''Hot Stove League'' () is a
South Korean television series
Korean dramas (; RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea.
They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, partially due to the spread of Korean popular cultu ...
that aired on
SBS TV
SBS may refer to:
Broadcasting
* SBS Broadcasting Group, Belgium, formerly many countries
* Talpa TV, formerly SBS Broadcasting B.V., Netherlands
** SBS6, Dutch television channel
** SBS9, Dutch television channel
* Special Broadcasting Service ...
from December 13, 2019, to February 14, 2020. The series stars
Namkoong Min
Namkoong Min (Hangul: 남궁민, born March 12, 1978) is a South Korean actor, director and screenwriter. He first gained recognition with neo-noir film ''A Dirty Carnival'' (2006), and has since received praise for his performances in '' Rememb ...
,
Park Eun-bin
Park Eun-bin (, born September 4, 1992) is a South Korean actress. A former child actress, she is known for her lead roles in the television series ''Hello, My Twenties!'' (2016–2017), ''Hot Stove League'' (2019–2020), ''Do You Like Brahms? ...
,
Oh Jung-se
Oh Jung-se (born February 26, 1977) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series ''Missing 9'' (2017), '' When the Camellia Blooms'' (2019), ''Hot Stove League'' (2019), and ''It's Okay to Not Be Okay'' (2020) ...
, and
Jo Byeong-kyu
Cho Byeong-kyu (born April 23, 1996) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series ''SKY Castle'' (2018–2019), ''Hot Stove League'' (2019–2020), and ''The Uncanny Counter
''The Uncanny Counter'' () is a ...
. It revolves around a
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
team named Dreams, which has been the worst in the league for four consecutive years.
''Hot Stove League'' received critical acclaim and several awards, including
Best Drama at the
56th Baeksang Arts Awards
The 56th Baeksang Arts Awards () ceremony, organised by ''Ilgan Sports'' and JTBC Plus, was held on June 5, 2020, at KINTEX, Ilsanseo-gu, Gyeonggi Province, hosted by Shin Dong-yup, Bae Suzy and Park Bo-gum for the third consecutive year. The a ...
.
Namkoong won his first Grand Prize (Daesang) at the
28th SBS Drama Awards.
Synopsis
The Dreams are a Korean professional baseball team that have placed last in the league for the past four seasons. When their general manager steps down, the team hires Baek Seung-soo, who has managed several championship winning sports teams, as his replacement, despite Seung-soo having zero experience with managing a baseball team. Facing shrinking budgets, infighting between the coaching staff and a team deeply set in their ways, Seung-soo uses his outsider's insight and the help of operations manager Se-young and Jae-hee to upend the Dreams' culture in a bid to create a championship winning team, despite the looming fact that every team he has managed before has folded after winning the championship.
Cast
Main
*
Namkoong Min
Namkoong Min (Hangul: 남궁민, born March 12, 1978) is a South Korean actor, director and screenwriter. He first gained recognition with neo-noir film ''A Dirty Carnival'' (2006), and has since received praise for his performances in '' Rememb ...
as Baek Seung-soo
:The new general manager of the Dreams who was hired despite having zero experience managing a baseball team. He has a "golden resume", leading wrestling, ice hockey and handball teams to championships, but they all end up folding afterwards due to circumstances outside his control. He doesn't have a particularly nice personality but he is determined to make the team the best in the league.
*
Park Eun-bin
Park Eun-bin (, born September 4, 1992) is a South Korean actress. A former child actress, she is known for her lead roles in the television series ''Hello, My Twenties!'' (2016–2017), ''Hot Stove League'' (2019–2020), ''Do You Like Brahms? ...
as Lee Se-young
:The Dreams' operations manager. She is the only female manager in the league and is very passionate about her team despite their poor fortunes. Though she has been working in this field for ten years, she never gives up.
*
Oh Jung-se
Oh Jung-se (born February 26, 1977) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series ''Missing 9'' (2017), '' When the Camellia Blooms'' (2019), ''Hot Stove League'' (2019), and ''It's Okay to Not Be Okay'' (2020) ...
as Kwon Kyeong-min
:The president of the team and a junior managing director with Jaesong Group, which owns the Dreams, and the nephew of its chairman. He plans to shut down the Dreams as it is unprofitable, and hires Baek Seung-soo to help him do so, but soon comes into conflict with him when Seung-soo puts real effort into making the team successful.
