Manager Pavel Chadim has agreed to a contract extension with the Czech Republic national baseball team through the end of the 2026 season, with an option for 2027 if the team qualifies for the WBSC Premier12 that year, the Czech Baseball Association announced.
Widely regarded as the most successful manager in Czech baseball history, Chadim first led the senior national team at the 2010 Intercontinental Cup before guiding a Brno-based group that became the first-ever Czech team to both reach and win a game in the Little League World Series in 2013.
He was appointed Vice President for Development of the Czech Baseball Association in 2015 and returned as national team skipper in 2021, succeeding Canadian Mike Griffin. Under his leadership, the Czechs finished runners-up in the 2023 World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Regensburg, Germany, securing the country’s first-ever berth in the main tournament.
In their WBC debut, Czechia had a historic 8-5 win over China during pool play, guaranteeing automatic qualification for the 2026 edition, where they will once again compete in Tokyo alongside Japan, Korea, Australia, and Chinese Taipei.
Czech baseball has continued its upward trajectory in recent years, underscored by a joint initiative formed in early 2025 with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Chiba Lotte Marines. As part of the partnership, Czech pitching coach John Hussey joined Lotte’s minor league spring training camp in Miyakonojo, Japan, where he gained valuable experience working within a Japanese system.
The year also saw a historic milestone as outfielder Marek Chlup made his debut for the Yomiuri Giants, becoming the first Czech player in NPB history. Though his contract was not renewed for the 2026 season, Chlup posted solid numbers on the Giants’ farm team and helped pave the way for more European players to pursue opportunities in Japan in the future.
Chadim’s team is now gearing up for a two-game exhibition series against Korea in Seoul from Nov. 8-9, a key warm-up for both nations ahead of the next World Baseball Classic in March.
Photo: Czech Republic manager Pavel Chadim stands ahead of the Pool B game between the Czech Republic and South Korea at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, March 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
