May 26: Kang has pledged to donate his salary to charity should he sign with a KBO club, Yoo reports today.
May 25: The Korea Baseball Organization has reached a ruling regarding infielder Jung Ho Kang, who starred for the KBO’s Nexen (now Kiwoom) Heroes and spent parts of four years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kang, who seeks reinstatement following a trio of DUI arrests, will be suspended for one year and will also be required to perform 300 hours of community service, Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reports.
Kang, 33, faced a ban of up to three years under the KBO’s stringent policies surrounding DUIs. However, his lawyers argued that because the latest policy was implemented in 2018 and Kang’s most recent arrest came in 2016 (when he was playing with the Pirates and thus not even in the KBO), he should not face a maximum penalty. Yoo noted last week that something along the lines of 90 games could be considered were Kang only punished for two of his DUI arrests, and the actual ban lies somewhere in between those two potential outcomes.
The suspension for Kang won’t come into effect until he signs with a club. When or if that takes place is a bit complicated given that his former team still holds his rights. Kang would either need the Heroes’ permission to sign with another team or would need the organization to reinstate him from the “voluntarily retired” list, where he was placed when he was first posted for MLB clubs back in 2014.
Kang’s most recent DUI scandal brought about a swift downfall for a player who looked every bit the part of a productive Major Leaguer. After spending seven seasons with the Heroes and peaking with an outrageous .356/.459/.739 batting line as a 27-year-old back in 2014, Kang was posted for MLB teams and landed with the Pirates on a four-year, $11MM contract. He finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2015 and was well on his way solidifying himself as a quality regular from 2015-16, batting a combined .273/.355/.483 (126 OPS+, 129 wRC+) with 36 home runs, 43 doubles, two triples, eight steals and respectable defensive marks at both third base and shortstop.
That third DUI arrest, though, prevented Kang from securing his work visa and eventually caused him to miss the entire 2017 season as well as much of the 2018 campaign. He returned to the Pirates on a one-year pact last season but turned in a ghastly .169/.222/.395. His strikeout rate exploded from 21 percent in 2015-16 to more than 32 percent last season as his defensive grades plummeted.
Kang was worth about six wins above replacement in his first two big league seasons despite only appearing in 229 games and taking 837 plate appearances. It’s easy to imagine another world where he would’ve settled in as the Pirates’ regular third baseman. Given what was an affordable contract and a seemingly productive trajectory on a losing club, he might well have even emerged as a viable trade chip for the former front office regime.
Instead, while Kang may yet be granted one more chapter in his baseball career (depending on the Heroes’ action and interest from others in the KBO), he’ll go down as a “what might’ve been” case.
He’s toast
I don’t understand how a person could face punishment for a crime that occurred before the rule was enacted. I’m obviously missing something so please help me understand. my question is theoretical as I have little love for anyone with multiple DUIs.
300 hours? wow
I’m not sure if you’re being sarcastic or if you think 300 hours is excessive.
oh i see needing to do 300 hours for 3 DUIs. it just reads like a lot, especially coming directly from the league rather than law enforcement.
That is less than 6 hours a week for a year. A lot of high school kids do that on top of their school work and other activities.
Ask Nick Adenhart’s parents if that’s enough of a punishment.
Another example of a guy who wastes his potential with his off-field antics. It’s a shame. I can’t imagine a team would sign him only to not have him play for a year (if I read that right).
There are reasons why a team, even his old team, would sign him. The team wouldn’t have to pay him while he’s suspended. If he performs his community service and toes the line, he could still be a productive player for his age 35 season. That isn’t ancient for that league.
Would he be suspended for 2020? He will be 34 in 2021.
You’re right that age standards are different in Asia. Former MLB players Tadahito Iguchi, So Taguchi, Kazuo Matsui, and Kosuke Fukudome all played to age 42 in Japan, which presumably has a higher level of play than Korea.
Fukudome played in Japan last year, I am not sure if he intended on playing this year. Daisuke Matsuzaka is still active at age 39.
Padres effectively did the same with Garrett Richards, though obviously didn’t take a big PR hit with it as very different reasons for being out.
This guy is an idiot. Nobody should sign him
As stated by another idiot named wu tang killa beez
Nobody should sign him, yet in other sports there are thugs using guns against others and receiving less? I’m not taking up for Kang, driving under the influence of anything is flat out wrong, but please don’t equate it with illegally carrying weapons, then going out and shooting someone because it’s some kind of ‘culture” thing the “in” crowd claims it is.
