NPB: Marek Chlup played for Yomiuri Giants
Saturday friendly between NPB’s Yomiuri Giants and Tokyo Swallows brought a historic moment for Czech baseball. For the first time we got to see a Czech player be a part of the main team of Japanese professional league when Marek Chlup entered the field.
Chlup was not part of the starting lineup for Giants, however, the coaches sent him to the right field in the fifth inning. He also took the first batting spot in the lineup. And the fans in Tokyo didn’t have to wait too long to see what to expect of him. After a hit to the right field he quickly collected the ball and with a rocket to the home base he stopped Swallows from scoring two runs.
Chlup got to bat in the sixth inning for the first time. In his first at bad he battled for 7 pitches but left the box with a strikeout.
His second at bat came in the ninth inning, where he came as a leadoff. His team was also 3-5 behind and thus needed the Czech batter to have a good AB. This came in the end, when Chlup hit the second pitch through the middle of the field to earn his first hit. He earned applause not only from his teammates, but also from 38 thousand fans in Tokyo Dome.
