SBS's two-part documentary 'Even if it's crazy, women's baseball,' which chronicles the passionate challenges of female baseball players, will premiere on Jan. 4.
There is no "women's professional baseball league" anywhere in the world. But there are women who play baseball. The protagonists are Kim Ra-kyung, the first female pitcher to play in the college league as a member of the Seoul National University baseball team; Park Ju-a, the ace shortstop of the women's national baseball team; and Kim Hyun-a, a catcher at the very top of the world.
SBS's documentary 'Even if it's crazy, women's baseball' is a two-part documentary that closely followed South Korea's female baseball players for about six months, chronicling Kim Ra-kyung, Park Ju-a and Kim Hyun-a's challenge to the world's only women's professional baseball league, revived in the United States after 70 years, and the journey of the national team that competed in the 2025 Hangzhou women's baseball Asian Cup.
Kim Ra-kyung, who applied as a pitcher, is currently active as a member of Seibu Lions Ladies, a women's baseball team under a Japanese professional club. Because there was no stage in Korea where women could continue playing baseball, she recklessly challenged the Japanese league, which is known as a powerhouse in women's baseball. But reality was not easy. She did not even receive proper housing support, and with no salary as a baseball player she maintains her livelihood with part-time work on weekdays. Still, the reason she did not give up baseball was a single belief that a professional stage would exist someday. And finally, the U.S. women's professional baseball league, the WPBL (Women's Pro Baseball League), announced its launch. Her belief became reality and Kim Ra-kyung challenged the professional stage without hesitation. But she also left a poignant remark that this would be her last challenge as a baseball player.
Kim Hyun-a, who applied as a catcher, and shortstop Park Ju-a faced similar dilemmas. They love baseball more than anyone and have trained hard, but they encountered the limit that it cannot become an occupation. Kim Hyun-a, who introduced herself as a fifth-year college student, is postponing her university graduation. Just as she was thinking of quitting baseball at the end of this year in the face of the reality of getting a job, news of the launch of the U.S. women's professional baseball league arrived. The two players did not hesitate and challenged the professional stage.
The WPBL (Women's Pro Baseball League) held tryouts, an entrance test, to select professional players in earnest. The tryouts were held in Washington, D.C., and about 600 female baseball players from around the world applied, including key players from national teams who led the United States to runner-up at the 2024 Women's Baseball World Cup, and overseas players boasting overwhelming physicality were waiting for the three Korean players. The final successful applicants numbered about 120. At the brutal survival-style tryouts where eliminations happened every night, Kim Ra-kyung, Kim Hyun-a and Park Ju-a showed relentless passion.
Shortstop Park Ju-a ran across the field without rest and fully demonstrated the skills that made her the cornerstone of South Korea's national team infield. Kim Hyun-a, who had switched to catcher less than six months earlier, caught flying balls so skillfully that her short experience seemed unbelievable. But as the tests continued, she missed balls and committed catcher errors. What result awaits the rookie catcher?
After taking the mound as a pitcher, Kim Ra-kyung returned to the dugout with a somewhat disappointed expression. She then surprised everyone by heading back onto the field holding a bat, not a pitcher's glove. The intense tryout scene of the three South Korean female baseball players who gave everything will be revealed for the first time through 'Even if it's crazy, women's baseball.'
Meanwhile, actress Lee Joo-young, the lead of the film Baseball Girl, participated as the narrator. Lee Joo-young, who played Ju Soo-in in Baseball Girl and wanted to become a professional player but hit the wall of reality, showed genuine empathy for the players. She cried and laughed with the players who did not give up and chased their dreams to the end, immersing herself 500% in the dubbing.
Female baseball players who have endured on the strength of pure passion for baseball alone and faced the world's prejudice. The first part of SBS's documentary 'Even if it's crazy, women's baseball,' which contains their honest stories, will air on Sunday, Jan. 4 at 11:05 p.m.
[Photo] SBS
[OSEN]