Radek Procházka

Radek Procházka

• Bats Right, Throws Right

• Born January 5, 1978

Biographical Information

Radek Procházka has been a regular on the Czech national team for almost a decade.

Procházka pitched for the Czech team at age 23 in the 2001 European Championship, allowing 2 runs (both unearned), 3 hits and a walk in 5 innings, striking out four. In the 2003 European Championship, he was 0-1 with a 3.68 ERA in four appearances. He was 4-1 with 4 saves and a 1.29 ERA in the 2003 Czech Extraliga, striking out 78 in 69 2/3 IP for Draci Brno. He led the league in strikeouts, tied for the save lead and was 4th in ERA.

In 2004, the Draci Brno right-hander went 6-1 with 2 saves and a 0.77 ERA. He tied for second in the Extraliga in wins, was third with 52 strikeouts (behind Leoš Kubát and Jan Řeháček and was 4th in ERA. The next year, he was 9-2 with a 1.62 ERA. He led the circuit in victories (tied), was 7th in ERA and failed to make the top 10 in strikeouts. He was 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in the 2005 European Championship, tying Petr Minařík and Zdeněk Kocman for the team's highest ERA; he took the loss against Rob Cordemans and the champion Dutch national team.

The Czech Republic played in its first Baseball World Cup that year. Radek was 0-2 in the 2005 Baseball World Cup, allowing 8 runs (2 earned) in 4 2/3 innings on 11 hits and 3 walks while striking out no one. He took losses against Taiwan and Team USA. Moving to MZLU Express Brno in the Extraliga for the 2006 regular season, Radek was 5-4 with a 2.04 ERA, tying for sixth in the league in wins.

In 2007, Procházka returned to Draci Brno. He went 7-2 with a save and a 1.71 ERA. He tied four others for the league lead in wins, was second in innings pitched (79) and 8th in ERA. In the 2007 European Championship, he was 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA, allowing 12 hits and 4 walks in 9 innings while whiffing six. In the 2007 European Cup, he was rocked for 21 hits and 10 runs in 9 innings against Telemarket Rimini and the Marlins Puerto Cruz.

Procházka had a 2.84 ERA for Draci Brno in two appearances in the 2008 European Cup. He shut down champion FC Barcelona for six innings but reliever Pavel Budský (a former minor leaguer in the US) blew the game. He also ran into trouble against the Templiers de Sénart, allowing an Ian Young single to open the 9th; the other former minor leaguer on the squad, Jakub Toufar relieved and blew the game as the French team rallied to tie it.

Radek pitched well in the 2008 European Championship Qualifiers to get the Czech Republic into the 2010 European Championship. He allowed only 2 hits and 2 walks in 11 innings, fanning 12 and going 1-0. He won the Outstanding Defensive Player for his efforts.

The submarine hurler was the top pitcher in the 2008 Extraliga. He was 8-2 with a 0.78 ERA and 435 opponent OPS. He led the league in ERA and opponent OPS and his 71 strikeouts were third, highest among a Czech native. In the 2009 European Cup, he allowed one run in four innings.

He coached for the Czech team in the 2010 European Championship.

Sources

• Czech stats
• 2008 European Cup in Regensburg
• Defunct IBAF site
• 2003 European Championship stats
• Mister Baseball
• 2008 European Championship Qualifier in Prague
• 2009 European Cup in Matino
• Wayback Archive of the 2005 European Championship site