Visa is next step for Kang
Pirates, his reps working on it
The Pirates and Jung Ho Kang’s representatives still are trying to acquire the visa that would allow him to enter the United States and report to spring training, team president Frank Coonelly said Friday morning in a statement.
Coonelly also said the Pirates will not punish Kang until they have a chance to talk to him. The statement further codifies the lack of clarity regarding when Kang will be able to join the Pirates, and when they can count on his services on the field.
“This is the first step of the process,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “Another step involved is him acquiring a visa to get back over here. We can’t work with the young man until he gets over here, and I don’t know when that’s going to happen. I really don’t know how that process works out.”
A South Korean court Friday sentenced Kang to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, for Kang’s drunken-driving arrest in December.
“We look forward to meeting with Jung Ho as soon as he is able to travel to the United States and having a serious discussion with him on this issue and how he has and will change those behaviors that led to the very serious punishment that has been levied against him in Korea,” Coonelly said.
Kang received a visa to play in the United States in 2015 and 2016 despite two previous DUI arrests in Korea, which the Pirates said they did not know about when they signed him.
Hanson’s challenges
After entering the game Friday as a defensive replacement, Alen Hanson reached base on a perfectly placed bunt.
The utility player has great speed, but he’ll need more than that to make the roster.
“To be a big-league player, to be a dependable defender, to be versatile, to be able to move around and be able to use the bat, those are the things that are going to play for him,” Hurdle said. “His speed is an asset.” Hanson is out of minor league options. He has played second base, shortstop and left field this spring.
“The opportunity’s real,” Hurdle said. “He needs to go out there and win a job and continue to be aggressive. [Friday], put down a bunt, playing defense, moving around, swinging the bat aggressively, controlling the strike zone, those kind of things I think he’s capable of doing.”
Buried treasure
Allegheny Health Network director of sports performance Frank Velasquez, a former Pirates strength and conditioning coordinator, will be Team USA’s strength and conditioning coach for the World Baseball Classic.