A scene in which a handshake was refused during the World Baseball Classic (WBC) first-round Group C game between the Czech Republic and Australia is becoming a hot topic. But the person involved explained, "There was no malice at all," saying it was simply competitive spirit.
According to a report by Japanese media outlet The Answer on the 6th, Australia defeated the Czech Republic 5-1 in the WBC first-round Group C game held that day at Tokyo Dome in Japan, marking its second consecutive win.
In that game, Czech batter Milan Prokop was seen offering his right hand from the batter's box to shake hands with Australian catcher Robbie Perkins. But Perkins did not accept the handshake; instead he lightly extended the catcher's mitt on his left hand in response.
When this scene was revealed on the social media of an American baseball content outlet, various reactions poured in from fans.
Some fans understood Perkins' action, saying, "It means he's completely focused on the game. I like it," and "He can greet him after the game." On the other hand, critical comments followed, such as "It's hard to understand," "Was that really necessary?" and "He just wanted to shake hands, but it doesn't look good."
Regarding this, Sam Bloom of U.S. sports outlet The Athletic reported that he asked Perkins directly for the reason.
Perkins explained, "It was simply competitive spirit; there are no personal feelings at all," and said, "If I meet the Czech players at the hotel, I'll greet them as usual." He added, "There was no malice at all."
Meanwhile, Australia will face the Japanese national team on the 8th.
[OSEN]