Baseball and softball knock it out of the park, but when will next at bat come?

Japanese relief pitcher Ryoji Kuribashi got U.S. batter Jack Lopez to hit an easy groundball hopper to second baseman Ryosuke Kikuchi, who fielded and lobbed the ball to shortstop Hayato Sakamoto at second base for the game’s final out. The gold-medal winning play incited a joyous Japanese celebration among its players on the field and sent an entire baseball fanatical nation into euphoria.

Japan’s ‘Samurais’, as its national baseball team is referred, shut out the United States, 2-0, to win its first Olympic baseball gold medal at Yokohama Baseball Stadium on Saturday night.

“This was a very good team and the game was played in a good atmosphere,” said Japan’s Masahiro Tanaka, who had pitched for Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees until last year before returning to play in Japan. “Baseball had disappeared from the Olympic Games at the end of the Beijing Games. I am so happy to win this gold medal and revive our sport with this opportunity.”

Japan became the first Olympic host nation to win baseball gold on home turf. The stadium was devoid of fans, but good vibrations could be felt throughout the country.

It was a tense affair with clutch pitching, solid defense, calculated base running and one costly throwing error by the U.S., resulting in an insurance run for Japan in the bottom of the eighth inning. Munetaka Murakami smacked a solo home run off U.S. starter Nick Martinez in the bottom of the second inning for Japan’s only other run.

“We had two electrifying finals between U.S. and Japan, both in baseball and softball,” said World Baseball Softball Confederation secretary general Beng Choo Low, speaking to Around the Rings, prior to an emotional medal ceremony.

“Both the Japanese softball and baseball teams held on very well – can you imagine the pressure of the entire nation, the expectations – they performed brilliantly, and I also must commend the U.S. team,” said the Malaysian baseball/softball official. “It was a nail-biter, don’t even blink an eye.”

Japan’s women’s softball team defeated the U.S. 2-0 in their gold medal contest on July 27.

Predicting the magnitude and overall impact of Japan’s double gold medal performances upon the country may be difficult, but the shining moments - coming in a pandemic affected Olympic Games that many Japanese citizens did not want - were undoubtedly inspiring.

“I couldn’t be happier for everything that Japan and the Japanese people, the associations, and of course the professional leagues, they all came together,” Low said. “We have a tri-party committee working with us here, with WBSC, so I couldn’t be happier for all their work and support allowing us back to be in Tokyo 2020.”

The Dominican Republic defeated South Korea, 10-6, earlier Saturday to win the bronze medal, its first medal in six editions of Olympic baseball. Baseball and softball made their first appearances on the Olympic stage in Barcelona 1992.

Baseball and softball players showcase sport worldwide

The captivating Japan and United States finale concluded 16 days of baseball and softball games contested by six men’s and six women’s teams, which by most accounts exceeded expectations. There was drama, late inning heroics and a high level of play. The two sporting disciplines made a rousing return to the Olympic fold, their last appearance at Beijing 2008.

Low said that she and WBSF president Riccardo Fraccari are thrilled with the results of the two tournaments and adamantly believe that baseball and softball, once again, stepped up to the plate to prove their worthiness on the Olympic stage.

“I ask everyone to go back and watch all of the electrifying baseball and softball games – it was nail-biting, we had so many one-run victories, and in baseball, the number of walk-offs in the bottom of the ninth – I don’t know how to describe it,” she said.

Low said that many amazing storylines arose during the two Olympic tournaments in Tokyo.

U.S. second baseman Eddy Alvarez, who was a United States flag bearer at the opening ceremony, became just the sixth Olympian to win a medal at both the Summer and Winter games. He won a silver medal in speed skating, in the 5,000 meter relay, in addition to racing in three individual events, at the Sochi 2014 Games.

Low said the most valuable lesson learned, despite initial doubters, was that professional and amateurs in baseball can work cohesively together as “playing for their countries in the Olympics is most important.”

Baseball and softball were approved for the Tokyo 2020 program, along with four new sports, at the IOC Session in Rio 2016.

“It’s been a long emotional journey for Riccardo and I – we are over the moon to show that baseball and softball are Olympic material,” Low said.

Olympic baseball’s next at bat?

Despite the positive impression that the sports, participating countries and ultimately, the players, showed to the world in Tokyo, sadly, baseball and softball will not be played in Paris 2024. Los Angeles 2028 is the next chance for the sports to take the Olympic field.

“We are not going away, we are coming back,“ Low says, with conviction, when asked about any disappointment about not being able to carry the momentum from Tokyo into the French capital in three years.

“It took us 16 years to get to Tokyo, it has been amazing - the people that have come forward to help and support us, we are not going away, we are coming back.”

Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium has been the scene of many classic ball games over the years – it seems most likely that there will be more come 2028.

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