Jung-ho Kang ( ko, 강정호; ; born April 5, 1987) is a South Korean
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
for the
Kiwoom Heroes
The Kiwoom Heroes () are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Seoul. They are a member of the KBO League. The Heroes play their home games at Gocheok Sky Dome in Gocheok-dong, a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of Seou ...
of the
KBO League
The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...
. He previously played in the
KBO League
The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...
for the
Hyundai Unicorns
The Hyundai Unicorns () were a South Korean professional baseball team based in Suwon. They were a member of the KBO League. The Unicorns won the KBO championship four times (1998, 2000, 2003 and 2004).
The Unicorns were dissolved after the 20 ...
and
Nexen Heroes
The Kiwoom Heroes () are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Seoul. They are a member of the KBO League. The Heroes play their home games at Gocheok Sky Dome in Gocheok-dong, a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of Se ...
. He also played for the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
.
Early life
While attending
Gwangju Jeil High School
Gwangju Jeil High School ( ko, 광주제일고등학교) is a boys' high school in Gwangju, South Korea. It has 840 students in grades 10, 11, and 12.Keh, Andrew"School Spirit May Be Metaphysical for South Korean Baseball Players,"''New York T ...
,
[Keh, Andrew]
"School Spirit May Be Metaphysical for South Korean Baseball Players,"
''New York Times'' (October 2, 2015). Kang's main position was
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
.
In , Kang was selected for the South Korean national under-18 team as a
third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
and was part of the team that won bronze at the
World Junior Baseball Championship
The U-18 Baseball World Cup is the 18-and-under baseball world championship sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and its successor, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), and was first held in 1981 in the United S ...
. In , Kang helped Gwangju Jeil High School win the
Golden Lion Flag Championship, winning the Outstanding Pitcher Award and the RBI title.
Professional career
Hyundai Unicorns
Kang was drafted by the
Hyundai Unicorns
The Hyundai Unicorns () were a South Korean professional baseball team based in Suwon. They were a member of the KBO League. The Unicorns won the KBO championship four times (1998, 2000, 2003 and 2004).
The Unicorns were dissolved after the 20 ...
in the second round of the 2006
Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO; ko, 한국야구위원회) is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. The KBO was founded in 1981 and has governed two leagues: the KBO League ( ko, KBO 리그) and KBO ...
(KBO) First-Year Player Draft.
Kang struggled to make an impact in his first two seasons. In his rookie season, he played 10 games and batted .150.
He
struck out
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is denot ...
eight times in 21 plate appearances.
In 2007, he appeared in 20 games and hit .133.
Nexen Heroes
In 2008,
Hyundai Hyundai is a South Korean industrial conglomerate ("chaebol"), which was restructured into the following groups:
* Hyundai Group, parts of the former conglomerate which have not been divested
** Hyundai Mobis, Korean car parts company
** Hyundai ...
sold the Unicorns, who subsequently became defunct and were replaced with a new team, the
Woori Heroes
The Kiwoom Heroes () are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Seoul. They are a member of the KBO League. The Heroes play their home games at Gocheok Sky Dome in Gocheok-dong, a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of Seo ...
(renamed the Nexen Heroes in 2009). Kang became the starting shortstop for the Heroes in 2008, appearing in 116 games, batting .271 with 8 home runs and 47 RBI.
In 2009, Kang had an impressive offensive season. He finished the season with a .286 batting average, 23 home runs, 81 RBI, a .508
slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...
, 136 hits, and 71 runs scored.
Kang tied
Hong Sung-heon
Hong Sung-heon (Hangul: 홍성흔, born October 21st, 1976 in Hoengseong County, Gangwon-do, South Korea) is a former South Korean designated hitter. He batted and threw right-handed.
Hong was a catcher, and had been regularly called up to th ...
of the
Lotte Giants
The Lotte Giants ( ko, 롯데 자이언츠) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Busan. They are a member of the KBO League. The Lotte Giants are owned by Lotte Corporation, which also owns the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Pro ...
for the league lead in
double
A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another.
Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to:
Film and television
* Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character
* Th ...
s (33).
In 2010, Kang had his first season with a plus-.300 batting average.
He finished with an average of .301, as well as 12 home runs and 58 RBI.
His defensive play earned him his first
KBO League Golden Glove Award
The KBO League Golden Glove Award is an award given out annually by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to the best overall player at each position in the KBO League. It is also commonly known as the KBO Golden Gloves. The award was established i ...
