Czech electrician, known in Japan as pitcher who struck out Shohei Ohtani, gets ovation in final WBC game

As Czechia’s Ondrej Satoria walked disconnected the mound astatine the Tokyo Dome, helium stopped walking backmost to his dugout and did a afloat 360-degree turn, looking up astatine the sold-out stadium lasting for him. 

While immoderate Czechia fans were successful the stands watching their team’s last 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) game, the bulk of Japanese fans successful attendance were connected their feet cheering for Satoria, a full-time electrician who has go rather celebrated successful Japan, adjacent if helium is connected the opposing team. 

Satoria threw 4.2 scoreless innings for Czechia against the stacked Japanese roster that features Shohei Ohtani, Masataka Oshida, and galore different stars from the 2023 WBC champions. He allowed six hits and struck retired 3 implicit 67 pitches – astir of which hardly broke 80 mph. 

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Ondrej Satoria of Team Czechia waves to fans aft the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C crippled betwixt Czechia and Japan astatine Tokyo Dome connected March 10, 2026, successful Tokyo, Japan. (Gene Wang - Capture At Media)

But Satoria rapidly became a instrumentality favourite successful 2023, erstwhile helium struck retired Ohtani, the planetary two-way shot superstar, and earned the respect of Japan for his performance. Ohtani adjacent referred to Satoria arsenic "The Worker," ignoring the information that immoderate could presumption his helmet flying disconnected arsenic helium struck retired arsenic embarrassing. 

And, arsenic Satoria took successful each the cheers and ovation successful Tokyo, it was besides his last planetary crippled – he’s genuinely focusing connected his regular, full-time enactment backmost home. 

"I was truly looking guardant to it due to the fact that to extremity my nationalist vocation successful a crippled against the champion nationalist squad successful the satellite is ever special, and particularly present successful the Tokyo Dome," helium said erstwhile asked astir his emotions heading into his last planetary start. 

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He besides told MLB.com: "It’s similar a reward for my full beingness playing shot due to the fact that cipher knows maine successful Czechia. I’m conscionable a regular dude from Ostrava, but present they respect maine and person maine motion balls. It’s truly bully to beryllium backmost here."

Satoria’s stardom successful the state has led to autograph sessions, shaking hands, taking pictures and having a elemental stroll instrumentality overmuch longer than mean due to the fact that he’s recognized.

Ondej Satoria of Team Czechia tips his headdress to the assemblage arsenic helium leaves the tract aft the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C crippled presented by dip betwixt Team Czech Republic and Team Japan astatine Tokyo Dome connected Tuesday, March 10, 2026, successful Tokyo, Japan. (Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos)

After Satoria came retired of the game, Japan’s lineup returned to its accustomed production, arsenic they ended up beating Czechia, 9-0, to spell a cleanable 4-0 successful excavation play. 

But arsenic some teams acknowledged each other, Satoria got yet different ovation arsenic helium waved to the assemblage – 1 last goodbye connected a shot diamond that had fixed him much than helium ever dreamed. 

He was understandably emotional, looking around, bowing successful Japanese custom, and tipping his headdress to his teammates, arsenic good arsenic Team Japan, who each stood and honored idiosyncratic who volition spell down successful WBC past – adjacent if helium didn’t triumph it all. 

Satoria volition instrumentality location to Ostrava, wherever helium serves arsenic an electrical controller for ČEZ Group. But helium and the remainder of his Czech teammates person made a connection present successful the past 2 tournaments – a state not known for shot is moving hard to beryllium they tin beryllium a formidable unit 1 day. 

Ondrej Satoria of Team Czechia pitches successful the archetypal inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C crippled betwixt Czechia and Japan astatine Tokyo Dome connected March 10, 2026, successful Tokyo, Japan. (Toru Hanai/Getty Images)

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"I deliberation it’s right, due to the fact that I got celebrated present 3 years ago, and it wholly makes consciousness to maine to extremity it present connected astir apt — for america — the biggest planetary signifier wherever we tin play," Satoria said, via MLB.com. "I volition decidedly bask each infinitesimal that I tin deterioration our jersey.

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