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Baseball

Baseball swung into action at the 1904 Games in St. Louis, Missouri. Throughout the years, the sport was played on and off at the Olympics. But it did not become an official medal sport until the 1992 Games. Now, baseball fans are crying foul! The 2008 Games may be the last for baseball and softball. Three years ago, the International Olympic Committee voted to eliminate them from the 2012 Olympic Summer games. The last time a sport was voted out was when polo was removed 1936.

The Rules of the Game

Olympic baseball is very similar to Major League Baseball: Three strikes and you're out; three outs in an inning; nine innings per game. At this year's Games, seven international teams will come to the plate.

In the first round, teams compete against each of the other teams. The top four teams move on to round two. Then, the top team plays the fourth team and the second team plays the third team. The winners of this round move on to the gold- and silver- medal round. The losers play for the bronze medal.

--Claudia Atticot