Former MLB Player Kang’s Academy Thriving Despite DUI History

Kang Jung Ho’s successful baseball academy in Los Angeles
Challenges he encountered due to his DUI history

Former MLB player Kang Jung Ho’s American baseball academy is reportedly thriving with a surge in clientele.

Kang Jung Ho is circling the bases after launching a solo home run over the left fence as the first batter in the second inning of an exhibition game versus the Miami Marlins at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida, on February 25, 2019./ Yonhap News

A baseball insider stated on the 13th, “Kang Jung Ho’s baseball academy in Los Angeles, USA, is doing well. It’s packed with clients, thanks to word-of-mouth from famous players.”

Son Ah Seop, who won the Golden Glove for leading the 2023 KBO pro baseball season in hits and batting, said at the Golden Glove ceremony on the 11th, “I trained desperately with Kang Jung Ho before this season. We really sweated it out at his academy.”

He went on to say, “Kang’s training approach is highly comprehensive. He clearly and precisely explains the training objectives and the rationale behind adjusting the swing mechanics. His knack for making it readily comprehensible for the trainee sets him apart. Following sessions with him, I’ve noticed significant improvements. Training under his guidance enables me to swiftly acquire precise skills without the need for relearning or going backward.”

Son added, “He said he learned much by meeting good pitchers in the United States. Therefore, he knows many training methods. He especially teaches the technique that best suits the player. I plan to train at his academy again before next season.”

Son Ah Seop revealed, “Park Se Hyeok and Kim Joo Won were supposed to go this season. However, Kim Joo Won couldn’t go due to a personal issue. So, Park Se Hyeok and I decided to go. Park expressed his desire to learn from Kang Jung Ho before he gets any older.”

Son Ah Seop Park Se Hyeok and Kim Jae Hwan, who led the home run rankings in 2018, departed for the United States last month to take classes at Kang Jung Ho’s academy.

Kang Jung Ho transferred to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2014 after batting an average of .356 with 40 home runs, 117 RBIs, and 103 runs in 117 games. In his first year in the MLB League in 2015, he hit 15 and 21 home runs in 2016, playing a key role for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Nevertheless, in December 2016, he received an 8-month prison sentence and two years of probation for a hit-and-run drunk driving incident, marking his third drunk driving offense following previous incidents in 2009 and 2011.

He attempted to return to his home country, but his record of three drunk driving incidents ultimately held him back.