WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL C - CZECHIA VS JAPAN

March 10, 2026

Pavel Chadim

Tokyo Dome

Team Czechia

Pregame Press Conference

Q. Can you explain your feeling now for your last game in Japan in this WBC tournament?

PAVEL CHADIM: It was an unbelievable three years. We played Samurai Japan in Nagoya Dome. We invited Japan University team on Prague Baseball League, our tournament. We exchange coaches. We invited Mr. Hideki Kuriyama, our European championship. We have Japanese Czech bridge. It was really amazing three years. Thanks, thanks, Japan. Thanks NPB.

It's not easy explain every our feeling, every my feeling right now before this game. This is not just -- this is not just league for us here but this is my last game in WBC.

And I know this is a day when in Japan where accident with nuclear, in Fukushima, it's the same day, and I understand this is day -- this is day. Thank you.

Q. Pardon me for asking this. I came in late. Can you tell me on your team what are the professions represented? Carpenter, bricklayer, your players are all amateurs. Give me a range of the professions. You yourself are neurologist. Do you have a doctorate M.D., researcher, clinician, which? Technical questions. Thank you.

PAVEL CHADIM: I am neurologist. I have my own office, yes, and I am doing neurology job.

And our guys, we have accountant, we have teacher, we have firefighter. We have one guy, I call him NASA guy. He's engineer and he's working in space industry. A lot of guys are around baseball. They are coaches, groundskeepers. One guy, my lefty pitcher, is chief of press of Czech Baseball, communication and marketing. We have a lot of jobs. Sometimes I don't know exactly what they are doing because I am focusing on baseball.

And Satoria, good question, he's electrician in new clear company.

Q. Why are you wearing that medal, and can you tell us what is the significance?

PAVEL CHADIM: Good question. I have this medal because I want to show to some people in the world that we are not tourist. We are not baseball tourist. We are doing baseball like professionals. We, on our journey, we beat professionals from Spain. We beat professionals from Germany.

On last European Championship, we achieve first historical medal, and we were in better -- we were better than professionals from Great Britain, professionals from Israel, professionals from Germany, from Spain, and we are proud on this. And sometimes I understand that nobody in the world understand this it, this, too.

We don't want excuses. We want to play with professionals on the field.

And maybe you ask me what is the future, I think professional is the future.

Q. Coming up next, I believe, is Premier12 qualification. Curious what your thoughts are on that, and if you have a message for the young players in the baseball Czech community right now.

PAVEL CHADIM: Our result last four years means that we are part of Premier12 tournament. Right now just qualification but we are very proud on that because to be No. 15 in the world, so small country, so small baseball country, it's big one for us. I expect that this level will be not so high, minimum because Premier12 is not for 40-man roster from MLB.

And maybe this is one of the reason why here are, let's say, one-third of team are new guys, new prospects, let's say 18 years, 19 years, 20 years (old). I think we have 9 guys or 11 guys until under 23. We qualified for Under 23 World Cup in Nicaragua in November before qualification for Premier12, and I'm looking forward to choose the most successful guys from Nicaragua to China or to, I don't know where it will be, other qualification.

My idea for this tournament was, if you are, I don't want to say old, but let's say experienced; but if you are not in first lineup, younger guy go.

Q. Can you talk about your selection for starting pitcher, how much is it because this will be his last game and possibly facing Ohtani?

PAVEL CHADIM: Satoria was our best pitcher in last three games, and I told my pitchers that it will be something like qualification for this game.

Yes, right now it looks that it is his last dance and I did it just for this. But this is not true.

I can say that starter, let's say starting pitcher Satoria is past of Czech Baseball. It doesn't mean it's bad, but it's past.

But after him, I expect future, let's say the best future for Czech Baseball, young guy, Michal Kovala, and we will see today how it will work past and future.

And you ask me for Shohei? It wasn't reason. Reason was he pitched well, and I was looking forward yesterday about possible revenge but I think I saw lineup of Japan very, very fast, and I think he's not in starting lineup but I am not sure.