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Kang Jung-ho of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates his three-run home run in the 7th inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on August 9. / AFP-Yonhap

Legend continues in Korean baseball

By Baek Byung-yeul

GWANGJU — Korean star baseball player Kang Jung-ho, an infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, is arguably one of the best exports among Korean athletes this year.

Spending a tremendous nine seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) recording a batting average of .298 with 139 home runs in 3,070 at bats as a shortstop, Kang inked a four-year deal with a fifth-year option with the Major League Baseball (MLB) club last winter.

Although he spent the early season on the bench, the 28-year-old player has been on a roll these days in his MLB debut season, dispelling worries about Kang’s success in the world’s most competitive baseball league.

Former Chicago Cubs first baseman Choi Hee-seop / Korea Times file

Batting .379 (33-for-87) with 13 extra-base hits in July, Kang became the second Korean to win the National League (NL) Rookie of the Month, following former Chicago Cubs first baseman Choi Hee-seop who won the honor in April 2003.

Kang has collected enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title Tuesday making his time in the batter’s box 341 times this season after going 1-for-4 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Among qualified batters in the NL, Kang placed 19th in batting average with .293 and 12th in on-base percentage with .367, establishing himself as a strong candidate for NL Rookie of the Year.

As Kang’s career continues to thrive, Kang’s alma mater Gwangju Jeil High School is getting a lot of attention.

Former New York Mets pitcher Seo Jae-weong / AP-Yonhap

The school has produced a number of MLB players, including Kang, a native of Gwangju and the school’s fourth alumnus playing in the big league. The others include Seo Jae-weong, 38, who had 28 wins and 40 losses while pitching in the MLB for six seasons; former Arizona Diamondback closer Kim Byung-hyun, 36; and Choi, 36, who spent four seasons there as a first baseman. The three former big leaguers now play for the KBO’s Gwangju-based Kia Tigers.

When Kang joined the Pirates, Kang’s alma mater grabbed media attention for producing four big leaguers, surpassing Japan’s renowned PL Gakuen High School in Osaka which has produced three — Masumi Kuwata, Kazuo Matsui and Kosuke Fukudome.

Gwangju Jeil High School has produced a slew of stars in the KBO such as former Tigers manager Sun Dong-yeol, who was nicknamed “national treasure” for his unhittable pitching; Lee Jong-beom, who won the Korean Series MVP as a rookie in 1993; and Seo Gun-chang, last season’s KBO MVP second baseman.

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Kim Byung-hyun / AP-Yonhap

Entering the school gate with a low fence on Aug. 11, a wide baseball field covered with artificial grass catches your eye. As the school is on summer vacation, it seemed to be empty except for few vehicles parked in the lot, and due to rain there were no players practicing.

Instead, some of the 37 players on the prestigious high school team gathered in small groups in the indoor training center, sweating their way through a practice session.

Next to the players was head coach Kim Sun-seob, who waspointing out flaws of the student players.

“Though we are pretty busy preparing for next week’s Korea Baseball Association President’s Flag tournament, we cancelled today’s practice session due to rain. But, as you see, some of them came to school for training,” Kim said.

Gwangju Jeil High School baseball team players celebrate after winning the Bonghwang (Grand Phoenix) Flag High School Tournament hosted by The Hankook Ilbo, a sister paper of The Korea Times, in Dongdaemun Baseball Stadium in Seoul, in this August, 1983, file photo. / Korea Times

Last month, the team won its first President’s Cup National High School Baseball Tournament in eight years.

“As a matter of fact, we have not been in good shape during the last few years. Why? It is because many talented middle school students decide to go to high schools located in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Sadly, more and more parents shy away from teams in the provincial areas like us as the big cities have more to offer.”

In that sense, the head coach, who’s also an alumnus of the school, said he is very grateful to Kang for his stunning performance thus far in the United States.

“Thanks to Kang, young student players haven’t lost their dream that they may play together or against Kang in the MLB in the future. I really appreciatehis moral support,” he said.