. Kang won a gold medal at the
2010 Asian Games
The 2010 Asian Games (), officially known as the XVI Asian Games () and also known as Guangzhou 2010 (), was a regional multi-sport event celebrated from November 12 to November 27, 2010 in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, although several events ...
as a member of the
South Korean national baseball team
The South Korean national baseball team ( ko, 대한민국 야구 국가대표팀) is the national baseball team of South Korea. It won the Baseball World Cup in 1982, and participated in the Summer Olympic Games of 1984, 1988, 1996, and 2000. ...
as he hit 3 home runs in 13 at-bats.
In 2011, Kang regressed slightly from his two previous seasons, hitting .282 with 9 home runs and 63 RBI.
In 2012, Kang improved, hitting .314 with 25 home runs (2nd in the league), 82 RBI, 77 runs scored, and a career-high 21
stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...
s.
He would also win another Gold Glove Award, the second of his career.
In March 2013, Kang competed in the
2013 World Baseball Classic
The 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, held from March 2 to March 19, 2013. This was the third iteration of the WBC, following the two previous tournaments, held in 2006 and 2009.
Unlike ...
.
In the 2013 KBO regular season, Kang hit 22 home runs and had an
OPS
In ancient Roman religion, Ops or ''Opis'' (Latin: "Plenty") was a fertility deity and earth goddess of Sabine origin. Her equivalent in Greek mythology was Rhea.
Iconography
In Ops' statues and coins, she is figured sitting down, as Chthon ...
of .876.
He also won his second straight Gold Glove Award, his third overall.
In 2014, Kang had his best season statistically, hitting .356 with 40 home runs and 117 RBI.
He led the league in slugging percentage (.739) and
OPS
In ancient Roman religion, Ops or ''Opis'' (Latin: "Plenty") was a fertility deity and earth goddess of Sabine origin. Her equivalent in Greek mythology was Rhea.
Iconography
In Ops' statues and coins, she is figured sitting down, as Chthon ...
(1.198).
He also finished second in home runs (40) and
OBP (.459), third in both RBIs (117) and doubles (36), and fifth in runs scored (103).
He also won his third straight Gold Glove Award, his fourth overall, and fourth in five seasons, establishing himself as a premier defensive player.
Pittsburgh Pirates
On December 22, 2014, the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
won the
bidding
Bidding is an offer (often competitive) to set a price tag by an individual or business for a product or service ''or'' a demand that something be done. Bidding is used to determine the cost or value of something.
Bidding can be performed by ...
for the exclusive (30-day) opportunity to sign him to a
Major League Baseball contract. The Pirates' winning bid was later revealed to be $5,002,015 (
₩
The won sign , is a currency symbol. It represents the South Korean won, the North Korean won and, unofficially, the old Korean won.
Appearance
Its appearance is "W" (the first letter of "Won") with a horizontal strike going through the cen ...
5,457,150,000). This transfer fee (posting system) was to be paid to the Nexen Heroes for the exclusive rights to negotiate a contract, and as compensation for the loss of Kang.
To put this in perspective, at the time of the Kang signing (Dec '15-Jan '16), the then-record high international transfer fee posted was the December 8, 2011, transfer of the RHP
Yu Darvish
, more commonly known as Yu Darvish (ダルビッシュ 有), is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Darvish has also played in MLB for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and ...
from the
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at ES CON Field Hokkaido. The Fighters also host a ...
of the
NPB
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
(Japanese Professional Baseball organization) to the Texas Rangers for $51,703,411.
2015 season
On January 16, 2015, Kang was signed to a four-year, $11 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, with a club option for a fifth year.
![Jung-ho Kang Batting (3)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Jung-ho_Kang_Batting_%283%29.jpg)
Kang made the decision to train with his former Korean club, the defending (2016) KBO Champion Nexen Heroes, who had arrived in Surprise, Arizona for their Spring Training (hosted at the spring training facility of the Texas Rangers). While there Kang focused on strength training. Although there was plenty of South Korean-based media coverage surrounding Kang, as he was to be the first KBO position player (non-pitcher) to be developed entirely within the Korean system to jump to the Major Leagues.
In
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
, Kang was given the opportunity to compete for the starting shortstop job held by
Jordy Mercer
Jordy Joe Mercer (born August 27, 1986) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, and Washington Nationals. Prior to beginning his ...
.
In the first spring training game of 2015, in his second at-bat, Kang connected on a 0-1 fastball, driving an opposite field solo home run in the third inning, helping the Pirates to a 5-0 lead, and eventual 8-7 win over the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
.
