USA celebrates Sydney 2000 Gold – da:nbcsports.com
Article by John Manenti
During the more than 100-year history of the Olympics, the number of Disciplines included in the relative program has changed several times, both for the variation of the specialties within the individual sports, and for the suppression or, vice versa, the inclusion of some of them …
However, it is particular the olympic course of baseball, being part of it for demonstration purposes only in alternate editions, i.e. at the Games of St. Louis 1904 and Antwerp 1912, to then reappear in 1936 in Berlin and then, subsequently, in Helsinki 1962, Melbourne 1956 and Tokyo 1964.
Only during the 80s, the IOC begins to seriously consider the extension of the Disciplines also to Baseball and, after two other editions in which the same does not contribute to forming the Medagliere, finally in 1992 in Barcelona is officially part of the program…
At the time, as you know, the IOC admits only players with amateur status to the Olympics – even though the participation of NBA basketball professionals is being kicked off in the Catalan capital, with the selection of the famous “Dream Team” Usa – which is why those who play in the US Major League do not have the possibility to access the Games.
This means that the lion’s share can only be the representative of Cuba, where Baseball plays the role of National Sport and in which, faithful to the dictates of the communist regime, professionalism does not exist, the proof of which is that the Caribbeans present themselves in the Iberian Peninsula strong in having won the last 12 editions of the World Championships (from 1969 to 1990) in which they participatedresulting absent in 1973, 1974 and 1982, when the United States and then South Korea prevailed twice …
With likewise a record of 63 victories and only one defeat since 1986, Cuba is called to demonstrate its superiority also in the Olympic arena – having not taken part in the two demonstration tournaments in Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988 due to his own boycott of the Games – in one Event in which only 8 formations are registered, namely Cuba, Puerto Rico, the United States and the Dominican Republic (as top four at the 1991 Pan American Games), Japan and Taipei (1st and 2nd at 1987 Asian Championships) and Italy as 1991 European Champion, in addition to Spain as the organizing nation.
Clearly, the Tournament has no historywith Cuba winning all 7 matches in the Group, from which the first four enter the knockout phase, in which it reaffirms its superiority overcoming the United States 6-1 in the semifinals and inflicting a heavy 11-1 in the Final in Taipei …
Confirmed worldwide by winning the fifth consecutive title at the 1994 World Championship held in Nicaragua, ended also this time unbeaten and in which South Korea lost 6-1 in the Final, Cuba also appears as a favored logic at the 1996 Atlanta Olympicseven without one of his best pitchers, Roland Arroyo, who moved to the US to sign a contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
His place is taken over by José Contreras – also a future emigrated to the States in 2003 to marry the New York Yankees – with the Caribbean still able to count on two authentic champions such as third baseman Omar Linares and fielder Orestes Kindelanvice versa remained faithful to the regime of Fidel Castro, even if in the capital of Georgia the Cuban superiority is much less pronounced …
In fact, in spite of having concluded the Group of eight with full points, they are rather narrow the claims about Japan (8-7), South Korea (14-11) United States (10-8) and Nicaragua (8-7)so that the framework of the semi-finals he proposes Cuba against Nicaragua itself, with Japan and the United States facing each other for the other challenge that gives access to the final act, seems less obvious than expected …
But, faithful to the motto that reads “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”, here it is on the diamond of the “Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium” hierarchies are re-established, with Cuba to clearly win the “Caribbean derby” per 8-1 and then suffer in the Final against Japan who, down 0-6, bring the situation back to a draw at the end of the fifth inning, and then concede four points in the next which, in fact, close the match concluded on the final 13-9 which still crowns Cuba at the top of the Discipline …
The uncertainties demonstrated during the Olympic Review mean that there is curiosity about the behavior of the Caribbean selection on the occasion of the following World Championships which took place from 21 July to 2 August 1998 in Italyhowever dispelled by an imperious return and such as to leave no room for any reply.
