Ex-MLB Star Choo Shin-soo Coaches Women's Team in 'Baseball Queens 2'

Choo Shin-soo, the former Major League Baseball outfielder whose career earnings as a player reached roughly 190 billion won, is stepping into a new role. This time, he is taking the field as a coach on an international stage.

Channel A's variety series "Baseball Queens 2" premieres July 9 at 10 p.m. KST. The sports variety show follows a group of legendary athletes who form a women's baseball team called the Black Queens and grow together through training and competition. The team, the 50th women's baseball club in South Korea, spent the off-season sharpening its skills, and new members are joining for the second season. This time, the Black Queens will move beyond domestic matchups and face teams from Japan and Taiwan.

A fifth teaser released by the show offers a glimpse of the matchup with Taiwan. At the season two launch event, players learn that their opponents will be amateur women's teams from Taiwan, ranked second in Asia, and Japan, ranked first in the world. The reveal leaves the team visibly shaken. Coach Choo, on the other hand, brushes it off. "I've never once thought about losing," he says.

The teaser then cuts to the international match against the Taiwanese team. With players who carry softball experience, Taiwan opens the game with sharp pitching and strong hitting, putting immediate pressure on the Black Queens. As his players begin to waver, Choo steps in with a sharp pep talk. "Don't let Taiwan's momentum get to you. This team has played in bigger games than this. This isn't who we are. Don't give up."

The clip closes with a preview of the match against the Japanese team. As the scoreboard signals the start of the game, Japanese players speak with confidence. "Korea can never beat us," one says. "We're going to show you the power of Japan, the strongest women's baseball country in the world." The teaser ends on the Black Queens preparing to answer, setting up a Korea-Japan showdown that the show is already framing as its centerpiece.

"Baseball Queens 2" premieres July 9 at 10 p.m. KST on Channel A.