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New Pirate Kang Jung-ho to adapt to second base

January 20, 2015

Shortstop Kang Jung-ho joins his former KBO team, the Nexen Heroes, for their spring training in Surprise, Arizona, on Jan. 19, 2015. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Kang have agreed to a four-year deal worth about US$16 million with an option for a fifth season. Kang will join the Pirates spring camp on Feb. 10. (Yonhap)

(Yonhap) — South Korean baseball player Kang Jung-ho, who recently signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, has mostly played shortstop in his pro career.

With the Pirates’ infield filled with established big leaguers, Kang may be asked to switch positions if he makes the team. And his old manager has offered to help Kang learn some new tricks.

The Pirates’ spring training will open in Florida in mid-February. In the meantime, Kang is training with his old South Korean club, the Nexen Heroes, in Arizona.

The Heroes’ manager, former shortstop and second baseman Yeom Kyung-yup, said on Sunday he will teach Kang how to play second base, an entirely new position to the 27-year-old.

Kang was a catcher in high school and caught briefly early in his pro career. He has been a full-time shortstop but played a bit of third base for the national team when South Korea won the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games.

“Once Kang works himself into better game shape, I will pick up the second baseman glove and teach him how to play the position,” Yeom said. “He’s played shortstop a long time, and I think he will be a quick study.”

Yeom said he will particularly focus on Kang’s footing at second base.

Before leaving for Pittsburgh last week, Kang said he’d like to play shortstop and added that, if given a consistent opportunity to play, he felt he could put up better numbers than the Bucs’ current everyday shortstop, Jordy Mercer.

Mercer, in his second full season in 2014, put up career-highs of 12 home runs and 55 RBIs, while also improving his defense. There were 13 MLB shortstops who made at least 300 throws to first in 2014, and Mercer was the only one not to commit a throwing error.

Kang has since retracted somewhat, saying he’s willing to do whatever the team asks of him.

The Pirates have already said Kang will be in spring training as a “complementary player.” Neil Walker has been a mainstay at second base, and the switch hitter hit 23 homers and drove in 76 runs last season.

Yeom said Kang should be prepared to play other positions in case he doesn’t win the shortstop job, and that second base makes sense for his old pupil.

Kang put up spectacular numbers for a shortstop in 2014, with 40 home runs, 117 RBIs and 1.198 in on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) in 117 games. However, he may not be able to duplicate these stats against big league pitching.

“If Jung-ho can be recognized for his glove and get the shortstop job, it’d be the best-case scenario,” Yeom said. “I feel he drew interest from the majors because of his offensive production as a shortstop last year. In the big leagues, if you can hit 15 homers and bat around .250 as a second baseman, it’ll be considered a pretty solid season.”

Walker hit 21 of his 23 home runs while batting left-handed against right-handers. Facing southpaws, Walker had two homers and batted .280 in 107 at-bats.

In South Korea, Kang hit nine out of his 40 homers against left-handers and batted .392 in 79 at-bats.

Versatile Josh Harrison has been inserted as the Pirates’ everyday third baseman for 2015. Before his deal was made official, Kang once said if he had to switch positions, he’d rather play third base than second base because he’d feel more comfortable at the hot corner.

Yeom said playing third will put more pressure on Kang to produce big numbers at the plate and opined that it’d be better for Kang to go there much later in his career.