It was the first time the International Olympic Committee eliminated any sports in 69 years.

Both baseball and softball suffered from low international support because they are not widely played, despite their Olympic inclusion, and remained dominated by North American teams. Cuba won three of the four baseball gold medals and the United States won the other.

The United States won all three softball gold medals.

Moreover, Major League Baseball never allowed its players to participate and the International Olympic Committee has expressed concern over any sport that is not played in the Olympics with its best players.

"Those who bear most of the blame are the owners of the professional leagues, who refuse to free up their ballplayers to compete," Carlos Rodriguez, president of the Cuban baseball federation, told The Associated Press. "It's a shame because this decision will disappoint millions of young people who practice and love this sport."

Major League Baseball is about to unveil a world baseball tournament that will include the top players and that will be played before the regular season, a plan that did not help the sport's standing with the International Olympic Committee.

"I feel like somebody who has been thrown out - it's certainly not a good feeling," said Aldo Notari of Italy, the president of the International Baseball Federation. "I don't think the I.O.C. members know our sport deeply enough."