Left-handed pitcher Kang Ri-ho (former Kang Yun-gu), who continued his relationship with baseball while playing in an independent league after becoming a missing FA, decided to live a second life. His retirement speech posted on social media contained the complex emotions of his 14-year active service life.
Kang Ri-ho said on Instagram on the evening of the 8th, “After much consideration, I have decided to retire.”
Kang Ri-ho lived as a professional baseball player for 14 years from 2009 to 2022 under the former name Kang Yun-gu. After graduating from Jangchung High School, he was selected as the first choice by the Heroes, and since his first season as a pro, he has appeared in 45 games, recording 3 wins, 2 losses, 2 holds, 1 save, and an ERA of 5.51.
He was once noticed as a player with great potential enough to be a symbol of the KBO league’s ‘left-handed fire bowler’, but he could not fully show his talent. He finished his career with a 5.07 earned run average with 48 holds and 2 saves in 402 games over 14 years.
After the end of last season, he declared free agency, but could not save his team. In the process, he was also embroiled in a story when a difference of opinion with his former team, Lotte, was exposed. Kang Ri-ho waited for the right time to join Gapyeong Wales, an independent league club, but eventually decided to give up baseball. He now declared that he would live a second life in a new field other than baseball.
The following is Kang Ri-ho’s retirement message.
Hello, I am former professional baseball player Kang Ri-ho (Kang Yoon-goo). After much deliberation, he has made the decision to retire.
It seems like the other day when he made his professional debut at Kiwoom in 2009 at the age of 20, but now that he is writing his retirement letter after 14 years have passed, many of the joys and sorrows of his career as a player come to mind.오래된 토토사이트
Kiwoom for 8 years, NC for 4.5 years, and Lotte for 1.5 years, moving teams. Even when he was in another team, he always seemed to miss Kiwoom in a corner of his heart. When I think of the coach, coach, seniors, and colleagues who I played baseball with in those days, it seems that I always feel apologetic and apologetic. I think it was a team that gave me a lot of unconditional love.
I think a lot of the directors, coaches, and seniors with whom I had a relationship at NC and Lotte. Thank you for everything, the hearts that cared about trying to save me even if I lost my skills, and the attention that sometimes scolded me and told me to become a better person.
And I sincerely thank the fans who gave me a lot of interest and support just because I am a professional baseball player. And there are a few people who were my ‘Chin fans’, and I will not forget the time, interest, and heart you spent on me until I die.
Kang Yoon-gu seems to have endured in the first team for 14 years through hard work rather than outstanding talent. I want to try the immersion that I have only done in baseball so far in my second life. I am always grateful and grateful to everyone I have known because of baseball.