Ondrej Satoria of Czechia paused as he walked off the mound at Tokyo Dome, turning a full 360 degrees to acknowledge the sold-out crowd standing and applauding him during the Pool B game against Japan on March 15, 2023.[1][2]

The majority of the 44,179 fans in attendance were Japanese, cheering the visiting pitcher despite Czechia trailing host Japan in the World Baseball Classic group stage matchup.[2][3] Satoria, a 35-year-old full-time electrician from Ostrava employed by CEZ Group, had just completed a relief appearance.[1][4]

Satoria pitched 1.1 innings, allowing two hits, two earned runs, one walk and recording two strikeouts—one of which was Shohei Ohtani, the tournament MVP and two-way star for the eventual champion Japan team.[2][3] His fastballs rarely exceeded 80 mph (129 km/h).[1]

The strikeout of Ohtani in the third inning drew immediate cheers from Japanese fans, with Satoria's helmet flying off during his follow-through.[1][3] Japan won the game 10-2 and finished Pool B undefeated at 3-0 to advance to the quarterfinals, where they went on to claim the 2023 WBC title.[2][5]

Satoria told MLB.com postgame: "Nobody knows me in Czechia. I’m just a regular dude from Ostrava, but here they respect me and have me sign balls. It’s really nice."[1] His performance and the fan reception elevated his profile in Japan, leading to recognition beyond the tournament.[1][4]

Czechia, making their second main draw appearance after qualifying through the Europe Region, finished 0-3 in the pool but competed closely in losses to Japan, South Korea and Australia.[2][5] The country is drawn into Pool B in Tokyo for the 2026 WBC alongside Japan.[5]

Sources

1. MLB.com, "Czechia's electrician stuns Ohtani with strikeout," March 15, 2023, https://www.mlb.com/news/ondrej-satoria-strikes-out-shohei-ohtani-in-wbc
2. MLB.com, "Japan 10, Czech Republic 2 Final Box Score (Mar 15, 2023)," March 15, 2023, https://www.mlb.com/gameday/japan-vs-czech-republic/2023/03/15/746919/final/box
3. ESPN, "Japan 10-2 Czech Republic (Mar 15, 2023) Game Recap," March 15, 2023, https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=401471957
4. The Athletic, "WBC notebook: Electrician Ondrej Satoria becomes a cult hero in Japan," March 16, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/... (archived recap)
5. World Baseball Classic official (MLB.com), "2026 World Baseball Classic pools announced," March 11, 2024, https://www.mlb.com/news/2026-world-baseball-classic-pools-teams-announced