See Her Be Her, a documentary on women’s baseball around the globe, will make its debut on the MLB Network between Games 2 & 3 of the 2024 World Series.
The film is directed and produced by acclaimed sports photographer Jean Fruth and produced by Jeff Idelson, former president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum.
We are thrilled and honored to welcome the legendary Billie Jean King to our team as an Executive Producer!
Documentary to Premiere on MLB Network
Celebrating Women in Baseball Around the World
About the Documentary
See Her Be Her, a documentary on women’s baseball around the globe, will make its debut on the MLB Network between Games 2 & 3 of the 2024 World Series.
The story follows the lives of seven women baseball stars who are at the pinnacle of their game and represent the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan, South Korea, Cuba and Uganda. In the intense battle for the World Cup Championship, they want victory — for themselves, for their team, for their countries, and for the sheer love of the game — but their greatest triumph is the path they are blazing for future generations of female players.
See Her Be Her shatters a variety of stereotypes, as the seven players — through perseverance and resilience — push the boundaries of what’s possible both on and off the field. The film highlights their resolve to fight for gender equality for all female athletes.
The film is directed and produced by acclaimed sports photographer Jean Fruth and co-produced by Jeff Idelson, former president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum.
The documentary also features Hall of Famers Cal Ripken, Jr., Tony Pérez and Ferguson Jenkins, as well as retired major league superstars Ichiro Suzuki, Chan Ho Park and Jimmy Rollins, all of whom strongly support the women’s game.
“It is time to shine an overdue spotlight on these unsung ‘sheroes’ who are paving the way for the next generation of women athletes,” said Fruth. “It is our hope that with this documentary, and with their example, the message is clear: If they see her, they can dream to one day be her. Our journey took us through seven regions on three continents over three years and resulted in over 400 hours of original footage and more than 100 interviews.”
“See Her Be Her shares the story of the fight for equality, recognition and acceptance that women still face in baseball today. Through their courage and determination, they are inspiring a new generation of young girls to break free from the constraints of gender stereotypes and lift women’s baseball to the levels their counterparts have achieved in basketball, hockey, soccer and tennis.”
— Jeff Idelson, former president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum
About the Book
The companion book will be available in October, and will be the third book in the Grassroots Baseball series, following the success of 2019’s Grassroots Baseball: Where Legends Begin and 2022’s Grassroots Baseball: Route 66.
See Her Be Her celebrates the women of baseball, from the glorious past of the players made famous by Penny Marshall’s A League of Their Own, to the ongoing exploits of the most talented females in the game today, to the very real possibility that a woman will one day make her major league debut.
Photographer Jean Fruth traveled the globe, shooting on three continents and assembling the over 250 strikingly beautiful photos that illustrate this book. Also shining a light on both the constant struggle for equality and the joyful passion of baseball are profiles of pioneers like Lois Youngen, players like Kelsie Whitmore and Ayami Sato, and such women of influence as Justine Siegal and Veronica Alvarez.
Lending their perspective are Tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King (Foreword), Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken (Introduction), baseball writer Claire Smith (Preface), the first female to be awarded the Hall’s Career Excellence Award, and Maybelle Blair (Afterword), a one-time pitcher in the All-America Girls Professional Baseball League.
What People are Saying
“The timeliness of See Her Be Her is perfectly aligned with the excellence we are seeing in women’s sports today,” said Claire Smith, the first female beat reporter in MLB history and first female recipient of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award, and acknowledged in the Hall of Fame, in 2017. “The hope is that millions of women across the globe can get a chance to see this film and feel inspired to follow their passions and live full lives of great impact. This look into the everyday unsung heroes that are part of this documentary is a celebration of poise and perseverance and a story that needed to be told. Win or lose, no matter where life takes them, these women have already triumphed.”
“As someone who knows how important a role model can be, I’m thrilled that Grassroots Baseball is promoting girls and women involved in the sport I love,” added Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr. “The girls’ game is growing around the globe, and women are already making an impact as executives, coaches, trainers and groundskeepers. As minds become more open and the gender gap narrows, women will continue to change the game for the better and for good. It meant so much to me to get to play alongside my dad. I hope that one day I get to see a young woman play alongside her mom in a major league game.”
About Grassroots Baseball: Grassroots Baseball’s non-profit mission is to promote and celebrate the amateur game around the globe. The overarching goal of Grassroots Baseball is to give back to historically underserved communities through the power of sports.