“It is quite likely that on Saturday a full-time firefighter will pitch to Ohtani — 2022 salary: $30 million — and other talented Japanese batters in a unique matchup between the Czech Republic and Japan at the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo. If not the firefighter on that mound, then perhaps it will be the team’s public relations manager or a real estate agent or a schoolteacher.” NYT (Gift Article): Can a Czech Firefighter Compete With M.L.B.’s Biggest Stars? “The World Baseball Classic is a battle of the game’s top professional players. A scrappy Czech Republic team, full of guys with regular jobs, just might win your heart.”