We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball: How the Czech Republic's Amateur Underdogs Became World Baseball Classic Heroes

Despite long odds and low funds, the Czech Republic's national baseball team of amateur players managed to shock the world at the 2023 World Baseball Classic--the sport's World Cup--when they took an upset win against Spain in the WBC qualifiers and then defeated China in the actual tournament, securing their place in the upcoming 2026 tournament. While the rest of the teams in the WBC rely on experienced professionals, and some like Italy and Great Britain bring in American "passport" players, the Czech Republic's roster consists almost entirely of amateur players who were born and have played only within the Central European nation. The team's roster consists of firefighters, teachers, financial auditors, and field caretakers--even the manager is a neurologist!--and yet the team managed to not only compete on the international stage but succeed against global superstars like Shohei Ohtani.

In a world where athletes have become multi-million-dollar legends, We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball reveals how teamwork, sacrifice, and self-belief can still make a difference. Michael Clair, who spent time with the Czech team throughout the 2023 World Baseball Classic, has unparalleled insight on the team and their unlikely success.

Like the Jamaican bobsled team in Cool Runnings, Leicester City's unexpected Premier League soccer title, and the United States' remarkable victory against Russia in the 1980 Olympics, the Czech Republic baseball team has an underdog story everyone can cheer for. Their story proves it's still possible to build a team from the ground up, with a small player pool, little attention, and a low budget, and compete on the world stage.

Michael Clair is a reporter at MLB.com, specializing in international baseball and the World Baseball Classic. He has written and appeared on the MLB Network shows Carded and Inside Stitch, featured in the coverage of official World Baseball Classic, London Series, and All-Star Game programs, and has published in Baseball Prospectus and its associated annuals, as well as Japanese baseball magazine Number. Clair was given the 2024 Global Ambassador Award by MLB.