Not only his players but also Kim often gets affected by Kang’s every day performances. “It is my routine to check Kang’s stats. When he doesn’t record a hit or commits an error, I feel down. On the other hand, when he does well in a game, like hitting a home run yesterday, I am in a good mood all day.”

Kim remembered Kang as a player who, “always practiced more than the rest.”

“I joined this team as an assistant coach in 2001. I noticed Kang when he was a senior at middle school. After watching him hit breaking balls with precise timing, I thought he had already passed the high school level,” Kim said. “As long as I have known him, he always concentrated on polishing up his baseball skills all the time. When he was a freshman, he played as a backup for his seniors. As a sophomore, he played in different positions as a catcher, shortstop, third baseman and pitcher. Frankly, I didn’t expect him to become a major leaguer but I was confident he would do well in the KBO.”

Former Kia Tigers manager Sun Dong-yeol throws a ball in this 1980 file photo. He was a senior member of the Gwangju Jeil High School baseball team at that time. / Korea Times

With Kang, the team was the runner-up at the Bonghwang (Grand Phoenix) Flag High School Tournament in 2004 and 2005 and won the Hwanggeum Saja (Golden Lion) Flag High School Tournament in 2005. In the final game of the Hwanggeum Saja tourney, he was the starting and winning pitcher while throwing eight innings and allowing no runs.

He also praised Kang’s great leadership and personality, saying he always got along with his teammates. “When Kang become a senior, he always tried to take the initiative in every team practice. Also, he knows how to live in harmony, getting along together.”

‘Tradition makes them strong’

Gwangju Jeil High School’s baseball team was established in 1923, three years after the school opened. Since then, it has been atop major baseball tourneys 17 times, emerging as one of the top baseball high schools in the country.

On the secret of their strong performance, the head coach stressed that their tradition makes them stronger.

“We have been having pretty hard times since 2010 to bring in good players. Nevertheless, we have maintained the top rank because we believe in our tradition and take pride that we are the best high school baseball team in Korea,” he said, adding he has been always emphasizing the school’s motto — “Fulfilling loyalty and filial piety, inheriting tradition and cultivating ability.”

Kim Sun-seob, the head coach for the Gwangju Jeil High School baseball team, poses in his office during an interview with The Korea Times in Gwangju, Tuesday. / Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul

“At a glance, it doesn’t mean anything at all. But when we encounter a hurdle at a crucial phase in the game, we get encouraged by our alumni players. I think that is a huge difference compared to other teams.”

“Not only Kim Byung-hyun, who has been donating some 10 million won ($8,500) to us so that we can purchase baseball equipment every year, but also Kang donatedlast winter. As you may know, running a baseball team requires money, and those alumni are helping us both financially and morally,” he added.

Kim also emphasized that the school’s well-equipped facilities contribute to the team’s success. “As you see, we have quite good facilities so that players can concentrate on practicing baseball skills. Also, as we are situated in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, we don’t have to move to anywhere warm in the winter season,” he said.

Kang Jung-ho, right, a catcher for the Gwangju Jeil High School baseball team, attempts a force out during his team’s game against Jeju High School in the Bonghwang (Grand Phoenix) Flag High School Tournament in Dongdaemun Baseball Stadium in Seoul in this August 9, 2005, file photo. / Korea Times

“I joined the Ssangbangwool Raiders in 1996 after graduating university as an infielder and retired in 2000 as I suffered elbow injuries. After I began coaching this team, I studied hard about how to prevent possible injuries. I have provided the students with training programs that will strengthen the players rather than focus on baseball technique,” he said.

Park Ju-hong, a freshman pitcher who recorded a win in the final game of the last month’s President’s Cup against the Sungnam High School, said choosing Gwangju Jeil High School was the best choice he made.

“After I came to this high school, my baseball performance improved a lot. Under the guidance of the head coach, I focus on physical and technical training. Someday I would like to pitch against Kang on the MLB stage and strike him out,” he said.