
| Japan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| Cuba | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 1 |

### Day 3 (July 22)

| 10:00AM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Netherlands | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | | 16 | 18 | 1 |
| Australia | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | | 6 | 7 | 2 |
| 3:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Italy | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 1 |
| Nicaragua | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 8:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 |
| United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | x | 7 | 10 | 3 |

### Day 4 (July 23)

| 10:00AM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Netherlands | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | | | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Cuba | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 7 | x | | | 18 | 17 | 0 |
| 3:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Nicaragua | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 14 | 4 |
| South Korea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 3:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Australia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 14 | 0 |
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 3 |

### Day 5 (July 24)

| 3:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| United States | 6 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | | | 15 | 11 | 0 |
| Italy | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 8:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Cuba | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 20 | 0 |
| South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 17 | 2 |

### Day 6 (July 25)

| 10:00AM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Nicaragua | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | 5 | 10 | 0 |
| Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 3:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Italy | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 15 | 3 |
| Australia | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 3 |
| 8:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| United States | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | X | | | 15 | 14 | 0 |

### Day 7 (July 27)

| 10:00AM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Japan | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 13 | 1 |
| Nicaragua | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 2 |
| 3:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | | | 6 | 11 | 7 |
| Cuba | 0 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | x | | | 20 | 19 | 0 |
| 8:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Australia | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | 5 | 9 | 1 |
| United States | 7 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | x | | | 15 | 13 | 0 |

### Day 8 (July 28)

| 10:00AM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Netherlands | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| South Korea | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 11 | 16 | 1 |
| 3:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Cuba | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 0 |
| United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 2 |
| 8:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Nicaragua | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | | 10 | 13 | 0 |

### Day 9 (July 29)

| 10:00AM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Netherlands | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 1 |
| Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 1 |
| 3:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Nicaragua | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 1 |
| Cuba | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 8 | 12 | 1 |
| 8:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| South Korea | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | | | 4 | 8 | 2 |
| Japan | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | | | 14 | 19 | 0 |

### Day 10 (July 30)

| 10:00AM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| United States | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | | | 17 | 18 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 3:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Japan | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | | 12 | 13 | 0 |
| 8:00PM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 14 | 2 |
| South Korea | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 3 |

## Knockout round

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Gold medal game | Gold medal game | Gold medal game |
| 1 | Cuba | 8 | | | |
| 4 | Nicaragua | 1 | | | |
| 4 | Nicaragua | 1 | Cuba | Cuba | 13 |
| | | | Japan | Japan | 9 |
| 3 | Japan | 11 | Japan | Japan | 9 |
| 2 | United States | 2 | Bronze medal game | Bronze medal game | Bronze medal game |
| | | | Nicaragua | Nicaragua | 3 |
| | | | United States | United States | 10 |

### Semifinals (August 1)

| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Nicaragua | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
| Cuba | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | x | 8 | 14 | 2 |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Japan | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 15 | 0 |
| United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 |

### Bronze medal match (August 2)

| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| United States | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 12 | 1 |
| Nicaragua | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 |

### Final (August 2)

| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 1 |
| Cuba | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | x | 13 | 14 | 0 |

## Final standing

| Place | Team |
| | Cuba |
| | Japan |
| | United States |
| 4. | Nicaragua |
| 5. | Netherlands |
| 6. | Italy |
| 7. | Australia |
| 8. | South Korea |
* 1996 Olympic champions
* Cuba Second title

## Sources

* Official Olympic Report via Wayback Machine