He has brought great shame upon his family
His name was Nick Adenhart.
I guess I missed how Nick Adenhart came into this at all. Adenhardt was killed by a drunk driver that ran a stop sign going 65mph who killed 3 people and nearly killed a 4th passenger who miraculously lived…
They are illustrating the risks Kang took by tragic victims the sport has seen disappear because of the same offense. Kang got caught for the same offense 3x (who knows how many more times he didn’t get caught for).
Just like the other guy said, Nick Adenhart was a VICTIM of DUI by another driver. He lost his life and what could have been a very promising career. Your comment is not only ignorant but very offensive to his families, friends and fans.
Let’s just pretend you have thinking skills. This man Kang has a history of drinking, he’s been caught how many times? Would you feel safe knowing he’s on the same road as one of your family members? The 3 times caught is only the tip of the problem. Can you not fathom that?
Dumbest thing posted here in a long time.
Adenhart was killed by a drunk driver.
Mike Darr drove drunk and killed himself and another passenger
Josh Brent killed his friend and teammate driving drunk.
Instead of arguing why not just take the comment for what message it’s suppose to convey:
DUIs put your life at risk and others.
Some people “got it”, but whether it’s a DWI or DUI — all of these terms refer to the act of driving while impaired, either under alcohol, prescribed or hazardous substances.
Nick Adenhart was killed by a drunk driver. Jung Ho Kang has three DUIs. Todd Helton has two DUIs.
Regardless of the substance, it’s difficult for me to dismiss or forgive anybody who gets behind the wheel while they’re impaired. There’s zero excuse at all for it anymore.
Alcohol wasn’t the only factor in his decline. There was that cheap **** slide by Chris Coghlan (way out of basepath and high) that took out his knee.. He never really recovered from that and the alcohol didn’t help.
Nor did his sexual assault allegations. Guy was intriguing for awhile, now he just feels like a total waste of potential.
Honestly, screw this guy. Complete and absolute garbage of a human being. You can almost forgive one DUI, but multiples? What a reckless loser.
Well, I won’t defend this guy, sounds like he had problem but I’ve had two. The first one was at 18yo, fell asleep at the wheel after 12hrs of spreading concrete and 4 beers. I only blew a 1.01 that time and a 1.03 the second time, which was at an organized traffic check.
I know if I had the talent and potential to make millions I’d throw it all away for some alcohol. Then I’d look back on it and think damn I sure did make the right choices. I never had talent or potential so its ok for me to be a drunk right?
I don’t think players with severe off field issues are stories of “what might have been.” Those are players whose careers were impacted or cut short due to stuff they couldn’t control, like injury or worse (Jose Fernandez). I feel sorry for “what might have beens” but I sure as hell don’t feel sorry for Kang.
Umm, Jose Fernandez?
Hes implying fernandez wasnt at fault in his death, but I’d argue drinking, doing coke, andriding/driving a boat in the the middle of the night at high speeds is just as bad.
Distilled to it’s basic elements, Fernandez did the same thing Kang did (operate a motorized vehicle under the influence) but ours is a society that judges outcomes not actions.
Wasn’t Fernandez driving the boat?
FWJBT, I don’t understand what you’re saying. Are you saying that there are people who think what Kang did was worse?
I dont think they ever determined who was driving bc they all died and happened at night and on a water, so no witnesses. But still, riding or driving, pretty stupid
they did determine it.
it was jose. pretty easy to tell, as he was the only 1 of the 3 on the boat with crushed ribs that matched up to the steering wheel
That’s what I thought.
@mfm
Yea, I dont remember hearing that, but correct
Retire21,
Yes. Many still regard Jose as a victim (martyr is too strong a word, but…) while the only athletes I’ve seen more reviled than Kang are Mike Vick and Aaron Fernandez. Oh, and maybe OJ.
Sad but true. All Kang did was damage property. Yes the potential for much, much worse was there but fortunately it in fact did not occur.
Ok fine, replace Fernandez with Nick Adenart or Darryl Kile.
Jose Fernandez had cocaine in his system and was BWI (Boating while intoxicated).
While I have no interest in defending Kang and I think that DUI should be treated almost as a form of attempted murder, the guy is about to lose the 4th year of his career over something literally millions of people do each year.
Meanwhile, Tyreek Hill is a Super Bowl hero and was just name by the NFL to it’s All Time Team.
