Czech national team catcher Petr Cech is leaving German champion Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg. He returns to his home country and will play for Arrows Ostrava in 2013. The departure was revealed in a local newspaper report. He is going to study in Ostrava. The 25-year-old spent three years in the Cincinnati Reds organization before joining Regensburg for the 2010 season. He batted .394 with nine homeruns, 115 runs and 95 RBI in 108 games through three years, winning German championships in each of them.
Besides Cech, Regensburg already had lost outfielder/pitcher Rodney Gessmann due to work-related reasons. Additionally there is a question mark behind the future of pitcher Philipp Hoffschild. Chris Howard, who shared the workload together with Cech behind the plate, will be the primary catcher this year. Youngster Elias van Garßen will serve as backup. Head coach Martin Helmig let know in the report that the club already is talking to new players and hopes to introduce them soon.
Photo: Walter Keller