Choo Shin-soo's Black Queens stare down a .600-or-disband season

"Dissolve if win rate falls below .600"... The Black Queens have drawn a line in the sand.

A press conference for Channel A's sports variety show 'Baseball Queen 2' was held on the afternoon of the 9th at the LG Twin Tower in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Attendees included PD Shin Jai-ho and writer Kang Sook-kyung, along with manager Choo Shin-soo and Black Queens members Kim On-a, Song-a, Ayaka, Jang Soo-young, Ju Su-jin, and Park Ha-yan.

The Black Queens' goal for this season is clear. After recording 4 wins and 4 losses last season, the team is entering real competition with a condition: "If they fail to achieve a .600 win rate, the team will be disbanded."

"The biggest differentiator from Season 1 is pure skill," said PD Shin Jai-ho. "After the last game of the previous season, Manager Choo Shin-soo's words—'Losing in sports hurts'—stayed with me. This time, we aimed to create the strongest team that does not lose."

Roster strengthened, including Song-a's transformation into a pitcher

During the off-season, the Black Queens bolstered their strength by undergoing training five days a week. For this season's tryouts, approximately 300 applicants, including active players and former female athletes, applied.

The team infused new members around existing aces Kim On-a, Jang Soo-young, Ayaka, and Song-a. In particular, Song-a, a former tennis player, drew attention for her dramatic improvement after transforming into a pitcher this season and undergoing intense training.

Choo Shin-soo's cold leadership and international challenges

The stage extends beyond domestic competition to international matches against amateur league teams from Japan and Taiwan. From the player selection stage, Manager Choo Shin-soo prioritized baseball intelligence as the top criterion. He named Soo Yeon Lee as a player to watch this season, stating, "She is a player whose results lacked compared to her actual skill, so I trained her with even more affection."

For veteran Choo Shin-soo, with a 34-year baseball career, the managerial role is another challenge. "I feel more nervous as a manager than when I was playing the games myself. It is not easy to remain calm when making decisions," Choo said. "Women's baseball has many variables, so I am moving forward by constantly communicating with the players."

Channel A's 'Baseball Queen 2' premieres tonight (the 9th) at 10 PM.