David Freese read the news reports, and he watched the dash-cam video that showed Jung Ho Kang crashing his BMW into a guard rail in Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 2, the night Kang was arrested for fleeing the scene of a DUI crash. It was later found to be Kang’s third DUI charge.
For Freese, who has multiple alcohol-related arrests on his record, the sight was sickening. It’s almost a relief Kang hit the railing, he said, because it ensured no other cars were impacted.
“I just hope he understands that, thankfully, it’s not the end of his world, so to speak,” Freese said at PirateFest Saturday at David L. Lawrence Convention Center. “His life off the field is more important than his career on the field. You have to take care of that first. I know that first-hand.”
Freese, 33, was 19 when he was arrested for DUI a few miles from his parents’ home in Wildwood, Mo., in 2002. Accepting a plea deal and serving probation kept Freese’s first DUI arrest from public view until his second in 2009. He also was charged with public intoxication and obstruction of a police officer at a casino in Lake Elsinore, Calif., in 2007. The intoxication charge was dropped.
Freese hasn’t spoken yet with Kang, but he said he is praying for him.
“I know he’s sorry for what he did, and it’s a big mistake, but there’s more to it,” Freese said. “I have a couple DUIs. It’s a serious thing. I’ve done a lot more stuff that I don’t want anyone else to know about. It’s definitely a serious matter. It’s about respect. You have to respect yourself.
“You have to respect the other people on the road. You have to respect the people that love you. You have to love yourself. DUIs, it’s no laughing matter. Just fortunate that everybody’s OK. Hopefully it’s the beginning of turning the corner on some things.”
The Pirates claim they were not aware of Kang’s previous DUIs prior to Dec. 2. They are uncertain about Kang’s status for next season. He will undergo an assessment from a joint panel agreed upon by MLB and the player’s union and be proposed a treatment plan. Kang has also been investigated by Chicago police for an alleged sexual assault in June. He has not been charged with the crime.
If Kang is suspended, Freese is his likely replacement at third base. Freese batted .270 in 492 plate appearances last season. He had an .845 OPS before the All-Star break, and a .650 OPS after. In August, he signed a two-year, $11 million contract extension with a club option for 2019.
“It was a tale of two halves a little bit,” Freese said. “Mechanically, [I was] a little jacked up. It was more, for me, a thought. It’s a thought I need to change. It’s the way I’m being attacked. … Two years ago, I got my power back. Last year, I got my eye back a little bit. This year, hopefully changing a few mental aspects to every [at bat], put those two things together and keep climbing. I like where I’m at. I like where I’ve come from in ’13, and hopefully I just keep going.”
John Jaso, who primarily played first base last season, intends to add third base to his defensive resume next year. He recently ordered an infield glove and said he will begin training at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., once grouper season ends Dec. 31 and his fishing boat is docked.
“The more the merrier,” Freese said of the third-base mix. But no other option has Kang’s pop. In 2016, Kang, 29, returned in May from major knee surgery and smacked 21 home runs with a .867 OPS.
“Jung Ho being the everyday third baseman is what excites us,” Freese said. “It’s what excites the city. He’s an elite player when he’s going well, and he can go well for a very long time. You saw him toward the end of last year. When you see that focus and that drive, he’s one of the best hitters in the game. We need him out there.”
Dragmire returns
The Pirates re-acquired right-hander Brady Dragmire by claiming him off waivers from the Texas Rangers. Dwagmire, 23, was traded from Toronto to Pittsburgh for cash Oct. 5. He was claimed off waivers by the Rangers Dec. 2, then was designated for assignment Tuesday.
Dragmire had a 4.62 ERA in 72 innings over 45 appearances for Class AA New Hampshire last season.
Stephen J. Nesbitt: snesbitt@post-gazette.com and Twitter @stephenjnesbitt.
First Published: December 15, 2016, 5:00 a.m.
