THE TEAM

As Kang broke out on the field in
his first year with the Pirates fin-
ishing third in the National Leagues
rookie of the year balloting he also
took the time to explore his new home.
Those trips were often documented
on his Instagram account. One day
walking down Walnut Street in
Shadyside, another relaxing outside
Constellation Coffee in Lawrenceville.
His favorite discovery, so far, has
been the brisket taco at Smoke Barbe-
cue Taqueria in Lawrenceville.
As Kang got more comfortable with
his surroundings last season, he also
started to mesh with his teammates.
Outfielder Gregory Polanco, also
anybodys toes, said utility man with the most memorable moment of
Sean Rodriguez.
[Now] hes more open, more
outspoken, not so passive in certain
situations. If he feels like he wants to
make a comment, do something funny
or just be himself, hell just do it.
With a locker next to Kangs, Ro-
driguez hears about his exploration of
Pittsburghs Korean food scene.
Kang eventually settled on Green
Pepper, in Squirrel Hill, as his favor-
ite. Owner Jacob Young remembers
the first time Kang visited. One night
last year, Young got a call just a few
minutes before closing from two
people on their way, seeking some Ko-
an otherwise forgettable evening.
Before the first pitch, Kang was
introduced with his teammates and
brought out in a wheelchair to a thun-
derous standing ovation from his ad-
opted city.It was an inspiring moment
that helped spur a long offseason of
rehab.
I was very thankful for the fans,
for the city to give me such energy
that day, he said. Makes me deter-
mined to do even better this year.
Young, who emigrated from South
Korea more than 20 years ago, said it
has been special to see Pittsburgh em-
brace one of his countrymen.

Kang meets
Pittsburgh
Pirates infielder
Jung Ho Kang
documents his
exploration of
his new home
with Instagram,
including, from
left, the zoo,
Strip District
and Shadyside.

playing his first full major league sea-
son in 2015, took an immediate liking
to Kang.
I like to be happy, hes a happy per-
son, Polanco said. Hes a nice guy.
Were together, joking around, having
fun.
As Kang got more comfortable with
English, Polanco, who is from the
Dominican Republic, also peppered in
some Spanish, so Kangs joking abil-
ity is becoming trilingual.
Teammates will now attest to
Kangs sense of humor, which can
help bridge a language barrier, but it
took some time for that to develop.
In the beginning, youd see some
opportunities where he could do
something and hed be like, Im just
going to pass it up. Dont want to do
anything, [tick] anybody off, step on
rean barbecue ribs.
When the customers arrived,
Young was stunned to see Kang and
his interpreter, H.K. Kim.
The very first thing that came out
his mouth was, This is delicious,
Young recalled.
Still, even the best bibimbap wont
replicate the taste of home. Kang said
he planned to return to South Korea
this offseason, but surgery and rehab
for his injury changed those plans.
Of course its tough, he said. I
want to go back to Korea, my country.
But I have my goals set here, and Im
here to achieve that.
Those goals involve pushing the Pi-
rates past the wild-card game this Oc-
tober. Even though Kang didnt play
in last years season-ending loss to the
Cubs, he likely provided Pirates fans
Even though his English is general-
ly good, he said he doesnt quite have
the words to explain his emotions
when he saw Kang get that standing
ovation, or the South Korean flags
that populated PNC Park.
Some mixture of words such as
pride, hope and love, basically, Young
said.
There are still some hurdles for
Kang. He is not completely comfort-
able with English, but better than last
year. He uses an interpreter to speak
with reporters, but seems to have no
problems joking with teammates on
the field.
When asked if, one year in, he feels
like a true Pittsburgher yet, the ques-
tion needs translation, but the answer
does not.
A smile, a nod and Oh, yeah.

PHOTOS (L-R): JUNG HO KANG VIA INSTAGRAM PITTSBURGH PIRATES 2016 17