The Czech Republic’s advancement to the WBC (World Baseball Classic) finals was a drama. In the first game of the preliminaries, they met again in the final game against the opponent who had suffered a 7-21, 7th cold game defeat, and won a come-from-behind victory to secure a ticket to the finals.
If the Czech Republic’s first qualifying for the WBC was a drama, Martin Schneider (36, name follows loanword notation) was the drama’s protagonist. Schneider, the oldest player in the Czech Republic, took the lead in the victory by fighting against the Spanish hard-hit line, giving up one run in 6⅓ innings. In his home league, Extraliga, he was메이저사이트mainly in charge of finishing, but he started at the most important juncture and brought results beyond a quality start.
Schneider’s presence in Czech baseball can be seen in the WBC documentary ‘Small Country, Big Dream’ (Malá země velké sny). Schneider’s answer, which I met through a written interview, had the dignity of a ‘living legend’.
Schneider has a similarity with Shohei Otani (Angels), the well-known ‘cartoon baseball character’. The point is that he is a ‘two-hitter’ player who played as a pitcher and shortstop in the extra league. But he’s unlikely to see him play shortstop in the WBC. He said, “The coach and the WBC talked about focusing on pitching. I’ve been a pitching player throughout my career, but now it’s time to hand over my position to juniors who have grown significantly. I couldn’t be happier to see young players doing well.” talked
Instead, he added that he would be ready to go out at any time as a pinch hitter or substitute runner. “The manager knows that too, and he believes in me,” Schneider said.
[In response to the question delivered to the Czech Republic, he wrote the expression, ‘I’m doing two batting jobs like Ohtani’. Schneider didn’t miss this point and said, “Ohtani is better than any other player who has tried to double as a pitcher so far, and he will continue to dominate the league. But… I really like Ohtani, but 10 or 15 years later I don’t know if my body will be able to withstand it,” he said. He added a ‘Smile :)’ emoticon at the back, saying, “It was like that when I tried it.”
It does not change the fact that Schneider is now the representative pitcher of Czech baseball, even if he is not a pitcher. In the documentary ‘Small Country, Big Dreams’, there is a scene where outfielder Matei Menshik says he “throws like Schneider” to portray the bold personality of ‘strong heart’ prospect pitcher Mikhail Kovala.
The director’s trust is also deep. Coach Pavel Hadim explained the reason why he chose Schneider as the starting pitcher for the final match of the German qualifiers. “I had this conversation with John [pitching coach John Hussey], ‘If it was a million dollar game, who would I send?’ Our million-dollar pitcher is Schneider.”
How would you feel if the scene of being recognized as the best pitcher by the coach spread around the world? Schneider said, “I am grateful if someone thinks so,” but lowered himself, saying, “I don’t think so, and I don’t agree with that opinion. I am a person who is always dissatisfied and always wants to improve.”
Regarding the title of the oldest player in the Czech Republic, he said, “Maybe that’s what it says on the paper :)” “But my mindset and my heart are just stopped by a boy who loves baseball, the best sport in the world.”
Instead, he was infinitely grateful for the respect his juniors gave him. “I feel like I’m getting a lot of respect from the young players,” Schneider said. “And we’re good friends who don’t hesitate to joke around. To our juniors, we respect baseball, we play passionately, and the team wins no matter what. “I want to be remembered as a player who did his best for the game. If even one person thinks of me as a good role model, I won’t have any regrets. If that happens, I think it’s a successful life.”