Meanwhile, Chapman and Osuna continue their MLB careers after minor speed bumps.
Again, if Kang loses his career over what he did, so be it, no tears for him, but…it’s weird in the context of how quick “we” forgive and forget everything every other athlete seems to do that he gets the metaphorical electric chair while everyone else gets a gentle tap on the wrist.
it just goes to show that your on-field performance is everything in the vast majority of situations. I think if Kang had regained his pre-DUI and pre-Coghlan form, he’d probably be in the same sentence as Chapman and Osuna as continuing their careers. instead, he’s a cautionary tale. I can’t wait for ubiquitous autonomous cars for many reasons, but reducing DUIs is at the top of my list.
Do you think Hill, Chapman, etc. deserved a similar punishment to Kang? Also I don’t know about Hill, but I’m pretty sure the guys who abused women weren’t repeat offenders like Kang is.
Kang “repeat offender” of women? I don’t believe that there is any claim of that. One allegation which has not “gone anywhere” as far as I know.
No, repeat offender of drunken driving.
Do I think that people who cause or threaten direct harm should be punished similarly to people who indirectly risk harm?
No, they should be punished far more harshly.
Kang was not trying to hurt people but he could have so he should be punished.
The others WERE trying to harm people and should be punished far more.
Our legal and societal responses to bad actions/crimes appear to have been determined by a dart board.
I understand what you’re saying, and I don’t entirely disagree. I don’t think Kang should get off any lighter for what he did just because others might’ve done worse, depending on one’s own judgment. I don’t believe you’re saying that, either.
I do believe some of the other folks you mentioned should’ve been punished harsher. There needs to be a consistency to the system, where the level of punishment isn’t tied to a player’s level of ability.
I have a lot of conflicted feelings about Kang because I have lived with an alcoholic before. When you live with one (my wife) you will see these people do the craziest, stupidest, most selfish things you can imagine.
My wife and I were evicted from our apartment, and had our car repossessed. I almost got fired because I had to go get her at times. She WAS fired from 4 different jobs and the rock bottom was when she was hospitalized with multiple organ failure (kidney, liver, pancreas).
I don’t REALLY know if Kang is an alcoholic. I guess it’s possible that he is just that selfish a human being but when you have lived as long as I did with someone who is and admitted it, you watch them to so many wreckless, life endangering activities that if you educate yourself on the issue, you can see that there is a mental illness involved.
I don’t want anyone to read what I’m NOT writing. Kang absolutely should not be let go because of this. He has at this time proven he is far to dangerous to be allowed certain rights. Community service really does make a lot of since because he endangered it so much.
What he really needs the most is medical treatment but alcoholism, in the United States anyway, is not well researched by medical science, is poorly funded (most insurances don’t cover this issue) and establishments that do claim to treat it have little to no oversite by governing bodies, whether medical or otherwise.
I hope S.Korea does a better job than the U.S. on this issue. More needs to be done than just punish these people because community service, fines and jail time will not solve it.
Government sanctions and regulations will NOT do anything. Government is dysfunctional by design, also you can’t legislate human behavior. They can have committees and oversight but it will NOT change anything. The only reason a person will get better is if that particular person puts in the effort. You can send people to rehab all you want and they are still gonna do what they want, rehab by the courts or family does not work. It has to be the addicts decision to go, and not under duress, to rehab. And only when they make that choice will it work.
Hopefully he has overcome his alcohol addiction.
Three DUI’s. That’s 3 strikes. You’re out ! Which means you’re OUT. Leave it to the lawyers to get him off easy. Scumbags.
It helps to have money.
I hope he gets/has gotten the help he needs. That said, I’m glad the KBO is taking this seriously. We let too much slide in American sports.
I have a DUI. Thank the lord the 2 cars I hit were parked/had no passengers. I would trade both testicles for Kang’s Talent. Thankfully I didn’t kill anyone, simply a $30,000 mistake on my part. Absolutely no excuse for him to have 3 DUIs in 3 different countries (Steve you forgot to report the 4th he got in Canada)
“Donate his salary” – what a great guy. This clown won’t ever learn his lesson, it’s not in his nature. Here’s hoping he doesn’t harm anyone along the way.
okay cmon man. you’re goona throw shade on him because he’s donating his salery? i get its to get the suspension done, but dont think the people who benefit from that charity will feel the same way, that’s for sure.
I voted for Kodos.