Jung-ho Kang facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jung-ho Kang |
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Kang with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015
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| Third baseman / Shortstop | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: April 5, 1987 Gwangju, South Korea |
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| Professional debut | |||||||||||||||||
| KBO: April 8, 2006, for the Hyundai Unicorns | |||||||||||||||||
| MLB: April 8, 2015, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | |||||||||||||||||
| KBO: October 17, 2014, for the Nexen Heroes | |||||||||||||||||
| MLB: July 29, 2019, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||||||||||||||||
| KBO statistics | |||||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .298 | ||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 139 | ||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 545 | ||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .254 | ||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 46 | ||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 144 | ||||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
KBO
MLB
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Medals
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| Jung-ho Kang | |
| Hangul |
강정호
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| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Gang Jeongho |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kang Chŏngho |
| IPA | Korean: [kaŋdʑʌŋho] |
Jung-ho Kang (Korean: 강정호; born April 5, 1987) is a former professional baseball player from South Korea. He played as a third baseman and shortstop. Kang played in the KBO League for the Hyundai Unicorns and Nexen Heroes. He also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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Early Baseball Days
Jung-ho Kang started his baseball journey in Gwangju, South Korea. While attending Gwangju Jeil High School, he mainly played as a catcher.
In 2004, Kang joined the South Korean national team for players under 18. He played as a third baseman and helped his team win a bronze medal at the World Junior Baseball Championship. The next year, in 2005, Kang helped his high school team win the Golden Lion Flag Championship. He even won awards for being an outstanding pitcher and for having the most RBI.
Professional Career
Starting in the KBO League
Jung-ho Kang was chosen by the Hyundai Unicorns in the 2006 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) draft. He struggled a bit in his first two seasons. In 2006, he played only 10 games. In 2007, he played 20 games.
In 2008, the Unicorns team was replaced by a new team, the Woori Heroes. Kang became the starting shortstop for the Heroes. He played in 116 games, hitting 8 home runs and getting 47 RBI.
Becoming a Star Player
Kang had a great year in 2009. He hit 23 home runs and had 81 RBI. He also led the league in doubles.
In 2010, Kang's batting average went over .300 for the first time. He also won his first KBO League Golden Glove Award for his excellent defensive play. That same year, he won a gold medal with the South Korean national baseball team at the 2010 Asian Games.
Kang continued to improve. In 2012, he hit 25 home runs and stole 21 bases, which was a career high. He also won another Gold Glove Award. In 2013, he won his third Gold Glove Award.
His best season in the KBO was in 2014. He hit an amazing 40 home runs and had 117 RBI. He led the league in slugging percentage and OPS. He also won his fourth Gold Glove Award, showing he was one of the best defensive players.
Moving to Major League Baseball
On December 22, 2014, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the chance to sign Kang to a contract in Major League Baseball. They paid a fee of over $5 million to his Korean team, the Nexen Heroes, to get this special opportunity.
2015 Season with the Pirates
On January 16, 2015, Kang signed a four-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He trained with his old Korean team to get ready for his first MLB season.
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Kang quickly showed his skills. In his first spring training game, he hit a home run. On April 4, 2015, he got his first hit in a Major League game. Later that month, he hit a double that brought in three runs.
On May 3, 2015, Kang hit a game-tying solo home run in the 9th inning against the St. Louis Cardinals' closer. This helped his team tie the game.
On May 9, 2015, the Pirates made history by completing a rare 4–5–4 triple play with Kang involved. This means they got three outs on one play!
Sadly, on September 17, 2015, Kang was injured during a game against the Chicago Cubs. A baserunner slid into his left knee, causing a serious injury that ended his season. He had to miss the rest of the year, including the playoffs.
Even with his injury, Kang had a great first season. He played in 126 games, hitting 15 home runs and getting 58 RBI. He finished third in the voting for the National League Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award.
2016 and Later Seasons
Kang returned to play on May 6, 2016, after his injury. In that game, he hit two home runs, helping the Pirates win. In 2016, he played 103 games and hit a career-high 21 home runs.
After 2016, Kang faced some challenges off the field. Due to off-field issues, Kang was suspended from playing for a year. He tried to play in the Dominican Republic in 2017 but struggled.
He returned to the Pirates in September 2018, playing in only three games. In 2019, he started the season as the Pirates' third baseman. However, he struggled to hit consistently and was released by the team on August 4, 2019.
Return to KBO League
In 2020, Kang tried to return to baseball in South Korea. On May 25, 2020, he received a one-year suspension from the KBO League. He did not play organized baseball in 2021.
On March 18, 2022, Kang signed a contract to return to his former team, now called the Kiwoom Heroes. However, the KBO League did not approve his contract, and he became a free agent again.
Images for kids
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Kang getting ready to bat for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015.
