Many star players compete in the WBC, but unfortunately there are also stars who are not fired. There are many reasons for not participating, but Clayton Kershaw (35, LA Dodgers), who was once called ‘the best pitcher on the planet’ and was very popular with Korean fans as a teammate of Ryu Hyun-jin, became a hot topic for his unusual reason for not participating.스포츠토토
Major leaguers boasting astronomical ransom cannot participate in the WBC unless they purchase insurance according to the agreement between the MLB secretariat, each club, and the players’ union. American insurers determine the probability of each player getting injured in the WBC individually, set the amount of insurance and compensation, and review each player’s medical record to determine whether or not to sign up. Due to a history of brilliant injuries such as climbing, insurance was denied. Kershaw, who had expressed his intention to participate in the WBC early in December of last year, said, “I am really disappointed when the WBC participation was canceled due to ‘other intention’. He tried a lot to find a way to compete, but he didn’t work out,” he couldn’t hide his disappointment.
Among the superstars who could not participate due to their team’s dissuade, Aaron Judge’s absence is likely to be the most regrettable for baseball fans. Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), the home run king representing the major leagues, became a free agent (FA) in the Stove League and signed a 9-year, 360 million dollar contract, becoming the first hitter to receive an average annual salary of 40 million dollars. As for the Yankees, they blocked Judge from being selected for the WBC national team because he is a player suffering from frequent injuries and is facing the first season of a long-term contract. Korea’s Choi Ji-man-do was not allowed to join the national team because his team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, refused to participate because of an elbow surgery he received during this offseason.
On the stage where baseball players from all over the world compete, there is also a team that draws attention as most of the national team is made up of sideline players rather than full-time baseball players. The Czech Republic, which belongs to Group B with Korea, is a ‘periphery of peripheries’ in Europe, a periphery of baseball, and its players hold various jobs.
First of all, coach Pavel Hadim, who leads the Czech national team, is also a neurologist. National team ace and pitcher Martin Schneider is a firefighter, infielder Martin Chervenka is a traveling salesman, designated hitter Petr Zima is an analyst, outfielder Arnošt Dubobi is a high school geography teacher, and pitcher Marek Minarczyk is a real estate agent.
Baseball America, an American baseball magazine, analyzed the power of 20 countries participating in the WBC finals and ranked the Czech Republic in 19th place, but the enthusiasm of the Czech players is stronger than anyone else. Head coach Hadim boasted of his team, saying, “Czech Republic’s entry into the WBC finals has shown that even a small country can have big dreams.”