Rookies is the story of an amateur teacher, Koichi Kawato, who is faced with the challenge of guiding a high school baseball club composed of delinquents.

The students are wary of him and often threaten Kawato, but he refuses to abandon them and continuously speaks highly of recognizing their dreams.

Eventually, the team is assembled and they dedicate their time to achieve their dream of going to the Koshien Spring baseball tournament.

The newly appointed teacher finds that the club members left are only interested in women, smoking and doing nothing good until, under Kawato's guidance, they recognize that baseball is what they truly love doing.

Kawato also teaches them that they should follow their dreams, and for them, being able to reach the national high school tournament finals in Koshien (Hyogo prefecture) is what they have always wished for.

[5][6] It was licensed in France by Editions Tonkam,[7] and in Taiwan by Da Ran Culture before it went bankrupt.

[14] The first three episodes of the drama were released as a Rookies Omote Box by TC Entertainment on July 18, 2008.

[25] The Rookies Omote Box was ranked 30th on the Oricon charts with 1,891 copies sold between June 8–14, 2009,[26] and the Rookies Ura Box set was ranked 24th on the Oricon charts with 1,997 copies sold between June 1–7, 2009.

[26] Rookies: Graduation topped the Japanese box office chart when it premiered on May 30, 2009, earning the equivalent of US$12,703,775 over the May 30–31 weekend.

[34] In its seventh weekend, Rookies: Graduation fell to fourth place and earned US$1,894,007, and has grossed US$82 million as of July 15.