Spotlight Sport - Baseball

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Gateway to the Summer Games - Spotlight Sports

Baseball
Often referred to as America's national pastime, baseball made its debut as an official Olympic sport on July 26, 1992, in Barcelona, Spain. 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.


		Scoring \| Competition \| News, History, Fast Facts All About Athletes \| More Sports

Scoring
Each baseball game has nine innings, with three "outs" per side in each inning. Three strikes equal an out and four "balls" (pitches outside the strike zone that are not swung at by the batter) result in a walk. Teams score a run when a batter safely reaches all four bases.

One notable change to the traditional baseball rules is that the game ends if the home team leads by 10 or more runs after six-and-a-half innings or if the visitors lead by the same margin after seven innings.

Competition
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.

News, History, and Fast Facts

For complete information about playing, coaching, and watching baseball, visit the Copernicus Education Gateway's School Athletics Center: Baseball page.
Stay on base with the latest baseball news, complete with feature articles and related links from CBS Sportline's Olympics 2000 site. Then read about how America's pastime has become the world's pastime on the History page.
Do you know what a "squeeze play" is? NBCOlympics.com explains a bunch of baseball-specific terms and rules, often with accompanying illustrations.
The Sydney 2000 site, the official site of the Games, delivers extensive information on the rules, history, and news of Olympic baseball. Got questions? Click on their baseball glossary.
Hey kids! Check out baseball basics and tips to improve your game on CBS Sportsline's MLB Kids site, which features advice and stories from the pros.
For a sneak peek of the dimensions and a breakdown of two baseball venues, check out Sydney 2000's site for information on Baseball Stadium, Olympic Park, and the Blacktown Olympic Centre at Aquilina Reserve.
For more information on competitive amateur baseball around the world, take a look at the International Baseball Federation.

All About Athletes

This year's Olympic team is fielding amateur stars and former pro-ball players. For details about the U.S. Team take a look at NBCOlympics.com.
Check out U.S.A. Baseball's site for bios on the coming Olympians.

More Sports

Basketball	Boxing	Canoeing & Kayaking	Cycling
Diving	Equestrian	Fencing	Gymnastics
Rowing	Soccer	Swimming	Tennis
Track & Field	Volleyball	Water Polo	Wrestling

General Sports Links
Olympians will compete in dozens of sports this summer. Even though Gateway to the Summer Games can't feature them all, you can learn about each and every one by visiting the sites listed below.

Griffin Publishing Group's Official Olympic Sports page
For information straight from the source, click on a sport to connect to its organization's official Web site.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation News
This site provides excellent information about Olympic sports and their rules. It also sizes up the best international competitors.
CBS Sportsline's Olympics 2000
Get top news stories and in-depth features about every sport.
CCN/SI
In addition to news on every sport, this site contains athlete diaries.
NBCOlympics.com
Select a sport to study or hear firsthand from an athlete who plays it.
Sydney 2000
The official site of the Sydney Olympics covers the events in detail.
Sydney 2000 Kids' Guide to Olympic Sports
Visit the Sportzone for sports-related information written especially for young students.
USOC
The United States Olympic Committee site includes the rules and history of events as well as athlete bios, diaries, and chats.
Sydney 2000 Fans
This unofficial site provides basic description of events and useful links to more information.

Portions of the above text were excerpted from Share the Olympic Dream--Volume II.
(c) 1995 by Griffin Publishing Group/United States Olympic Committee.

For information on purchasing Griffin materials, please visit the Griffin Publishing Group Web site at http://www.griffinpublishing.com.