Mike Neill is a former Team USA Baseball Olympian, and in the following article, he revisits the historical baseball gold medal win against Cuba in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Victories never saturated an athlete, team, or nation from the exhilaration it provides. But to those yet to experience the joy and excitement a win can bring; the anticipation and eventual relief make a win even more inspiring and memorable to treasure.
One instance that provided people with that inspiration and excitement was the American baseball team’s win at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
But why is the US win so significant to the Americans?
Furthermore, how can an all-American sport – supposedly dominated by the Americans – be of utmost significance in Olympic history?
Below, Mike Neill takes a trip down memory lane.
Mike Neill on the Takeaways
The Millennium Olympics in Sydney was the third Olympic event in which baseball was held as a full medal sport. For the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, Cuba won gold for the sport – until the 2000 Summer Olympics.
The Ultimate Underdog Story
Mike Neill notes that most baseball fans expected the Cubans to return home with the gold medal. However, it found its way into the hands of the American team instead, as they earned it fair and square despite adversaries.
What kind of adversaries?
A Manager with Extensive Baseball Knowledge Who Barely Knew the Team
Tommy Lasorda managed the 2000 Olympic baseball team. However, in his interview with equally legendary film director Bud Greenspan, Lasorda stated that he didn’t know a lot about the baseball players representing the USA team.
In his own words, Lasorda told the team, “I don’t know you guys. But I’m going to tell you this right now, and you remember what I’m telling you. When this thing is all over, the whole world is going to know about you guys.”
Tommy Lasorda was already 73 years old when he managed the 2000 USA Olympic baseball team – it also didn’t help that the complete roster was only finalized ten days before their flight to Australia.
Mike Neill says that it was great Lasorda took the job to manage Team USA. Where ever the team went, people wanted to meet Tommy. But Mike Neill also felt the players were “gamers” and made Lasorda’s job a little easier.
Mike Neill remarks that the USA Olympic baseball team wasn’t the only one faced with challenges.
Updated Olympic Baseball Rules and Regulations
Besides gridiron football, many consider baseball as the USA’s national sport. As such, it’s rather easy to find and train athletes to be Olympic-level qualifiers. The 2000 Summer Olympics updated rules came into play when they allowed professional players to compete.
Mike Neill says that even though no established Major Leaguers competed in the 2000 Olympics, it was a great tournament with players thrilled to compete for their countries.
Before that, the 1992 and 1996 Olympics primarily consisted of collegiate baseball players.
Furthermore, the 2000 Sydney Olympics was the first to implement the standard use of aluminum bats instead of the commonly used wooden ones. To the Americans, this was a fairly easy transition to adjust to. However, the Cuban team somewhat struggled with the change.
In addition, the ongoing political situation at the time also contributed to the American team’s win.
Defectors
Mike Neill notes that Cuba and the US have a long history of disputes. But it significantly affected the world of sports when several Cuban baseball players defected to seek refuge in the US. Some notable defectors include:
| Name | Position | Year Defected |
|---|---|---|
| Orlando Hernandez | Pitcher | 1998 |
| Vladimir Nunez | Pitcher | 1998 |
| Jorge Toca | First baseman | 1999 |
| Brayan Pena | Catcher | 1999 |
| Adrian Hernandez | Pitcher | 2000 |
| Andry Morales | Third baseman | 2000 |
It’s worth noting that these athletes are already exceptionally skilled and talented – regardless of the nation they represent.
Mike Neill says however, whether or not these notable baseball players participated in the 2000 Olympics to represent the USA, athletes born and raised on US soil still needed hard work and dedication to return home with the gold – and that’s what they did.
Team USA
To further solidify their names in history, here are the baseball players who represented the country and subsequently brought home the gold:
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Pat Borders | Catcher |
| Marcus Jensen | Catcher |
| Doug Mientkiewicz | First baseman |
| Brent Abernathy | Second baseman |
| Gookie Dawkins | Shortstop |
| Adam Everett | Shortstop |
| Sean Burroughs | Third baseman |
| Mike Kinkade | Third baseman |
| Mike Neill | Outfield |
| Anthony Sanders | Outfield |
| Brad Wilkerson | Outfield |
| Ernie Young | Outfield |
| John Cotton | Designated hitter |
| Kurt Ainsworth | Pitcher |
| Ryan Franklin | Pitcher |
| Chris George | Pitcher |
| Shane Heams | Pitcher |
| Rick Krivda | Pitcher |
| Roy Oswalt | Pitcher |
| Jon Rauch | Pitcher |
| Bobby Seay | Pitcher |
| Ben Sheets | Pitcher |
| Todd Williams | Pitcher |
| Tim Young | Pitcher |
Summary
Mike Neill says that the 2000 Sydney Olympics is part of baseball history. And the historic US win is one that Americans still celebrate to this day.
Who knows? Maybe the sport will regain worldwide attention, making it a staple Olympic sport once again. After all, the 2020 Olympics already featured baseball again after thirteen years.
