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South Korea erupted in joy Saturday after the country claimed its first Olympic gold medal in baseball by beating perennial powerhouse Cuba in a nail-biting final to stay undefeated in Beijing.

Taking the medal stand alongside South Korea and the bronze-medal Americans, the Cuban players bowed their heads receiving their silver -- and most remained looking at the ground long after the medal was hung around their necks.

When and if Olympic baseball returns, there will be a new face sitting upon the throne. South Korea, earning its top spot by defeating powerhouse Cuba twice in the same week, leaves Beijing with its first baseball gold medal.

Jacques Rogge would get a real kick out of seeing A-Rod in the Olympics. Probably Dice-K, too.

The star Chinese catcher, Wang Wei, who plays in the Seattle Mariners organization underwent reconstructive knee surgery following a home-plate crash against the United States and is now recovering.

Stephen Strasburg is about to make the biggest start of his young baseball career: in the medal round for the Americans.

A marquee pitcher such as Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka wearing Japan's colors come 2016: That's the image international baseball organizers are conjuring in their efforts to get the sport back on the Olympic program.

China catcher and top player Wang Wei underwent an exploratory arthroscopic procedure Tuesday, a day after he tore a ligament in his left knee and was knocked out of the game in a home-plate collision with Matt LaPorta of the United States.

The seven sports vying for a spot at the 2016 Olympics are using the Beijing Games to promote their cause.

Quite the night at Wukesong Field. The U.S. got hit by pitches five times, two Chinese catchers got ran over and China coach Jim Lefebvre was ejected. Oh, and the U.S. is in control of its medal-round hopes at 3-2.

Jayson Nix still has a bunch of stitches above his left eye and under the skin, too. It's bruised purple and yellow, still swollen and his vision is still a bit hazy.

In a game that wasn't supposed to be about politics -- not at all, fans kept insisting -- politics seemed to be everywhere.

Defending champion Cuba stayed unbeaten in the Olympic baseball tournament, beating the United States 5-4 in 11 innings.  

Lee Jong-Wook hit a sacrifice fly with one out and South Korea answered the Americans' ninth-inning rally with one of its own, beating the United States 8-7 on Wednesday night in a thrilling Olympic baseball opener.