at lon ▁ ▁Bad m inton ▁ ▁Baseball ▁ ▁Baseball ▁was ▁open ▁only ▁to ▁male ▁am ateurs ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁Americans ▁and ▁other ▁nations ▁where ▁professional ▁baseball ▁is ▁developed ▁re lied ▁on ▁colleg iate ▁players , ▁while ▁Cub ans ▁used ▁their ▁most ▁experienced ▁veter ans , ▁who ▁techn ically ▁were ▁considered ▁am ateurs ▁as ▁they ▁nomin ally ▁held ▁other ▁jobs , ▁but ▁in ▁fact ▁trained ▁full - time . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁pros ▁were ▁admitted , ▁but ▁the ▁ML B ▁refused ▁to ▁release ▁its ▁players ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁situation ▁changed ▁only ▁a ▁little : ▁the ▁Cub ans ▁still ▁used ▁their ▁best ▁players , ▁while ▁the ▁Americans ▁started ▁using ▁minor ▁le agu ers . ▁The ▁IO C ▁c ited ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁players ▁as ▁the ▁main ▁reason ▁for ▁baseball ▁being ▁dropped ▁from ▁the ▁Olympic ▁program . ▁ ▁Sum mary ▁ ▁R oster ▁ ▁Pre lim inary ▁round ▁ ▁Sem if inal ▁ ▁Gold ▁medal ▁game ▁ ▁Basketball ▁ ▁Sum mary ▁ ▁Men ▁ ▁R oster ▁ ▁| } ▁| ▁val ign =" top " ▁| ▁ ▁Head ▁coach ▁ ▁Rud y ▁Tom jan ov ich ▁ ▁Ass istant ▁coach ( es ) ▁ ▁Larry ▁Brown ▁ ▁Gene ▁K ead y ▁ ▁T ub by ▁Smith ▁| } ▁ ▁Group ▁play ▁ ▁Qu arter final