Should I take this seriously? I can't laugh at those who challenge themselves, but I'm not sure if this is a real challenge.

'King Kang' Kang Jung-ho (38) is making another attempt at Major League Baseball (MLB). After retirement, Kang Jung-ho has been operating a batting academy in Los Angeles, U.S., and has gained attention as a top instructor for KBO League players. On the 24th, he announced through his personal channel that he will challenge himself to a MLB tryout.

Prior to this, Kang Jung-ho conducted a poll on the theme of returning to Major League Baseball, which saw around 30,000 fans participate, resulting in 92% in favor and 8% opposed. With overwhelming support from fans, he is reigniting the passion of someone who seemed completely finished as a player.

Kang Jung-ho showed his personal training and batting in the cage through a video titled 'Last Dance Challenge MLB Tryout,' stating, "With so many people voting, I felt I couldn't not do it. Even though I'm older, I want to show that I'm moving forward. I want to demonstrate that it's truly not too late, and I want to show my best effort regardless of the results."

He continued, "Since today is the start, I hope you’ll keep an eye on me until the end. It's really not an easy challenge, but I would be very grateful for your support. I will also do my best to push myself. Fighting!" while clenching his fist.

It's currently unclear how genuine Kang Jung-ho's challenge is. The primary aim may be to increase the popularity and views of his personal channel. Even if he genuinely attempts the MLB tryout, the likelihood of success appears extremely low.

Kang Jung-ho's last game was already six years ago. His final appearance as a player came on July 30, 2019, in a game against the Cincinnati Reds while he was with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was released by Pittsburgh afterward and was close to signing a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, but it fell through due to work visa issues.

Earlier, in December 2016, Kang Jung-ho caused a drunk hit-and-run accident in Seoul, receiving an 8-month prison sentence and 2 years of probation. It was revealed that this was his third drunk driving incident following 2009 and 2011, causing a social shock. Consequently, U.S. authorities denied his work visa renewal, leaving Kang Jung-ho stranded in Korea for the entirety of 2017.

That winter, while participating in the Dominican Republic winter league, Kang Jung-ho focused on regaining his competitive edge, and in May 2018, the pathway to returning to Major League Baseball opened up with the issuance of his visa. However, he sustained a wrist injury in the minor leagues that required surgery, further delaying his comeback, and he played his final three games in September of that year.

Kang Jung-ho, who re-signed with Pittsburgh for one year at $3 million, faced what could be considered a practical comeback season in 2019. He seemed to revive as the home run king of spring training (7 home runs), but could not ignore the two-year gap. Once the season started, he was not the Kang Jung-ho we knew. He recorded a batting average of .169 over 65 games (29 hits in 172 at-bats), hitting 10 home runs and 24 RBIs, with an OPS of .617. He had the power to hit home runs, but his batting average was dismal, showcasing extremely poor accuracy. His strikeout rate, which was 21.2% in 2015 and 21.4% in 2016, skyrocketed to 32.4%.

In his prime, Kang Jung-ho was a fastball killer. Particularly in 2016, he boasted a fastball batting average of .318 (56 hits in 176 at-bats) with 14 home runs, performing exceptionally well. However, in 2019, his fastball batting average collapsed to .184 (18 hits in 98 at-bats) with 4 home runs. The two-year gap may have affected his reaction speed, rendering him unable to cope with fastballs. His batting was not the only thing that suffered; his defense at third base was also compromised. The Outs Above Average (OAA) metric, which indicates outs made compared to the league average, fell significantly from +5 in 2016 to -2 in 2019.

At that time, Kang Jung-ho was 32 years old. Now, he is six years older, and the gap from playing in real games has stretched to five years. Kang Jung-ho, who has experienced both successes and failures in Major League Baseball, is surely aware of this. While his sincerity remains unclear, one thing is certain; it will be broadcast content worthy of attracting fan interest. It should be enough to evoke nostalgia among Major League fans who remember the bright yet brief era of Kang Jung-ho.

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