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9781496242662

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""Underdog stories usually end in victory. The Czech Republic's improbable run in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with players who had day jobs as firefighters, electricians, and teachers, shows us, however, that triumph and victory are not the same thing.""--Craig Calcaterra, Cup of Coffee newsletter ""Baseball came to Czechoslovakia in 1921, but the sport has faced a long, jagged road to penetrate the heart of Central Europe. In We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball Michael Clair chronicles the hardscrabble push of a ragtag group of amateurs determined to do it the right way: homegrown. Clair takes us along as this endearing team of underdogs chases glory on the world stage--or, if not quite glory, something perhaps more lasting, like progress, respect, and the fulfillment of a dream that maybe, just maybe, baseball can become a truly global pastime.""--Tyler Kepner, author of the New York Times bestseller K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches and The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series ""Not long ago, even the thought that a book might one day be written about the story of Czech baseball would have seemed far too bold--almost unthinkable. Let alone in English. Let alone in the very cradle of the greatest sport in the world. . . . Michael Clair captivates with his passion for the game, his devotion to everything he believes in. It is an immense honor that he found inspiration in the story of a small country with big baseball dreams.""--Pavel Chadim, Czech Republic national baseball team manager ""You'll never find an author and subject better suited for one another, and Michael Clair's passion for Czech baseball shines brightly on every page of this delightful book.""--Rob Neyer, award-winning baseball author and commissioner of the West Coast League

""Baseball came to Czechoslovakia in 1921, but the sport has faced a long, jagged road to penetrate the heart of Central Europe. In We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball Michael Clair chronicles the hardscrabble push of a ragtag group of amateurs determined to do it the right way: homegrown. Clair takes us along as this endearing team of underdogs chases glory on the world stage--or, if not quite glory, something perhaps more lasting, like progress, respect, and the fulfillment of a dream that maybe, just maybe, baseball can become a truly global pastime.""--Tyler Kepner, author of the New York Times best-seller K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches and The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series ""Not long ago, even the thought that a book might one day be written about the story of Czech baseball would have seemed far too bold--almost unthinkable. Let alone in English. Let alone in the very cradle of the greatest sport in the world. . . . Michael Clair captivates with his passion for the game, his devotion to everything he believes in. It is an immense honor that he found inspiration in the story of a small country with big baseball dreams.""--Pavel Chadim, Czech Republic national baseball team manager ""Underdog stories usually end in victory. The Czech Republic's improbable run in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with players who had day jobs as firefighters, electricians, and teachers, shows us, however, that triumph and victory are not the same thing.""--Craig Calcaterra, Cup of Coffee Newsletter ""You'll never find an author and subject better suited for one another, and Michael Clair's passion for Czech baseball shines brightly on every page of this delightful book.""--Rob Neyer, award-winning baseball author and commissioner of the West Coast League

""Baseball came to Czechoslovakia in 1921, but the sport has faced a long, jagged road to penetrate the heart of Central Europe. In We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball Michael Clair chronicles the hardscrabble push of a ragtag group of amateurs determined to do it the right way: homegrown. Clair takes us along as this endearing team of underdogs chases glory on the world stage—or, if not quite glory, something perhaps more lasting, like progress, respect, and the fulfillment of a dream that maybe, just maybe, baseball can become a truly global pastime.""—Tyler Kepner, author of the New York Times bestseller K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches and The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series ""You'll never find an author and subject better suited for one another, and Michael Clair's passion for Czech baseball shines brightly on every page of this delightful book.""—Rob Neyer, award-winning baseball author and commissioner of the West Coast League ""Underdog stories usually end in victory. The Czech Republic's improbable run in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with players who had day jobs as firefighters, electricians, and teachers, shows us, however, that triumph and victory are not the same thing.""—Craig Calcaterra, Cup of Coffee newsletter ""Not long ago, even the thought that a book might one day be written about the story of Czech baseball would have seemed far too bold—almost unthinkable. Let alone in English. Let alone in the very cradle of the greatest sport in the world. . . . Michael Clair captivates with his passion for the game, his devotion to everything he believes in. It is an immense honor that he found inspiration in the story of a small country with big baseball dreams.""—Pavel Chadim, Czech Republic national baseball team manager

Author Information

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.

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