On April 4, 2015, Kang recorded his first Major League hit off
Kyle Lohse
Kyle Matthew Lohse (; born October 4, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers ...
of the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
, a
flare
A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala in some Latin-speaking countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illumination, ...
just past the outstretched glove of shortstop
Jean Segura
Jean Carlos Enrique Segura ( ; born March 17, 1990), nicknamed El Mambo, is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop and second baseman for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels of A ...
.
On April 21, Kang recorded his first RBI against the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
with a bases-clearing RBI double that gave the Pirates an 8–5 lead.
On May 3 on the road against the Central leading Cardinals, in St. Louis, down 1-0, Kang came to bat to lead off the top of the 9th inning. Facing
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
closer Trevor Rosenthal
Trevor Jordan Rosenthal (born May 29, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and S ...
, Kang connected on the first pitch of the inning sending a game-tying solo home run into the left-center seats, knotting the game at 1–1.
On May 9, 2015, during a 7–5 win over the Cardinals, the Pirates became the first MLB team to turn a 4–5–4
triple play
In baseball, a triple play (denoted as TP in baseball statistics) is the act of making three outs during the same play. There have only been 733 triple plays in Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1876, an average of just over five per season.
Th ...
. The play occurred when the Cardinals'
Yadier Molina
Yadier Benjamín Molina (; born July 13, 1982), nicknamed "Yadi", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely considered one of the great ...
lined out to second baseman
Neil Walker
Neil Martin Andrew Walker (born September 10, 1985) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (2009–2015), New York Mets (2016–17), Milwaukee Brewers ( ...
. Walker threw to Kang at third base to double-off
Jhonny Peralta
Jhonny Antonio Peralta (born May 28, 1982) is a Dominican former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Cleveland Indians signed him as an amateur free agent in his native D ...
for the second out. Kang then threw the ball back to Walker, who was standing on second base, for the final out after
Jason Heyward
Jason Alias Heyward (born August 9, 1989), nicknamed "J-Hey" is an American professional baseball right fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals ...
froze between second and third.
On September 8, 2015, Kang connected on an impressive 472-ft solo shot, his 14th of the season, on the road against the Cincinnati Reds.
On September 17, 2015, during a game against the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
, Kang was covering second base in a
double play
In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs.
In Major Leag ...
attempt. Baserunner
Chris Coghlan
Christopher B. Coghlan (pronounced KAHG-lihn; born June 18, 1985) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Florida / Miami Marlins, Oakland Athletics, and Toronto Blue ...
attempted to break up the double play aggressively by sliding into Kang. Coghlan collided with Kang's left knee, fracturing his leg and tearing his
MCL
The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3) ...
. Kang was placed on the 60-day
disabled list
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL).
General guidelines
...
and would miss the remainder of the season, including the post season NL wild card game, which the Pittsburgh Pirates played host to the Chicago Cubs.
On October 7, during the pre-game introductions of the NL Wild Card game, Kang used a wheelchair to appear on the field, where he received a standing ovation. This was his first public appearance since the incident.
In 126 games played in 2015, Kang hit .287 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs.
Kang placed third in the National League
Rookie of the Year voting, collecting a 19% share.
2016 season
On May 6, 2016, Kang played in his first MLB game since his September 17, 2015, injury. He hit two solo home runs in the game, contributing to the Pirates 4–2 road win over their NL Central division rival
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
. In only 103 games, Kang ended the season batting .255 with a career-high 21 home runs and 62 RBIs.
2016 legal troubles
In early July 2016, a
sexual assault
Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
claim was made against Kang by a 23-year-old Chicago woman. No charges were brought against Kang, as the accuser would not cooperate with the police investigation.
On December 1, 2016, Kang was involved in a high-speed
DUI
Driving under the influence (DUI)—also called driving while impaired, impaired driving, driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating under the influence (OUI), operating vehicle under the infl ...
-induced hit-and-run in South Korea, which culminated in him fleeing his vehicle on foot. The incident was confirmed by videos from both municipal (traffic) CCTV and Kang's dashcam. Kang was subsequently 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 denied.
2017 season
As a result of the DUI incident, the Pirates placed Kang, whose visa was revoked, on the Restricted List on March 11. Kang was not on the Pirates' 40-man roster for the year, as he could not obtain a work visa to travel to the United States. On May 18, Kang's suspended sentence was upheld by a Korean court, meaning that he was disallowed from working or playing any professional sport legally in the United States in 2017.
