Michael Clair

Bienvenidos al Hiram Bithorn

The distinctive roof and light towers at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico

A World Baseball Classic sign on the padding in front of seats at Hiram Bithorn Stadium

The view from our broadcast booth at Hiram Bithorn Stadium

Day Zero.

Ryu returns to national team with hopes of bringing Korea back to days of glory TOKYO -- Hyun Jin Ryu was just 21 years old and he was pitching in one of the biggest games in the world. It was the gold medal game at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Korea was playing Cuba, one of the...

Back on the natl team for the first time since winning gold in 2008 and finishing second in the WBC in '09, Hyun Jin Ryu wants to lead a young staff back to greatness.

"I remember a lot of good veterans were there for me. So, I try to do the same thing"

www.mlb.com/news/hyun-ji...

Yeah, but Australia shut them out too

No stopping Shohei Ohtani Some day, Shohei Ohtani will slow down. Friday was not that day.

jballallen.com/no-stopping-...
#shohei_ohtani, #unicorn, #WBC, #Samurai_Japan

Can he at least swing the bat with both hands and make it look like he's trying

How Japan adopted the Czech Republic as its second WBC team Three years after their feel-good run at the World Baseball Classic, Czech players are still winning hearts in Japan — and the unlikely bond is helping grow baseball back home.

How Japan adopted the Czech Republic as its second WBC team www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2026/...

I really screwed up picking Chinese Taipei as my sleepr team who would advance from the Tokyo pool, huh

Chinese Taipei’s starting pitcher today, Hao-Chun Cheng, is nicknamed Mei Mei, which means Beautiful Beautiful

He gave himself the nickname 🙃

Ohtani hits a grand slam and stirs the matcha as he rounds third base. Guy knows how to put on a show.

One pitch, one swing, one double for Shohei Ohtani. He's good.

LFG

Aussies improve to 2-0 at Classic after topping Czechia TOKYO – When Curtis Mead was growing up, his father, Tim – himself an Australian Baseball League player – tried to push him toward Australian Rules Football. Coming from Australia, a country not tradi...

When Curtis Mead was growing up, his father tried to push him toward Australian rules football, thinking there was a better chance of a successful career than getting to the Major Leagues.

All of Australia is happy he chose baseball. www.mlb.com/world-baseba...

It’s always an honor to help write for the game program, but it feels extra special to have it translated into Japanese, too. I wrote the WBC intro essay and team previews this year.

Baseball's biggest Taylor Swift fan is in the ballgame

And Ryan Johnson now comes out of the bullpen to pitch. The Teemu Ohtani has pulled off two-way duty.

If you preorder, send receipt and address to WeSacrificeEverythingATGmail and I'll send you a few Czech bookmarks!

If you thought “that’s a 71 mph changeup, I could hit that,” check out this 3D view of Ondrej Satoria’s K of Aaron Whitefield:

We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball - Nebraska Press 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 Class...

For anyone up late for tonight's Australia vs. Czechia matchup, wanted to remind you that my book on the Czech team -- WE SACRIFICE EVERYTHING TO BASEBALL -- is available for 40% off with code 6AS26 here. Amazon is best for intl orders. www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/978...

The inability to turn the inning-ending double play on Tim Kennelly's grounder comes back to hurt the Czechs in a big way. The White Sox' Curtis Mead smashes a three-run shot and it's 3-1 Australia.

Pavel Chadim said the team lost last night because they were outhomered, 4-1. Can't happen again.

But a sacrifice fly for Vojtech Menšík gets the Czechs an early 1-0 lead. For the team's mindset, could be important.

I'm not sure if I would have asked one of my best power hitters to bunt with runners on first and second and no outs in the bottom of the second, but after last night, Pavel Chadim seems eager to scratch out every run possible.

Big moment here for the Czechs.

Czech Manager Pavel Chadim on the support the team feels from Japan: “Three years ago after WBC 2023, it was something amazing. We feel support from Japan, from NPB, from Mr. Hideki Kuriyama. It's so, so nice. We feel like a younger brother.”

Ryan Johnson on joining Czechia WBC roster | 02/13/2026 Ryan Johnson discusses his role on this team, breaks down his journey to play for Czechia, talks battling through injury and more

Ryan Johnson -- the self-described "Teemu Ohtani" -- gets his first big World Baseball Classic at-bat. Don't be surprised if you see him on the mound later this tournament, either.

Spoke to him about his two-way career in Korea this fall: www.mlb.com/video/ryan-j...

Whitcomb goes deep twice off Czechia in Korea debut TOKYO -- Some ballplayers opt out of the World Baseball Classic in hopes that their time in big league Spring Training may help them win a job. For the Astros' Shay Whitcomb, he may be making the best...

Shay Whitcomb may not be in Major League camp, but he's making the case that he's big league ready: www.mlb.com/news/shay-wh...

With No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana in action, he joins this list of No. 1 overall MLB Draft picks to play in the WBC, which Bryce Harper & Paul Skenes will soon join as well:

Travis Bazzana
Ken Griffey Jr.
Chipper Jones
Joe Mauer
Adrián González
Alex Rodriguez
Carlos Correa

Terrain Vavra is like, “Fuck your sleep.”

We've got a ballgame again! Terrin Vavra, who has one big league home run to his name, smashes a three-run shot to right-field and Czechia trails by three in the top of the fifth.

Could a comeback be in the cards?

Me in a kimono, watching the World Baseball Classic

Who else besides @michaelclair.bsky.social and @stephennelson.bsky.social is up for Korea-Czechia? If so, I assume you are also wearing a Tokyo Series kimono. 🔥 #WorldBaseballClassic

Damn! I wish I was wearing a Tokyo Series kimono right now!

Strong inning by Michal Kovala who gets through the top of the order without much issue. It is a little curious as you would think the team would want to save him for the future as the Czechs trail, 6-0, but maybe Chadim didn't want to wave the white flag so early in this game.