Jung-ho Kang

At 37 years old, Jung-ho Kang physical status not available right now. We will update Jung-ho Kang's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Jung-ho Kang (born April 5, 1987) is a South Korean third baseman who works as a free agent.

He competed for the Hyundai Unicorns and Nexen Heroes in the KBO League.

He has also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball.

Early life

Kang's main position while attending Gwangju Jeil High School was catcher. Kang was selected for the South Korean national under-18 squad in 2004 as a third baseman and was a member of the team that won bronze at the World Junior Baseball Championships. Kang helped Gwangju Jeil High School win the Golden Lion Flag Championship in 2005 by winning the Outstanding Pitcher Award and the RBI crown.

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Professional career

Kang was drafted by the Hyundai Unicorns in the second round of the 2006 Korea Baseball Organization's (KBO) First-Year Player Draft. Kang struggled to make a mark in his first two seasons. He played ten games and batted.150 in his rookie season. In 21 plate appearances, he struck out eight times. He appeared in 20 games and topped.133.

Hyundai sold the Unicorns in 2008, but they were defunct and replaced with the Woori Heroes, a new unit that was renamed the Nexen Heroes in 2009). In 2008, Kang was the starting shortstop for the Heroes, playing in 116 games, batting.271 with 8 home runs and 47 RBI.

Kang had a fruitful offensive season in 2009. He finished the season with a.286 batting average, 23 home runs, 81 RBI, a.508 slugging percentage, 136 runs, and 71 runs scored. Kang tied Hong Sung-heon of the Lotte Giants for the league's top in doubles (33).

Kang's first season featured a plus-300 batting average. He had an average of.301, as well as 12 home runs and 58 RBI. He received his first KBO League Golden Glove Award for his defensive work. Kang earned gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games as a member of the South Korean national baseball team, winning 3 home runs in 13 at-bats.

Kang's 2011 debut in 2011 was down slightly from his previous years, hitting.282 with 9 home runs and 63 RBI.

Kang's 2012 season was an improvement, with 25 home runs (2nd in the league), 82 RBI, 77 runs scored, and a career-high 21 stolen bases. He would also win another Gold Glove Award, his second in his career.

Kang competed in the 2013 World Baseball Classic in March 2013.

Kang had 22 home runs and had an OPS of.876 in the 2013 KBO regular season. He also won his second straight Gold Glove Award, his third overall.

Kang had his best season ever in 2014, hitting.356 with 40 home runs and 117 RBI. He led the league in slugging percentages (7.39) and OPS (1.198). He also placed second in home runs (40) and OBP (.459), third in both RBIs (117) and doubles (36), and fifth in runs scored (103). He also earned his third straight Gold Glove Award, his fourth overall and fourth in five seasons, establishing himself as a top defensive player.

The Pittsburgh Pirates dominated the bidding for the only (30-day) chance to sign him to a Major League Baseball contract on December 22, 2014. The Pirates' winning bid was later revealed to be $5,002,015 (5,457,150,000). This transfer fee (posting service) was supposed to be paid to the Nexen Heroes for the sole right to negotiate a contract and as compensation for Kang's death. To put it into perspective, the Kang signing (Dec. 15,160) was the then-record high international transfer fee disclosed on December 8, 2011. The RHP Yu Darvish, a professional baseball team based in the United States, was traded from the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the NPB (Japanese Professional Baseball group), was sold by the Texas Rangers for $51,703,411.

Kang's three-year, $11 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates was agreed on January 16, 2015, with a club option for a fifth year.

Kang made the decision to train with his former Korean team, the defending (2016) KBO Champions Nexen Heroes, who had arrived in Surprise, Arizona, for their Spring Training (hosted at the Texas Rangers' spring training facility). Kang's focus was on strength training. Despite the fact that Kang had plenty of South Korean-based media coverage, he was to be the first KBO position player (non-pitcher) to be fully developed within the Korean system in the Major Leagues.

Kang was given the opportunity to compete for Jordy Mercer's starting shortstop job in spring training. Kang's first spring training game of 2015, in his second at-bat, he struck an opposite field solo home run in the third inning, giving the Pirates a 5-0 lead and eventual 8-7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Kang struck Kyle Lohse of the Milwaukee Brewers in his first Major League hit, just over shortstop Jean Segura's outstretched glove.

Kang had his first RBI against the Chicago Cubs on April 21, giving the Pirates a 8-5 lead.

Kang went to bat against the Central batting Cardinals in St. Louis, down 1-0, on May 3rd. Trevor Rosenthal, Kang of the St. Louis Cardinals, was seated on the first pitch of the game, throwing a game-tying solo home run into the left-center seats, knotting the game at 1-1.

