Kang Jung-Ho
Encyclopedia
Kang Jung-Ho (born April 5, 1987 in Gwangju
) is a South Korea
n shortstop
for the NEXEN Heroes in the Korea Professional Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed.
In Kang was selected for the South Korean national under-18 team as a third baseman
and led his team to win bronze at the World Junior Baseball Championship
held in Taiwan
.
In July Kang helped Gwangju Jaeil High School win the Golden Lion Flag Championship
as an all-around player, winning the Best Pitcher Award and the RBI title. In September 2005, he was called up to the South Korean national under-18 team again as a catcher and participated in the Asian Junior Baseball Championship
where he batted fourth in the lineup and finished with a .375 batting average.
moved to the Samsung Lions
. However, Kang struggle to make an impact as a super rookie, batting .150 (3-for-20) and striking out eight times in 20 at-bats. In he appeared in only 20 first-league games with a .133 batting average, spending the majority of the season in the KBO's reserve league
.
In , however, after compiling impressive reserve league numbers, Kang became the team's starting shortstop. He appeared in 116 games for the Heroes in 2008, batting a respectable .271 with 8 home runs and 47 RBI in 362 at-bats.
In , Kang exploded offensively, finishing the season hitting 23 home runs (11th in the league), driving in 81 runs (11th in the league) and slugging .508 (13th in the league) with a .286 batting average, 136 hits and 71 runs. Also, he tied Giants
hitter Hong Sung-Heon
for most double
s (33).
Gwangju
Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
) is a South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
for the NEXEN Heroes in the Korea Professional Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed.
Amateur career
While attending Gwangju Jaeil High School, Kang's main position was catcher. However, he was known for his ability to play a variety of positions, showing his versatility by playing all nine positions during all three years of high school.In Kang was selected for the South Korean national under-18 team as a third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball 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...
and led his team to win bronze at the World Junior Baseball Championship
World Junior Baseball Championship
The IBAF AAA World Junior Championships is an under-18 international baseball competition sponsored by the International Baseball Federation , which was first held in 1981 in United States...
held in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
In July Kang helped Gwangju Jaeil High School win the Golden Lion Flag Championship
High school baseball in South Korea
In Korea, high school baseball is played at a very high level by students who train year round. Unlike in Japan or the U.S. where nearly every high school fields a team, there are only about 60-70 Korean high school baseball teams which makes the competition tantamount to an all-star league of...
as an all-around player, winning the Best Pitcher Award and the RBI title. In September 2005, he was called up to the South Korean national under-18 team again as a catcher and participated in the Asian Junior Baseball Championship
Asian Junior Baseball Championship
The Asian Junior Baseball Championship is an under-18 international baseball tournament sanctioned and created by the Baseball Federation of Asia...
where he batted fourth in the lineup and finished with a .375 batting average.
Notable international careers
| Year | Competition | Team | Individual Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Junior Baseball Championship World Junior Baseball Championship The IBAF AAA World Junior Championships is an under-18 international baseball competition sponsored by the International Baseball Federation , which was first held in 1981 in United States... |
 |
|||
| Asian Junior Baseball Championship Asian Junior Baseball Championship The Asian Junior Baseball Championship is an under-18 international baseball tournament sanctioned and created by the Baseball Federation of Asia... |
 |
.375 BA (6-for-16), 1 R |
Professional career
Kang was drafted by the Hyundai Unicorns with the eighth pick in the second round of the KBO Draft. The Unicorns intended to use him as a fixture at shortstop which had been left empty since 2005 when Park Jin-ManPark Jin-Man
*SK Wyverns Park Jin-Man is a Korean Baseball Organization shortstop for the Samsung Lions. He bats and throws right-handed. Since becoming a fixture in the starting lineup in his first pro season, Park has demonstrated defensive versatility as a shortstop, winning five Golden Gloves...
moved to the Samsung Lions
Samsung Lions
Samsung Lions Baseball Club is a Korea Professional Baseball team founded in 1982. They are based in Daegu and are members of the Korean Baseball Organization. Their home stadium is Daegu Baseball Stadium...
. However, Kang struggle to make an impact as a super rookie, batting .150 (3-for-20) and striking out eight times in 20 at-bats. In he appeared in only 20 first-league games with a .133 batting average, spending the majority of the season in the KBO's reserve league
Korea Baseball Futures League
Futures League is the 2nd highest level below that of Korea Professional Baseball in South Korea. It has a role as a farm league, whose the purpose is to develop players available to play in Korea Professional Baseball league on demand. Futures League consists of two small leagues that are...
.
In , however, after compiling impressive reserve league numbers, Kang became the team's starting shortstop. He appeared in 116 games for the Heroes in 2008, batting a respectable .271 with 8 home runs and 47 RBI in 362 at-bats.
In , Kang exploded offensively, finishing the season hitting 23 home runs (11th in the league), driving in 81 runs (11th in the league) and slugging .508 (13th in the league) with a .286 batting average, 136 hits and 71 runs. Also, he tied Giants
Lotte Giants
The Lotte Giants are a professional baseball team based in Busan, Korea, and one of the original franchises of the Korea Baseball Organization league. The Lotte Giants are owned by the Japanese-South Korean Lotte conglomerate....
hitter Hong Sung-Heon
Hong Sung-Heon
Hong Sung-Heun is a South Korean designated hitter and first baseman for the Lotte Giants in the Korean Baseball Organization...
for most double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
s (33).
Notable international careers
| Year | Competition | Team | Individual Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guangzhou Asian Games |  |
.515 BA (8-for-13), 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R |