Pittsburgh Pirates embattled infielder Jung-Ho Kang appeared in court in South Korea today to appeal his sentence from a third drunk driving conviction.
Jung Ho Kang, dressed in a dark suit, appeared with his attorney, asking a South Korean judge specifically to convert the two years probation he received (which was a suspended sentence for the original sentence of eight months of jail time) into a fine. He was sentenced in early March.
Since that time, Kang has been denied a Visa to enter the US, making it impossible for him to join his team and play baseball.
“Even though what he has done is a very serious thing, for him to give up playing baseball is like a death sentence,” our source for all things Korean Baseball in the US Joseph Kim translated from Kang’s attorney. “The second part of his sentence is too heavy and harsh.”
His attorney, according to Kim, also stated that Kang’s Korean driver’s license has already been suspended and the third baseman has agreed to forfeit his US license as a part of his appeal.
“He regrets deeply his mistakes, and does so more and more as time goes by – especially as he sees his teammates playing baseball,” Kim translated Kang’s attorney.
A decision on Kang’s appeal is expected from the court May 18.
A Troubled Past
The charges for which Kang was sentenced stemmed from a December 2016 car accident in which Kang failed to negotiate a tight turn in his BMW, banking the sports car onto a curb, taking out several traffic warning devices and then narrowly missing a number of parked cars before coming to a stop. According to reports from Korean news agencies, Kang initially told investigators he was a passenger in the vehicle.
It was his third drunk driving offense since 2009.
Kang is also still the subject of an investigation related to a sexual assault allegation stemming from a July 2016 incident in Chicago.
A Team in Need
Kang’s absence from the Pittsburgh Pirates is very apparent, especially since infielder Adam Frazier was sent to the DL two days ago and David Freese has missed two games with a sore hamstring. That, coupled with the Starling Marte‘s 80-game suspension for PED use means the team has had to get creative to be competitive.
The Pirates say they’ve worked with Kang and his attorney throughout the ordeal. He continues to work out in hopes of joining the team as soon as possible with reports stating that the Pirates were even working to send him a high-speed pitching machine a few weeks ago.
A return to the US, doesn’t mean Kang will immediately hit the field. He could still face a suspension from MLB. Kang has reportedly agreed to enter an MLB-approved treatment program.
Photo provided by NEWSIS – South Korea
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