Jung-Ho Kang is seeking a return to his baseball roots, but there is a large asterisk in completing that return.
According to Jeeho Yoo of South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, Kang is seeking to return to the Korea Baseball Organization for the first time since 2014.
It comes with a catch. Kang requested to be taken off the league's voluntarily retired list, a list he joined when departing the league for Pittsburgh prior to the 2015 season. The slick infielder, however, is set to face a suspension for his troubles with driving under the influence.
Kang has been caught and penalized three times for driving under the influence, and further penalty is coming. In accordance with KBO rules, any player who has had at least three arrests for driving under the influence is required to serve a three-year suspension from the league. At the earliest, that would make Kang eligible to return for the 2023 season.
It was Kang's DUI troubles in his native South Korea that caused troubles for his reentry to the United States. The third baseman's legal troubles forced him to miss all of the 2017 season and all but the final series of the 2018 season.
Kang's career in the KBO was nothing short of spectacular. Between 2006 and 2014, Kang played for the Hyundai Unicorns and the Woori/Nexen Heroes. In his final three years in the league (2012-2014), Kang slugged 87 home runs and 295 runs batted in. The 2014 campaign accounted for 40 of those home runs and 117 of those runs batted in.
In December of 2014, the bidding for a 30-day window to sign Kang was won by the Pittsburgh Pirates. On January 16, 2015, he was signed to a four-year, $11 million contract, with an additional fifth-year option.
In Kang's first two seasons with Pittsburgh, he hit 36 homeruns and drove in 120 runs batted in. His 2015 season was cut short due to a takeout slide by the Cubs' Chris Coghlan in mid-September, but Kang bounced back with 21 home runs and 62 runs batted in during the 2016 campaign.
Following the resolution of all visa suspension and legal concerns, it was reported on April 26, 2018 that Kang would be able to reenter the United States. However, Kang had not seen live action in over a year and a half, which forced him to miss almost all of the season, a season that was the final year of his contract prior to the option.
Prior to the 2019 season, Kang had his fifth-year option exercised. In 65 games during the season, Kang hit to a dismal .169 batting average with 10 home runs and 24 runs batted in. He was released by Pittsburgh on August 4.
Kang will attempt to get another shot, but will have to pay the league's penalty. By the time Kang is eligible to return, he would be entering has age 36 season.
The KBO has become one of the pioneer sports leagues around the world. Aside from the Chinese Professional Baseball League, the league will be the first to resume professional sports.
The league began resumption of the season with exhibition games on April 21. The regular season is set to begin on Tuesday, May 5.
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