*
Jo Byeong-kyu
Cho Byeong-kyu (born April 23, 1996) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series ''SKY Castle'' (2018–2019), ''Hot Stove League'' (2019–2020), and ''The Uncanny Counter
''The Uncanny Counter'' () is a ...
as Han Jae-hee
:Se-young's co-worker at the operations team. He got the job through his connections, but as time goes by he shows his passion for the team and works hard. It is suggested that the reason for his change in attitude is because he likes Se-young.
Supporting
Dreams office
* Son Jong-hak as Go Kang-seon, CEO of the Dreams team.
*
Lee Jun-hyeok as Go Se-hyeok, scout team leader.
* Yoon Byung-hee as Yang Won-seop, scout team member.
* Kim Do-hyun as Yoo Kyeong-taek, analysis team leader.
* Kim Soo-jin as Lim Mi-seon, head of marketing team.
* Park Jin-woo as Byeon Chi-hoon, marketing team leader.
* Kim Ki-moo as Jang Woo-seok, scout team deputy head.
Dreams players
* Hong Ki-joon as Jang Jin-woo, the oldest
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
.
*
Chae Jong-hyeop
Chae Jong-hyeop (; born May 19, 1993) is a South Korean actor. He is known for his role in television series ''Webtoon Hero - Tundra Show Season 2 '' (2016), ''Hot Stove League'' (2019), '' Sisyphus: The Myth'' and '' Nevertheless'' (2021). In a ...
as Yoo Min-ho, a rising pitcher.
*
Jo Han-sun
Jo Han-sun (born June 17, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He made his debut in a beer commercial in 2001, then became a household name through the sitcom '' Nonstop 3'' (2002) and the television drama ''April Kiss'' (2004). He is best known for th ...
as Lim Dong-gyu, a
cleanup hitter
In baseball, a cleanup hitter is the fourth hitter in the batting order. The cleanup hitter is traditionally the team's most powerful hitter. His job is to "clean up the bases", i.e., drive in base runners.
Theory
The thinking behind the us ...
.
* Cha Yup as Seo Yeong-joo, the chief catcher.
* Kim Dong-won as Kwak Han-young, an
infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
.
Dreams coaching staff
* Lee Eol as Yoon Seong-bok, the
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
.
* Son Kwang-up as Choi Yong-goo, the
pitching coach
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...
.
* Kim Min-sang as Lee Cheol-min, the
bench coach
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...
.
* Seo Ho-chul as Min Tae-seong, the
batting coach
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decis ...
.
Baseball officials
*
Lee Dae-yeon
Lee Dae-yeon (born November 13, 1964) is a South Korean actor.
Filmography
Film
Television series
Theater
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Lee Dae-yeonat JR Entertainment
*
*
*
1964 births
Living ...
as Kim Jong-moo, general manager of the Vikings.
* Song Young-kyu as Oh Sang-hoon, general manager of the Pelicans.
*
Park So-jin
Park So-jin (born May 21, 1986), better known mononymously as Sojin, is a South Korean singer and actress. She is best known as the leader of South Korean girl group Girl's Day.
Early life and education
Park So-jin was born on May 21, 1986, ...
as Kim Yeong-chae, a
sports announcer
In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio was ...
.
*
Ha Do-kwon
Ha Do-kwon (born Kim Yong-goo on March 3, 1977) is a South Korean actor. He is mainly known for his roles in ''Hot Stove League'' and '' The Penthouse: War in Life''.
Education
Ha graduated from Seoul National University in 2004, majoring in v ...
as Kang Doo-gi, the national team's ace pitcher.
*
Kim Kang-min as Lee Chang-kwon, Vikings player.
Others
*
Kim Jung-hwa
Kim Jung-hwa (born September 9, 1983)is a South Korean actress. She rose to fame in the 2002 sitcom '' Nonstop 3'', and has since played leading roles in the television series ''Something About 1%'' (2003) and ''Snow White: Taste Sweet Love'' ( ...
as Yoo Jeong-in, Seung-soo's ex-wife.
*
Yoon Sun-woo
Yoon Sun-woo (born Yoon Min-soo; 7 September 1985) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series '' Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo'' (2016), ''Still 17'' (2018), ''Home for Summer'' (2019) and ''Hot Stove Leag ...
as Baek Yeong-soo, Seung-soo's little brother. An expert in
sabermetrics
Sabermetrics, or originally SABRmetrics, is the empirical analysis of baseball, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. Sabermetricians collect and summarize the relevant data from this in-game activity to answer specific ques ...
, he uses a wheelchair due to a baseball injury as a teenager.
