Corrections and clarifications: An earlier version of this article contained a misspelling of Ayami Sato’s name.

Tennis icon Billie Jean King, who co-owns a share of the Los Angeles Dodgers and was instrumental in establishing the Professional Women’s Hockey League, is taking on a new role with Grassroots Baseball.

On Monday, Grassroots Baseball will announce that King is an executive producer for “See Her Be Her,” a documentary focused on women’s baseball internationally.

From an early age, King played catch with her father and baseball with her brother, Randy Moffitt, a pitcher for 12 years in Major League Baseball. However, she set aside her aspiration of becoming a professional baseball player after attending a game in the Pacific Coast League featuring the Los Angeles Angels and the Hollywood Stars.

“The excitement of being at the ballpark soon faded when I realized all the players on the field were men,” King recalled in the foreword of her upcoming book, “See Her Be Her,” which will be published in early October. “At that moment, I understood that as a girl, I couldn’t grow up to play baseball.”

“It devastated me.”

While baseball lost a player, tennis gained a champion, with King claiming 39 Grand Slam titles—12 in singles and 27 in doubles. She was the first female athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.

Now, collaborating with sports photojournalist Jean Fruth and the former president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Jeff Idelson, as producers of the film, she hopes to elevate the visibility of female baseball players worldwide and to pave the way for future generations.

“Being ‘the first’ is a significant achievement, but you never want to be the last,” King stated in an email to YSL News Sports. “If we can set a precedent for one woman, we can create space for many. It’s crucial that we offer every young girl the chance to dream about being a professional baseball player or having a career in Major League Baseball.”

This documentary, set to air on MLB Network during the World Series, alongside the book release weeks prior, aims to inspire women aspiring to play professional baseball. It will showcase the stories of seven women, including Lillian Nayiga, a catcher and shortstop from Uganda, and Ayami Sato, who is recognized as Japan’s top female pitcher.

“Baseball was my first true passion,” shared King, “but I never had the chance to play just because I was a girl. I hope ‘See Her Be Her’ will motivate girls and women to chase their dreams, regardless of others’ perceptions of what’s achievable, and that soon, women will have their own league again.”

Furthermore, as women thrive in other sports, including physically demanding games like hockey, why not in baseball as well?

“The achievements of the PWHL, the growth of the NWSL, and the resurgence of the WNBA indicate that with the right strategies,” King informed YSL News Sports, “we could eventually establish a lasting women’s professional baseball league. Women’s sports are finally being recognized as a viable investment rather than merely a charitable cause.

“We are progressing, but our work is not finished.”