[SPOTV News — Shin Won-chul] "If we lose 0-15, people will say, 'What are they doing here? This is a mess. Kick them out,'" Chadim said. "We're fighting — not just for ourselves but for other countries that want recognition on the international stage. This isn't just a goal; it's our mission."
The Czech national team punched an automatic ticket to the 2026 World Baseball Classic after beating China and finishing fourth in its pool at the 2023 WBC. But when Taiwan replaced China on the 2026 schedule, the Czechs were swept in the first round before they could face favorites like Japan. They fell 4-11 to South Korea, 1-5 to Australia, and were routed 0-14 by Taiwan, finishing the tournament with just five runs scored and 30 allowed.
Across their two WBC appearances, the Czechs are 1-7. The team often attracts attention more for players' "two-job" backgrounds than their on-field play, but Chadim — who is also a neurosurgeon — rejects the notion that Czech baseball is merely a novelty. He wants the team taken seriously as competitors capable of earning wins on the world stage.
Catcher Martin Cervenka spent a decade in the minors and came within reach of the majors. He now works as a sales representative for a Czech chemical company. That dual-career reality feeds a stereotype, but Cervenka says his résumé can't be reduced to a gimmick.
"We came here to play baseball," Cervenka said. "We earned our spot for a reason. The fact that some of us have other jobs doesn't erase what we achieved to get here."
Even in a 0-3 showing, the Czechs experienced moments that suggested an upset was possible. Trailing South Korea 0-6, Teryn Vavra — whose great-grandfather was Czech — belted a three-run homer that trimmed the deficit to three. Against Australia they even drew first blood.
Some of the players who created those moments are now playing college baseball in the United States. Those young talents could be the core of a future Czech squad that competes as full-time professionals, rather than part-timers balancing two careers.
And it's not only the Czechs. The tournament's underdogs are giving the WBC an unpredictable edge.
Brazil, for example, lost 5-15 to the United States but were within striking distance through the seventh inning, trailing 4-7. Brazil hit three homers — one more than Team USA — and 17-year-old high schooler Joseph Contreras, who has a Brazilian mother, made a notable contribution, even turning a double play that involved Aaron Judge. Nicaragua, meanwhile, scored three runs early and forced the Dominican Republic to pull ace Christopher Sanchez in the middle of the second inning. Those moments might never happen if the field were smaller.
