Men's Baseball
| Country | Cuba |
|---|---|
| Credentials | Three-time Olympic champions (1992, 1996, 2004) and silver medallist at the 2000 Sydney Games. Finished second at the 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC), and have won a record 25 World Cup titles. |
| Country | U.S. |
|---|---|
| Credentials | 2000 Olympic gold medallist after upsetting Cuba in the final. Settled for a bronze medal following a 10-3 victory over Nicaragua at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. |
| Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Credentials | Three-time Olympic medallists, including one silver (1996) and two bronze medals (1992, 2004). Won the inaugural WBC with a 10-6 victory over Cuba. |
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Credentials | Bronze medallist at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. Earned its biggest victory ever with a stunning 8-6 triumph over the U.S. in the first round of the WBC. Finished first at the 2008 Olympic qualification tournament in Taiwan with a 5-1 record. |
On a roll
Canada
After nearly pulling off a monumental upset against Cuba in the semifinal contest at the Athens Games, the Canadians bounced back with an impressive showing at the Olympic qualification tournament in Taiwan this March. More impressively, the Canadians finished ahead of South Korea and Chinese Taipei in their own backyard, proving they can handle the pressure of international baseball away from home.
"I think they have a nice blend of veterans and younger players," said CBC baseball analyst Warren Sawkiw. "They understand the international game and the sense of urgency it takes to compete in a short tournament."
On A Slide
Cuba
On the surface this looks like a misprint. It's hard to imagine the powerful Cubans as a baseball national on the decline, but the team has lost a lot of high-powered talent to the major leagues via defections. The country has also seen key veterans retire from the international stage, making its gold-medal defence a rather tall order.
"With all that happening in Cuba right now, you wonder if the bubble will finally burst with this team," explains Sawkiw. "Could this be the year that the defections finally catch up to the Cubans?"
The X Factor
South Korea
This team has the potential to make noise in Beijing. The South Koreans are fundamentally strong and always field a quality team. The nation performed admirably at the WBC two years ago, advancing to the semifinals before falling to Japan 6-0. Still, South Korea finished with a 6-1 record and placed third in the tournament.
"If I were to look at a team that could throw a monkey wrench in this tournament, it would be South Korea," said Sawkiw.
Under The Radar
Chinese Taipei
Known as a consistently well-prepared team, Chinese Taipei just missed advancing to the medal round in Athens. The nation continued its strong play at the Olympic qualifying tournament in March, finishing with a 5-2 mark and advancing to Beijing as one of the top three teams in the group.
"They're not intimidated by any team in this tournament, and were right behind Canada in the qualifying round," said Sawkiw.
Players To Watch
Matt LaPorta (Infielder) U.S. The Milwaukee Brewers traded LaPorta to the Cleveland Indians as part of the C.C. Sabathia deal. A right-hander with game-changing power, LaPorta has a chance to develop into a better player than Carlos Lee, according to one scout.
Che-Hsuan Lin (Outfielder) Chinese Taipei. Signed by the Boston Red Sox for $400,000 as part of their Asian scouting, Lin held his own as an 18-year-old rookie in the minors during the 2007 season. His arm and speed should serve him well in Beijing.
Yulieski Gourriel (Infielder) Cuba. Gourriel, 24, can play any position around the infield, though he mans third base most of the time and is a complete player. Former major league manager Jim Lefebvre, who will be the bench boss for China in Beijing, calls Gourriel "the best looking amateur I've ever seen.
Michael Saunders (Outfielder) Canada. The 21-year-old Victoria native has as much potential as any member of the Seattle Mariners minor-league system.
The Lowdown
With the Cubans more vulnerable this year due to player defections, this could be the year the Americans reclaim their standing among the elite. There is plenty of motivation for the U.S. to challenge for the top spot. The team shockingly failed to qualify for the Athens Games four years ago, and then, boasting a talented and multi-million dollar pro squad, suffered the indignity of getting eliminated in the second round of the WBC on home soil.
While the U.S. is made up of minor-league players, many of them are expected to make a name for themselves down the road. "I think that right now you have to look at the U.S. and say, 'That's a compelling story,'" said Sawkiw. "The Americans are drawing from a talent pool that's second to none and the lineup could be daunting. Since baseball won't be a part of the 2012 Games, I'm sure they'll want to make an impact in this tournament."
Japan is another country looking to make amends. Despite earning a bronze medal in Athens, the Japanese team was embarrassed after they dropped a stunning decision to Australia in the semifinal. Even winning the inaugural WBC hasn't wiped out the memory of that loss. A potential hurdle facing Japan could be overcoming injuries some players have encountered over the past year.
"Japan shuts down its league for three weeks so that's how important the Olympics are to that country," said Sawkiw. "That loss to the Australians was a national nightmare and it will be interesting to see how it responds."
As for Canada, Sawkiw believes this team is finally ready to reach the podium and erase its disheartening loss to Cuba four years ago.
"I really think Canada will knock off Cuba in the bronze-medal game," he said. "The team has proven it can hang with the big boys."
Medal Predictions
Gold: U.S.
Silver: Japan
Bronze: Canada