During the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), Ondřej Satoria, an electrical engineer from the Czech Republic, took the internet by storm as he shocked fans all over the world after striking out one of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) greats, Shohei Ohtani.
Satoria began playing at six years old after moving to Ostrava. Coincidentally, he lived next to a baseball field where his father took him to practice frequently. He played for his local baseball team, Arrows Ostrava. Satoria fondly remembers rooting for guys like Manny Ramirez and later Josh Hamilton in the MLB, telling The Knight News: “[I] really liked how different it was compared to other sports.”
For many athletes, competing for their country is a true honor. Satoria described it as “the absolute peak of my career. Representing your country is the greatest honor for any athlete. I see the World Baseball Classic the same way as the Olympics.”
When reflecting upon his career, he explained that “winning the first medal at the European Championship for Czech baseball and being a participant in two World Baseball Classics” have undoubtedly been some of his proudest moments.
Ondřej Satoria accomplished a feat that not many MLB pitchers can say they have done; he got Future Hall-of-Famer Shohei Ohtani out. Not only did Ohtani just get out, but he also went down on strikes against Satoria in the 2023 WBC.
Satoria recalled how Ohtani complimented his pitching, stating: “He mentioned that my changeup is really great and appreciated my pitch control.” Satoria was not nervous to face him; in fact, he “wasn’t really aware of who was standing in the batter’s box anymore. I had enough on my plate just trying to block out all the people around me and focus only on pitching.”
Reality set in for Satoria when he understood that it is almost impossible to give his all to being a professional athlete, an electrical engineer and a father. He recalled “that after some time, you’re no longer able to do both things at 100%. The biggest turning point came with the birth of Oliver. Unfortunately, I’m a perfectionist, and my mind just wouldn’t let me keep doing everything at once, so I decided to end my national team career to have more time for my family.”
As WBC legend Ondřej Satoria exited the field for the last time, he received a roar of cheers from his team and fans alike. He felt honored to be embraced by fans across the globe, and by established current and former Major Leaguers.
Satoria recollected that retired pitcher Jeremy Guthrie “was also the first one to come up to me when I was leaving the game — he ran into the locker room, was absolutely full of joy, and congratulated me a lot. It’s an incredible feeling. I even got a message from Torii Hunter. I had the best possible farewell. To this day, I still can’t fully comprehend what happened.”
Satoria, now 29, has announced his retirement from professional baseball to focus on some of life’s other pleasures. He now turns his attention to being a good partner and father, and plans to enjoy time with his family. While his playing days may be over, Satoria would love to share his passion for the game as a coach somewhere. Maybe in the MLB, maybe for the Czech teams, or even for Oliver’s future little league team.
Playing baseball meant the world to Satoria. “I always told myself that if I’ve been playing baseball for so long, I’d want to leave some kind of legacy behind. Something people would remember me for — and I’m really happy that I managed to do that.”