Kang played in the
Dominican Professional Baseball League
Dominican may refer to:
* Someone or something from or related to the Dominican Republic ( , stress on the "mi"), on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles, in the Caribbean
** People of the Dominican Republic
** Demographics of the Dom ...
for the 2017–2018 winter season, with the
Águilas Cibaeñas
The Águilas Cibaeñas (English lit. ''Cibaoan Eagles'') is a professional baseball team in the Dominican Republic's Dominican Professional Baseball League, winter baseball league. Founded on January 28, and based in Santiago de los Caballeros, S ...
. He batted just .143 with one home run in 24 games, which brought about an early release from the team.
2018 season
On April 26, 2018, it was revealed that Kang successfully renewed his visa, meaning that he was eligible for activities in the United States once again. He was also cleared by the Pirates organization to return to the team.
In speaking with reporters on June 6, 2018, Kang said through a translator that he was sober and had voluntarily enrolled in the Joint Drug Treatment Program. "I'm just trying to be as careful as possible in everything that I do. Obviously, I'm not touching a drop of alcohol moving forward," he said. On June 15, 2018, the Pirates reinstated Kang to their 40-man roster from the restricted list and optioned him to Triple-A
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
.
On September 28, 2018, with only 3 games left on the schedule, Kang made his season debut on the road in Cincinnati against the last-place Reds. He was inserted into the game in the top of the seventh inning, as a pinch hitter. This was his first AB in the major leagues since October 2, 2016, a span of four days short of two years. Kang ended the 2018 MLB season batting .333, having gone 2 for 6 with 2 singles and a strikeout in 3 games.
On October 31, the Pirates declined their option to sign Kang for the fifth year of his contract, thus making him eligible as a free agent for the 2019 season. On November 8, 2018, the Pirates re-signed Kang to a one-year/$3M deal with the opportunity to compete for the starting 3B job with
Colin Moran
Colin Richard Moran (born October 1, 1992) is an American professional baseball third baseman who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds.
Moran attended the Univ ...
, who had been acquired to fill Kang's position during his absence. Kang was a free agent for one week. The deal was financially very similar to the original contract.
2019 season
On February 24, 2019, in his spring debut, Kang homered in his first two Grapefruit League at bats, against Miami. On March 18, 2019, the Pittsburgh Pirates named Kang to be their starting 3rd baseman for the 2019 season. On April 3, 2019, Kang hit his first MLB home run since the 2016 season, in the 3rd inning against the Cardinals off Miles Mikolas. On August 2, 2019, the Pirates designated Kang for assignment after he hit .169 with 10 home runs in 185 plate appearances. Kang was released on August 4, 2019.
Free agency and KBO reinstatement
In early 2020, Kang worked out for a
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
affiliate organization, but failed to sign a deal. He decided to return to South Korea, and later filed for reinstatement from the "voluntarily retired" list in order to play in the
KBO League
The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...
.
However, due to three drunk driving incidents in his past, Kang was required to face a penalty that would include a suspension for up to 3 years per the KBO League rule book. The KBO League disciplinary committee had to decide whether the rule, which was instituted in 2018, would be applicable retroactively to Kang's third DUI arrest in 2016 when he was not a KBO player.
On May 25, 2020, Kang received a one-year suspension from the league and was also ordered to undergo 300 hours of
community service
Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performed ...
. The disciplinary committee decided not to apply the DUI rule retroactively to his 2016 arrest, opting instead to give him the maximum punishment for his other 2 arrests which occurred when he was an active KBO player. Kang did not play organized baseball in 2021.
Kiwoom Heroes
On March 18, 2022, Kang returned to the
KBO League
The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...
by signing a one-year, $25,000 contract with his former team, now named the
Kiwoom Heroes
The Kiwoom Heroes () are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Seoul. They are a member of the KBO League. The Heroes play their home games at Gocheok Sky Dome in Gocheok-dong, a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of Seou ...
.
References
External links
Career statistics and player informationfrom
Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO; ko, 한국야구위원회) is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. The KBO was founded in 1981 and has governed two leagues: the KBO League ( ko, KBO 리그) and KBO ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kang, Jung-ho
1987 births
Living people
2013 World Baseball Classic players
Asian Games gold medalists for South Korea
Asian Games medalists in baseball
Baseball players at the 2010 Asian Games
Baseball players at the 2014 Asian Games
Hyundai Unicorns players
Indianapolis Indians players
KBO League shortstops
Major League Baseball players from South Korea
Major League Baseball shortstops
Major League Baseball third basemen
Medalists at the 2010 Asian Games
Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games
Kiwoom Heroes players
Pittsburgh Pirates players
Sportspeople from Gwangju
South Korean expatriate baseball players in the United States
Bradenton Marauders players
Águilas Cibaeñas players
South Korean expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic