The World Baseball Classic often pits players of varying calibers against each other with some of the top stars in Major League Baseball sometimes facing off against amateur players. And as was the case on Saturday, one of those amateur players got the best of perhaps the best player in all of baseball.
Ondřej Satoria does not play baseball for his primary career, working as a full-time electrician when he’s not on the baseball diamond. But even though he may just be an amateur player, Satoria is still talented enough to earn a role as a starting pitcher for the Czech Republic in the World Baseball Classic, and he might have had the highlight of his career on Saturday when he faced off against Los Angeles Angels star player Shohei Ohtani of Japan.
With the Czech Republic leading Japan 1-0 at the bottom of the third inning, Satoria faced off against Ohtani with a runner on second base. And not only was he able to keep him from knocking the game-tying runner in, but he struck out the former MVP – and he struck him out on three pitches.
Satoria is in the zone today! What a big strike out of Ohtani for the Czech Republic starter 🇨🇿
📺: FS1 and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/JmjOoQzcgW
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 11, 2023
It was an absolutely wild turn of events, and the baseball world had plenty to say about it on Twitter as a result.
Ondřej Satoria works as an electrician for his day job. Today he struck out Shohei Ohtani in a WBC game without ever throwing a pitch above 79 MPH
(h/t @BaseballBrit)
pic.twitter.com/VRFTZ8cX7k— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 11, 2023
This electrician from the Czech Republic struck out Shohei Ohtani and earned bragging rights for life!!! pic.twitter.com/ou98XyC6V5
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 11, 2023
Ondrej Satoria is an electrician in the Czech Republic, imagine how much clout he's gonna have with his coworkers when they see him strike out Shohei Ohtani. pic.twitter.com/yM1zteirBu
— Kyle Kishimoto (@kylemoto10) March 11, 2023
Ondřej Satoria works as an electrician for his day job. Today he struck out Shohei Ohtani in a WBC game without ever throwing a pitch above 79 MPH pic.twitter.com/CKRpX7Le19
— Baseball King (@BasebaIlKing) March 11, 2023
This is Ondřej Satoria. He is an electrician in the Czech Republic. He struck out Ohtani last night. Life is changed forever. This is why national teams need to focus on building rosters around their own citizens or at the very least people born in their pic.twitter.com/lVNffGPN6v…
— The Skippers View (@TheSkippersView) March 11, 2023
It’s safe to say he will remember this moment forever.
