Kevin Gorman: Time for Pirates to show Kang the door

… big bat or a backbone? 

After the story last week that indicated that Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang had been denied a work visa to re-enter the United State after his DUI conviction in South Korea, Tribune-Review columnist Kevin Gorman made a case that the best-case scenario for the Pirates may be cutting him.

In short, Gorman explained the dilemma for the Pirates as they consider the fate of their talented, but troubled, athlete from a foreign culture: "At best, Kang is a South Korean star with power potential who fulfills the Pirates needs at third base and the cleanup spot in the batting order. At worst, he's a repeat offender as a drunken driver who also has been accused of sexual assault."

It is not a pretty picture for the Bucs.

The reality is that the Pittsburgh Pirates organization signed a work visa for Kang in 2015 after the player had been twice convicted of driving under the influence in Korea early in his baseball career. That is a violation of the United States criminal code.

The organization claims that it did not know about the two previous charges. However, it is their obligation to know that when they sign a work visa. They have some explaining to do, though Gorman did not chastise them as much for that as for their whole handling of the Kang problems.

Last year, Kang was accused of sexual assault by a young woman in Chicago. Those charges remain open even though reports out of there are that the woman is no longer cooperating with the police in the matter.

They would not be keeping the case open unless there were serious concerns about Kang in the case.

Then, last week the report out of South Korea about the visa also noted that Kang was suspected of having another DUI in an unnamed country.

Gorman writes that the Pirates said, "We have no indication that Jung Ho has had a driving incident in a country other than Korea.”

He goes on, "For now, it's only hearsay. But you have to wonder how much the Pirates actually know about Jung Ho Kang and why they stand behind him with such resolution. They claimed to be unaware of his previous two DUI arrests, and there is a language barrier to the point that it involves an interpreter. How forthcoming has Kang been with the Pirates?

"You also have to wonder how tone-deaf the Pirates have become to these issues involving Kang, considering they continued to promote and honor his bobblehead day, despite fan and public backlash over the Chicago sexual assault investigation. Even after the Koreans kicked Kang off their team for the World Baseball Classic, the Pirates want him back."

Gorman theorizes that the Pirates only care about him because of his value as an athlete.

That may be true. If they truly were concerned about his welfare, why not place him into an alcohol rehab somewhere and pick up the tab? Then the could make a case to U.S. authorities that he had taken action to improve himself.

It will not help them at third base, but as Gorman concludes, "At what point do they decide whether they want to have a big bat or a backbone?"

Gorman column

http://triblive.com/sports/kevingorman/12121061-74/gorman-time-for-pirates-to-show-kang-the-door