The Tokyo Dome provided an exciting moment for a Czech power worker who happens to be a favorite pitcher among Japanese fans during the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Tuesday.
Ondřej Satoria, 29, took his last WBC fight. While the Czechs finished Group C 0-4 and lost 9-0 to defending champion Japan in their final game, the right-hander was held scoreless in 4 2/3 innings.
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Three years ago, he struck out Shohei Ohtani, a world icon and one of the most impressive athletes in sports history, and it was quite a performance.
So when he walked off the field for the last time in his WBC career, he heard a symphony of applause from the gracious Japanese fans, giving one of the event’s lesser-known stars a standing ovation.
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As for Sartoria’s defining moment in defeating Ohtani in the 2023 WBC fight, things didn’t necessarily go as planned.
According to MLB.com, Sartoria failed on a changeup. It’s heading toward the dirt and only doing 72 mph. After all, his fastball velocity doesn’t exceed 80 mph.
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But a misplaced pitch put Ohtani in a 0-2 hole. He missed his swing so bad that his helmet started falling off like in a cartoon.
Ohtani won the WBC that year, striking out then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout to win the title, and he went on to win three of four major league MVP awards over the next three seasons, plus two World Series rings.
But in one at-bat, Sartoria fooled him. The moment made him a celebrity in Japan, where he was asked to autograph the ball and take photos with fans.
Ohtani even asked Sartoria for a jersey in 2023.
According to MLB.com, Sartoria works as an electrical controller for the ČEZ Group in Ostrava, which is located on the Polish border.
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Many of his teammates also have day jobs. He admits that he is not that visible in his home country.
Sartoria said the attention he received in Japan was “like a reward for playing baseball my whole life because no one knew me in the Czech Republic,” according to MLB.com.
He added via MLB.com: “I’m just a regular guy from Ostrava, but here they respect me and let me sign. It’s nice to be back here.”
While Sartoria reportedly plans to continue playing for his club in Ostrava, his WBC days are now behind him.
He didn’t get the chance to face Ohtani again as the Japanese superstar was resting and a spot in the quarterfinals was reserved, but Sartoria still brought his best stuff.
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He was rewarded with a send-off.
