The fall was as stunning as it was quick.
Japan, the defending World Baseball Classic champion, was humbled in the Beijing heat as Senichi Hoshino's men lost their final three games and stumbled to a fourth-place finish in the Olympic baseball tournament.
This was supposed to be the tournament in which Japan reaffirmed its place atop the baseball world by capturing the gold medal. Instead, "Hoshino Japan" returned home with no medals and a host of unanswered questions with the next edition of the WBC looming.