You're here to scout the Dodgers? So what? 38-Year-Old Retired Player With Reckless DUI History Has No Place In MLB Club

Nov 27, 2025

Kang Jung-ho YouTube Capture

'Showcase' did it right.

But let's be honest, this is just 'SHOW' for the promotion of his channel and academy. There is no Major League Baseball (MLB) club to accept a retired player who is about to end his career by habitually driving under the influence.

Recently, a showcase for former baseball player Kang Jung-ho (38) to try to return drew attention. Kang Jung-ho released a showcase for his return to the Major League on his YouTube channel on the 24th. He held a hit and defense showcase in the U.S. This was a showcase that he announced in March that he would also try to return to the Major League through his YouTube.

In the video, Kang Jung-ho showed batting, defense, and throwing. In particular, two Major League scouts attended the site, and one of them was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second consecutive World Series team', explaining that the other scout did not know which team he belonged to.

At least it seems true that a scout from the MLB club came to Kang Jung-ho's 'Showcase' site. However, it is not known through what channels or for what purpose they came to the site and observed Kang Jung-ho's showcase. Above all, it is unclear whether the observation materials will be used for actual recruitment reports.

Kang Jung-ho demonstrated batting and throwing movements in front of them. During batting practice, he also threw several balls out of the fence.

However, with such a showcase, Kang Jung-ho cannot be considered to be able to sign with a major league club again. Although there was one long hit in batting practice, Kang Jung-ho and a staff member who seems to have been working with King Kang Academy for a long time only hit a slow batting ball that was thrown easily. Even during defensive practice, there was a clear difference in footwork and throwing speed from active Major League players. Even compared to Kang Jung-ho's active days, it can be seen quickly.

Based on this, there is no possibility that the female Dodgers or other Major League teams will recruit Kang Jung-ho again. Zero. There are countless reasons why it is impossible to return to active duty.

First of all, Kang Jung-ho has already retired for more than six years and will turn 39 next year. It's not immediate power, it's not a lumber to grow. In particular, the Dodgers are a super-elite team that has won two consecutive World Series titles by attracting only the world's best players based on its strong financial power. There are even dozens of powerful prospects in their early and mid-20s who are only looking at major league call-up opportunities in the minor league farm.

It is nonsense that such a Dodgers club will recruit Kang Jung-ho, a retired player who will turn 40 soon. Even when Kang was in his prime with the Pittsburgh Pirates, it was hard to see him as an A-list player in the Major League.

The season in which he played as a main member was only in 2015, the debut season, and in 2016, the year after. In 2015, he played in 126 games and recorded a batting average of 0.287 (121 hits in 421 at-bats) with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs with an OPS of 0.816, and in 2016, he recorded a batting average of 0.255 (81 hits in 318 at-bats) with 21 home runs and 62 RBIs with an OPS of 0.867 in 103 games.

Later, while staying in Korea after the season ended in early December 2016, he caused a drunk driving accident and fled the scene, and committed the worst act of lying that a woman he was with was driving. As a result, Kang Jung-ho was sentenced to imprisonment in August 2017 and suspended for two years, and the first trial ruling was maintained at the appeal trial.

Kang Jung-ho, who was booked without detention for hitting the guardrail at the intersection of Samsung Station in the early morning of December 2, 2016, is attending the Gangnam Police Station. According to the investigation, Kang was intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.084 percent at the time of the accident. Sports Chosun DB

It was even Kang's third DUI detection following 2009 and 2011. In 2009, he was fined 1 million won for drunk driving, and in 2011, he was fined 3 million won for driving under the influence of alcohol. With this, Kang was officially recognized as the `worst drunk driving criminal of any Korean baseball player ever,' and his active career was completely over.

However, the Pittsburgh club maintained the remaining contract with Kang Jung-ho and provided an opportunity to return, but his major league career ended with only 65 appearances in 2019 (batting average of 0.169) following three appearances in 2018. Kang Jung-ho later secretly sought to return to the KBO League as a member of his original team Kiwoom Heroes in 2020, but even this was canceled due to KBO's official disapproval policy and was retired.

Kang Jung-ho YouTube Capture

Considering this career, there is no reason for any MLB club, not only the Dodgers, to try to recruit Kang Jung-ho. In particular, the moment Kang Jung-ho is recruited, the value of the farm system and the system of recruiting foreign players, which the club has maintained, will fall to the bottom.

Therefore, it is difficult to say that the two scouts who appeared at Kang Jung-ho's showcase actually visited the site with Kang Jung-ho in mind. Strictly speaking, it would be reasonable to think that they are observers of Kang Jung-ho's 'image promotional showcase'.

Kang Jung-ho said in the video, `I want to show my best regardless of the result```.

Reporter Lee Won-man wman@sportschosun.com

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.