On January 1st, JTBC’s “Ultimate Baseball” program announced that the Ultimate Breakers team donated their championship prize of 30 million KRW (approximately $22,500 USD) to support amateur baseball development. This generous act came despite rumors of the show’s potential cancellation, demonstrating the team’s commitment to the sport.
“Ultimate Baseball” is a reality sports entertainment show where retired pro baseball players form a team to compete once again. In the 137th episode aired on the 9th, the Breakers clinched the “Ultimate Series” championship, earning their title as the Ultimate Breakers. Manager Lee Jong Beom stated, “After consulting with the players, we’ve decided to donate the prize money to support amateur baseball development.”
The production team revealed that on the 4th and 9th, following the wishes of the Ultimate Breakers’ coaching staff and players, they distributed donations of 10 million KRW (about $7,500 USD) each to three organizations under the team’s name.
During a ceremony at JTBC on the 4th, the Ultimate Breakers donated 10 million KRW (7.5 million USD) to the Korea Little Baseball Federation for youth baseball development and another 10 million KRW (7.5 million USD) to the College Baseball Federation. Recognizing the challenges faced by independent league players who must purchase their own equipment, the team also donated baseball gear worth 10 million KRW (7.5 million USD) to the Gyeonggi Baseball Softball Association.
The show’s production team expressed, “We hope this heartfelt support from the Ultimate Breakers reaches many aspiring players in high school, college, and independent leagues who are chasing their baseball dreams.” They added, “We’ll continue to cheer on amateur players as they pursue their passion for the game.”
“Ultimate Baseball” will take a break on the 16th for coverage of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The season finale, episode 138, will air on the 23rd at 10:30 PM.
Kim Ji Won, Ten Asia reporter (bella@tenasia.co.kr)
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