WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL C - CHINESE TAIPEI VS CZECHIA

March 7, 2026

Pavel Chadim

Tokyo Dome

Team Czechia

Pregame Press Conference

Q. Two questions for you. First, Hideki Kuriyama is here and I know you switched your number from 13 to 89. So could you tell us a little bit about the importance of him to you, the team and why the switch?

PAVEL CHADIM: Yes, it was unbelievable surprise. And he's great guy. He wrote me last week that he's in Arizona with Dodgers, and he didn't know that he will be here. I am so happy to meet him. And a lot of memories, he's ambassador of Czech Japanese baseball cooperation, and he was in Czechia, wish us good luck before European Championship. He was in our living room. He help my son with a couple things, and he's good friend.

The story with number, my number all my life is 13. I feel, I think this is my mark, 13, but I met in my life somebody who helped Czech baseball a lot, and with respect to of him, Schneider, a firefighter who help beat here because he beat -- in qualification 2022 Spain with this respect, and with rules that coach and player cannot have same number, I had three years ago number 11, it's close of 13.

But we have one new guy, one new rookie, and he's only one guy in my team who has his number so like and he has number on his neck. He's young. I can use the power. I can say it's my number but because it's not my first number, I was thinking how use this number for this tournament. And I remember that 89 is number of my mentor of my favorite manager of WBC, and the name is Yaku, it's a baseball, and the story is that I wanted to show respect of Mr. Kuriyama, respect of Japan, respect of Japanese fans, respect of all support what we feel.

And one little thing is when Mr. Hideki Kuriyama came to Czechia, he was in Prague when we changed life in Czechia after Communism, it was a revolution and it was very important for us and for baseball. We changed life, our lives, and it was the year '89, the revolution, and it means a lot for us we can play baseball like a normal sport. We cannot hide ourselves.

Q. You're a neurologist. You've talked about training the mind but today is a big game and baseball is played best when you're relaxed. Are there any things you've done for yourself or for the team to be relaxed entering today?

PAVEL CHADIM: Thank you, I think after all games, our team feel it's just another game. Yes, the fans around us think, Oh, you have to win because you have to save the Joaquin, you have to save WBC. But we have under control just what we have under control. If we beat Taiwan, Taiwan beat Korea and we are still out.

This means this is just another game, and we have to fight like we fighted last two games, and one of our goals is show that amateurs can be part of this tournament and we want to show other countries in Europe, in Asia, America, Philippines, Austria, France, Germany they can play here, and I hope in future more than 20 countries can play international baseball on this highest level.

Q. Can you talk about what special mental preparation you did?

PAVEL CHADIM: I spoke about it yesterday. We did these neurovision things like non-specific but it didn't work. But with Mr. Oh, he gave us specific baseball things which we can use before game, before live BP. If you don't waste the time, if the players and hitters feel better, you can use it. And I feel that our hitters are more comfortable. They have more time forgo, no go action, and for action, exactly right place. That's what I feel.

Q. What do you feel about the atmosphere and fans?

PAVEL CHADIM: I'm so looking forward because I heard that we have right now two sold-out games, one with Taiwan, one with Japan. It's a dream of all the players. It's a dream of all the team, coaches, and this is heaven.

I am looking forward for Taiwanese atmosphere, because when we were in Taipei Dome, it's a little bit different than in Czechia, especially, especially in Czechia.

And yes, what's better, play with Premier12 champion in full house, 45,000 people around you? And I felt in Taipei, that Taiwanese fans are fair. They support players, like players in the game, and sometimes in Europe I don't see it in soccer. I don't see it in ice hockey. That's why I love baseball so much.

And I think that your captain, I heard that your captain had broke a finger? And before the tournament, I felt that he's the key. He's the heart of the team. I don't want to say that I am happy that he is not -- that I am not happy, but I felt that he was key in the Premier12 tournament, and I wish him a good luck and safe treatment because it's part of sport but we wanted to play against the best.

But still, Taiwan team has great hitter, great players, great pitchers, and I'm looking forward.

Q. What impact will this WBC have for European baseball?

PAVEL CHADIM: Thanks for question. I think that Europe, I think all baseball world need a little bit Europe because we can connect and collect everything, and that's why I'm so happy that I have knowledge from Australia, I have knowledge there Japan, I have knowledge from Korea, I have knowledge from USA. It's great to collect all view of baseball and find the best.

Look, we don't have a lot of time. We have this tournament for show that country like us have a chance, and we have to work -- we have to work as fast as possible, and we have to say once more thanks Japan, Japanese fans and NPB, Mr. Kuriyama, to help us speed up our development. That's the first.

And second, I have great relationship with all of the coaches, but you are right, it's special because I am a former pitcher. I believe that the pitcher is the key of every game. Look yesterday, without Thomas, without Satoria, we cannot be so close, and hitters don't have enough time to show how good they are because it's so hard to hit on this level and so hard to produce a run, one run. You need three or four quality at-bats on this high level.

That's why we are thinking about our weapons, our weaknesses, about pitching, we have to change a lot of things, we have to count that the great hitters don't work on all type of pitches. You don't have time for practice, slow lefty, break, break ball down, you cannot change-up of Satoria practice because the day has just 24 hours.