|next = [[Baseball at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000]]
|next = [[Baseball at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000]]
}}
}}
[[Baseball]] had its second appearance as an official medal sport at the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] in [[Atlanta]], [[United States]], with games played at [[Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium]]. Eight nations competed, with the preliminary phase consisting of each team playing every other team. Playoffs were then held, with the four highest ranked teams advancing. For the semifinals, the 1st place team played the 4th place team and the 2nd place team played against the 3rd place team. The winners of those semifinals competed against each other for the [[gold medal]], with the loser getting the [[silver medal]]. The teams defeated in the semifinal played a match for the [[bronze medal]].
[[Baseball]] had its second appearance as an official medal sport at the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] in [[Atlanta]], [[United States]], with games played at [[Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium]]. Eight nations competed, with the preliminary phase consisting of each team playing every other team. Playoffs were then held, with the four highest ranked teams advancing. For the semifinals, the 1st place team played the 4th place team and the 2nd place team played against the 3rd place team. The winners of those semifinals competed against each other for the [[gold medal]], with the loser getting the [[silver medal]]. The teams defeated in the semifinal played a match for the [[bronze medal]]. For the first time, an Olympic baseball tournament was jointly held with [[Softball at the 1996 Summer Olympics|softball]] who made its first appearance at the Olympic Games.
Baseball was an event open only to amateurs for the second and last time. Meanwhile, Cuba used its best players as they were amateurs in name only, with all necessary funding coming from the state.<ref >{{cite journal | last=Harral | first=Emily | title=The Utility Player: An Examination of the Role of Baseball in Cuban Society | journal=Honors Theses | date=31 August 2019 | url=https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/303/ | access-date=17 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Olympic Team No Dream |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/this-olympic-team-no-dream/ |publisher=CBS News |agency=Associated Press |access-date=July 31, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=OlympicTalk |url=https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2021/01/08/tommy-lasorda-manager-los-angeles-dodgers-baseball/ |title=Tommy Lasorda, only manager of World Series, Olympic champions, dies at 93 - OlympicTalk | NBC Sports |date=January 8, 2021 |publisher=Olympics.nbcsports.com}}</ref>
Baseball was an event open only to amateurs for the second and last time. Meanwhile, Cuba used its best players as they were amateurs in name only, with all necessary funding coming from the state.<ref >{{cite journal | last=Harral | first=Emily | title=The Utility Player: An Examination of the Role of Baseball in Cuban Society | journal=Honors Theses | date=31 August 2019 | url=https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/303/ | access-date=17 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Olympic Team No Dream |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/this-olympic-team-no-dream/ |publisher=CBS News |agency=Associated Press |access-date=July 31, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=OlympicTalk |url=https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2021/01/08/tommy-lasorda-manager-los-angeles-dodgers-baseball/ |title=Tommy Lasorda, only manager of World Series, Olympic champions, dies at 93 - OlympicTalk | NBC Sports |date=January 8, 2021 |publisher=Olympics.nbcsports.com}}</ref>
Baseball had its second appearance as an official medal sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States, with games played at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium. Eight nations competed, with the preliminary phase consisting of each team playing every other team. Playoffs were then held, with the four highest ranked teams advancing. For the semifinals, the 1st place team played the 4th place team and the 2nd place team played against the 3rd place team. The winners of those semifinals competed against each other for the gold medal, with the loser getting the silver medal. The teams defeated in the semifinal played a match for the bronze medal. For the first time, an Olympic baseball tournament was jointly held with softball who made its first appearance at the Olympic Games.
Baseball was an event open only to amateurs for the second and last time. Meanwhile, Cuba used its best players as they were amateurs in name only, with all necessary funding coming from the state.[1][2][3]
United States (Hosts)
Japan (1995 Asian Baseball Championship gold medalist)
South Korea (1995 Asian Baseball Championship silver medalist)
Netherlands (1991 European Baseball Championship gold medalist)
Italy (1991 European Baseball Championship silver medalist)
Cuba (1995 Pan American games gold medalist)
Nicaragua (1995 Pan American games silver medalist)
Australia (Oceania Baseball Championship gold medalist, defeat 1995 Africa Cup Baseball Championship 
South Africa in a playoff)
Japan
South Korea
