Before 1992, baseball had often been seen in various exhibition and demonstration games throughout modern Olympic history. In time, baseball became so popular that it was scheduled to become an official sport at the 1940 Olympic Games in Japan. However, due to World War II, the Games were canceled and baseball was overlooked as an official Olympic sport for the next 52 years. The Olympic Committee formally decided baseball would be an official sport in 1992.
Teams score a run when a batter safely reaches all four bases.
In what might be referred to quite literally as a World Series, qualifying baseball teams from around the globe battle each other in a round-robin style competition. The top four teams advance to the semifinals. Of these four teams, the top two compete for the gold and silver medals. The other two teams play for the bronze. Stay on base with the latest baseball news, complete with feature articles and related links from CBS Sportline's Olympics 2000 site.