The Pirates became the first MLB team to turn a 4–5–4 triple play on May 9, 2015, after a 7–5 victory over the Cardinals. Yadier Molina of the Cardinals lined out to second baseman Neil Walker during the play. For the second out, Walker threw to Kang at third base to double-off Jhonny Peralta. After Jason Heyward froze between second and third base, Kang threw the ball back to Walker, who was on second base for the final out.

Kang's 14th of the season came on September 8, 2015, after firing a stunning 472-ft solo shot against the Cincinnati Reds on the road.

Kang was covering second base in a double play attempt against the Chicago Cubs on September 17, 2015. By sliding into Kang, baserunner Chris Coghlan attempted to break up the double play quickly. Coghlan collided with Kang's left leg, fractured his leg, and ripped his MCL. Kang was on the 60-day disability list and will miss the remainder of the season, including the Pittsburgh Pirates' post-season NL wild card game against the Chicago Cubs.

A wheelchair-bound Kang was wheeled out onto the field on October 7, where he received a standing ovation. This was his first public appearance since the shooting.

Kang made.287 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs in 126 games played in 2015. Kang finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year poll, garnering a 19% share.

Kang played in his first MLB game since his September 17, 2015, injury, which was on May 6, 2016. In the game, he hit two solo home runs, allowing the Pirates to beat the St. Louis Cardinals, who were NL Central division opponents. Kang completed the season with a career-best 21 home runs and 62 RBIs in just 103 games.

Kang was charged with sexual assault in early July 2016. Kang was not charged with crime because the accuser would not cooperate with the police investigation.

Kang was involved in a high-speed DUI-induced attack in South Korea on December 1, 2016, which culminated in him fleeing his car on foot. Both municipal (traffic) CCTV and Kang's dashcam footage at the scene were confirmed. Kang was found guilty of his third DUI, and as a result, his request for a work visa to enter the United States for the 2017 season was turned down.

The Pirates introduced Kang, whose visa had been revoked, to the Restricted List as a result of the DUI incident on March 11. Kang was not on the Pirates' 40-man roster for the year because he was unable to obtain a work visa to travel to the United States. A Korean court upheld Kang's suspended term on May 18, meaning he was banned from serving or playing any professional sport lawfully in the United States in 2017.

Kang competed in the Dominican Professional Baseball League from 2017-2020, with the guilas Cibaeas. In 24 games, he batted just.143 with one home run, triggering an early release from the team.

Kang successfully renewed his visa on April 26, 2018, meaning he was eligible for employment in the United States once more. He was also authorized by the Pirates to return to the team.

Kang said he was sober and had voluntarily enrolled in the Joint Drug Treatment Program while speaking with journalists on June 6, 2018. "I'm just trying to be as cautious as possible in everything that I do." "I'm not touching a drop of alcohol going forward," he said. The Pirates recalled Kang to their 40-man roster from the restricted list on June 15, 2018, offering him a new deal to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Kang made his season debut against the last-place Reds in Cincinnati on September 28, 2018, with only 3 games remaining on the calendar. As a pinch hitter, he was inserted into the game in the top of the seventh inning. This was his first AB in the major leagues since October 2, 2016, a gap of four days short of two years. Kang finished the 2018 MLB season with a batting average of.333, going 2 for 6 with 2 singles and a strikeout in three games.

The Pirates decided against signing Kang for the fifth year of his deal on October 31, making him eligible as a free agent for the 2019 season. Kang's employment was re-signed by the Pirates on November 8, 2018, offering the opportunity to compete for the starting 3B role with Colin Moran, who had been hired to fill Kang's position during his absence. Kang had been a free agent for a week. The agreement was very similar to the original contract in terms of finances.

Kang was born in his first two Grapefruit League at bats against Miami on February 24, 2019. Kang will be their starting 3rd baseman for the 2019 season on March 18, 2019. Kang's first MLB home run since the 2016 season ended in the 3rd inning against the Cardinals off Miles Mikolas on April 3, 2019. After he reached.169 with ten home runs in 185 plate appearances in 185 plate appearances, the Pirates designated Kang for assignment on August 2, 2019. Kang was released on August 4, 2019.

Kang began working with a Milwaukee Brewers affiliate group in early 2020 but was unable to sign a contract. He returned to South Korea and later applied for reinstatement from the "fully retired" list in order to play in the KBO Championship.

However, Kang was fined up to three years in prison for three inebriated driving offences in his history. The KBO League's disciplinary committee had to determine if the decision, which was introduced in 2018, would apply retroactively to Kang's third DUI arrest in 2016, when he was not a KBO member.

Kang was banned from the league for one year and was also required to complete 300 hours of community service on May 25, 2020. The academic committee chose not to extend the DUI law to his 2016 indictment, rather than giving him the maximum punishment for his other 2 arrests, which occurred when he was a member of the United Kingdom. Kang did not play organized baseball in 2021.

Kang returned to the KBO League on March 18, 2022, when he joined his old team, the Kiwoom Heroes, in a one-year, $25,000 deal.

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