*
Yoon Bok-in
Yoon Bok-in ( born on 16 December 1970) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 1990 in theater, since then, she has appeared in number of plays, films and television series. She got recognition for her supporting roles in ''Sus ...
as Jeong Mi-sook, Se-yeong's mother.
* Jun Gook-hwan as Kwon Il-do, Jaesong Group chairman.
* Lee Kyu-ho as Cheon Heung-man, a former wrestler who knows Seung-soo.
*
Lee Yong-woo
Lee Yong-woo (born April 15, 1981) is a South Korean actor and dancer. He graduated from the Korea National University of Arts with a degree in Dance and joined the modern dance company Laboratory Dance Project in 2001. Lee made his acting debut ...
as Gil Chang-joo / Robert Gil, a translator and a disgraced former pitcher.
*
Moon Won-joo
Moon Won-joo is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in dramas such as ''Hot Stove League'', ''Nokdu Flower'' and ''Golden Apple''. He also appeared in movies ''My Girl and I'', '' The Cut'' and ''Attack the Gas Station 2
''Atta ...
as Kim Ki-beom, retired dreams player
Special appearances
*
Lee Je-hoon
Lee Je-hoon (born July 4, 1984) is a South Korean actor. He started his career in indie films, then went on to appear in commercial films like '' The Front Line'' (2011), ''Architecture 101'' (2012) and '' My Paparotti'' (2013), and television ...
as Lee Je-hoon, CEO of PF Soft (Ep. 16)
*
Pengsoo
Pengsoo ( ko, 펭수, ''Pengsu'') is a penguin character that appears on the YouTube channel Giant Peng TV, run by Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) in South Korea. Pengsoo is a ten-year-old trainee at EBS who dreams of being a universal supe ...
as Pengsoo (Ep. 16)
Production
![Munhak Baseball Stadium 20150711 SK vs Kia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Munhak_Baseball_Stadium_20150711_SK_vs_Kia.jpg)
The series is based on Lee Shin-hwa's screenplay, which was one of the winners in the ''2H 2016
MBC Drama Screenplay Contest'' (Miniseries Category).
Namkoong Min
Namkoong Min (Hangul: 남궁민, born March 12, 1978) is a South Korean actor, director and screenwriter. He first gained recognition with neo-noir film ''A Dirty Carnival'' (2006), and has since received praise for his performances in '' Rememb ...
and
Park Eun-bin
Park Eun-bin (, born September 4, 1992) is a South Korean actress. A former child actress, she is known for her lead roles in the television series ''Hello, My Twenties!'' (2016–2017), ''Hot Stove League'' (2019–2020), ''Do You Like Brahms? ...
previously worked together as second leads in ''
Hur Jun, The Original Story
''Hur Jun, The Original Story'' () is a 2013 South Korean television series about the life of Heo Jun, a commoner who rose up the ranks to become a royal physician in Joseon (he used the pen name "Guam"). It aired on MBC from March 18 to Septembe ...
'' (2013).
The first script reading took place in September 2019.
Munhak Baseball Stadium
The Incheon SSG Landers Field is a baseball stadium located in Incheon, South Korea. Formerly named the Munhak Baseball Stadium, it is the home of the KBO League team SSG Landers. The stadium has been remodeled with Shinsegae affiliate brands, inc ...
, home stadium of the South Korean professional baseball team
SK Wyverns
SSG Landers () are a South Korean professional baseball team. The team was originally established as the SK Wyverns but was renamed as the SSG Landers in 2021 after Shinsegae acquired the team from SK Group. They are a member of the KBO League. B ...
who gave their support to the series, served as a filming location and was used in one teaser poster. Scenes taking place in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
were filmed in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
.
After episodes 10 and 11 were divided into three parts instead of two, viewers expressed their discontent concerning the advertisements on the program's website.
Following the success of the drama, the cast and crew went on a four-day reward vacation to
Saipan
Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...
on February 17, 2020.
Original soundtrack
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Viewership
Awards and nominations
Notes
See also
*''
Ted Lasso
''Ted Lasso'' is an American sports comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly. It is based on a character of the same name that Sudeikis first portrayed in a series of promos for NB ...
'', American comedy series about an American football coach recruited by an English soccer team despite having no experience with the sport
References
External links
*
*
* {{HanCinema drama, Stove_League
2019 South Korean television series debuts
2020 South Korean television series endings
2010s workplace drama television series
2020s workplace drama television series
Baseball television series
Korean-language television shows
South Korean sports television series
South Korean workplace television series
Seoul Broadcasting System television dramas
Television shows set in Incheon
Television shows set in California