Hawaii Wins Little League World Series

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(Photo: Waipahu, Hawaii's Tanner Tokunaga, center, is greeted by teammates as he
crosses home plate after hitting a two-run homer in the second inning during
the championship baseball game of the Little League World Series against
Matamoros, Mexico, Sunday, August 24, 2008, in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Credit: ©Carolyn Kaster/AP Images)

South Korea Upsets Cuba in Baseball Finals

By Michael Carboni

            South Korea pulled off a 6-4-3 double play in the 9^th inning with the bases loaded to seal the win over Cuba. It was South Korea’s first ever gold medal in baseball.

 

This medal event opened in the 1^st inning with a two run homerun by South Korea’s Lee Seung-yuop putting. Cuba quickly answered back with a solo homerun hit by Michael Enriquez. He was the only Cuban batter to reach base against the unstoppable Ryu (Korea’s pitcher) until the 5^th inning. Cuba scored another run in the seventh, but it was to late Korea already scored making the score 3-2. Cuba was unable to even up the game with the bases loaded in the 9^th. South Korea closed the game with a double play.

 

South Korea went 9-0 in the Beijing Olympics. The last team to go undefeated was Cuba in 1996. Most of the Cubans stood on the medal podium with their heads down. “We faced some great pitching from Korea,” Pacheco (A Cuban Player) said. “ We came looking for the gold, so we’re not totally satisfied but we played with dignity and our heart. That’s why were're still a little satisfied.”

This was the last Olympic appearance for baseball. It has been taken off the Olympic Roster for the 2012 games in London. 

All-Star Epic

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(Photo: ©Kathy Willens/AP Images)

Is it the end of baseball in the Olympic Games?

From Scholastic News Kid Reporter Joe Wlos

Bob Watson and Davey Johnson are two of the driving forces behind the Men's Olympic Baseball team. Both of these men started playing baseball as kids and knew as pre-teens that they wanted a successful career in sports. They have certainly realized those youthful dreams.

Johnson coached a World Series winning MLB team and is now coaching the U.S. Olympic team. General Manager Watson hired him for the job because of his great talent and because of his passion for the job.

"The opportunity to wear the letters USA across your jersey is a big thrill for me," Johnson said.

But the 2008 Olympics could be the last time baseball players will get to wear the red, white, and blue in the games. After these games, Men's Baseball and Women's Softball will no longer be a part of the competition.

That hasn’t stopped the fierce competitive spirit on this last team. And America’s dominance in the sport will be tested as they face rivals from every corner of the globe. According to Johnson and Watson, those rivals are growing stronger every year.

"America used to send players to Japan, but now the Japanese send players here and they are big stars. That's how much baseball has grown," Johnson said.

Even though baseball at the Olympics may end, Watson said he thought a true World Series between teams from around the globe could happen as soon as 2016. The world is already on that path. The World Classic played its first competition in March 2006.

But there's still hope for baseball fans in London for the 2012 Olympics. In 2009, the IOC will vote on whether to reinstate baseball to the largest sporting competition in the world. Both Johnson and Watson are very optimistic that the sport will return.