In an enlarged Tournament of 16 teams, with the same divided into two Groups of 8 formations each, with the first four of each Group qualifying for the knockout phase with crossed pairings (first against fourth and second against third), Cuba is the only one to finish the first stage with full pointsto then have no mercy on either Holland in the Quarters, “swept away” con un eloquent 12-1, as well as of Nicaragua who suffers another lesson in the semifinals, overcome by 14-2before it’s the turn of South Korea, who beat Italy 8-2 in the semifinals, having to give up in the Final, albeit with a more honorable 7-1 defeat …
And it is thus that Cuba – World Champion in 1990, 1995 and 1998 and Olympic in 1992 and 1996 – is preparing to reaffirm its monopoly when it presents itself to the “Millennium Games” of Sydney 2000, where the Baseball tournament takes place from 17 to 27 September on the diamonds set up at the “Blacktown Baseball Stadium” of Blacktown and to the “Sydney Baseball Stadium” in the capital of New South Wales.
Olympiad which brings a great novelty, at least from a strictly formal point of view, that is the successful opening to professionalism, except that the franchises of the Major League USA do not allow their members to participate in the Gameswhich is why the selection of the United States is also made up of players belonging to minor leagues, even if most of them former militants in the Major League …
And, moreover, contrary to how one might think, this circumstance it doesn’t even favor Cuba, as many of its best players have now emigrated to the US attracted by millionaire contracts that are offered to them, which is why the Olympic Tournament promises to be more balanced and exciting than the previous ones.
Conversely, unchanged, the formula with still only 8 participating formations, namely Cuba and the United States (first and second at the 1999 Pan American Games), South Korea and Japan (first and second at the 1999 Asian Championships), Holland and Italy (first and second at the 1999 European Championships), plus the novelty of South Africa, winner of the 1999 African Games in addition, of course, to Australia as the organizing country …
It’s up to South Africa to make its debut against the “Invincible”, making up for the obvious 16-0 defeat, with the Caribbean to then overcome Italy for 13-5 and narrowly defeat (6-5) the always formidable South Korea“alarm bell“of what happens the next day, September 20, 2000a date that takes on a value “historic” in Baseball at the Games.
On the diamond of the “Sybaseball stadium” and in front of over 12,000 spectators, in fact it happens that Cuba – which until then had an immaculate record at the Games of 21 successes in as many matches played – come 4-2 defeat by European champions Holland in a match decided by Hensley Meulens in the fourth inning, former New York Yankees player …
Even if the old adage is confirmed which admonishes as “a swallow does not make spring”, as Holland, despite the feat just mentioned, remains out of the list of semi-finalists, the unexpected 2-3 defeat against South Africa being decisive for what is the only affirmation of the African team, while However, Cuba finishes in first place on a par with the United States, however, clearly defeated (6-1) in direct confrontation.
With the semi-finals facing the undoubted cream of world baseball on 26 September, they propose challenges Cuba-Japan and United States-South Korea which turn out to be somewhat balanced with the reigning Olympic champions to prevail 3-0 (compared to the 6-2 obtained in the first phase …) and the USA to be right 3-2 over the other Asian teamsuccess also in this case much narrower than the 4-0 of the elimination round …
A classic, therefore, the one between Cuba and the United States that takes place on September 27, 2000 and which attracts over 14,000 spectators to the grandstands of the “Sydney Baseball Stadium” to check whether or not you can attend the “fall of the gods”, a circumstance which, against the odds, comes true with the Caribbean unable to score a single point – first time this happens to them at the Olympics – and, vice versa, the pitcher Ben Sheets on the shields for the United States, who win the match and the Gold Medal with a clear 4-0.
In this regard, the words of the Coach Usa Tommy Lasordawith two affirmations behind him (1981 and 1988) in the World Series as coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who gives himself to the media by commenting: “No victory can be compared to winning Olympic gold” …
And, if he says so…
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