T
he Heidenheim Heidekoepfe have signed James Kang as their new shortstop. The 25-year-old Huntington Beach native played in the Boston Red Sox organization in the last three years, a stint which also included a couple of games at Triple-A and an invitation to Major League Spring Training in 2012. He basically replaces Andrew Smith.
Drafted in 2010 out of Pomona Pitzer College in Claremont, California, Kang debuted in the Minors in the same year and quickly moved up the ladder through the farm system. Injuries hindered his career last season, which eventually also led to his release in the fall. In three seasons of affiliated Minor League ball with the Red Sox he batted .198/.298/.271 with 50 runs and 24 RBI in 140 games.
Kang is the third new player on the Heidekoepfe roster besides outfielder James McOwen and starting pitcher Jack Frawley. All three have played in the minors for MLB organizations. Additionally Mike Hartley has returned, trying to recapture the Heidenheim success story of 2009 and 2010.
Photo: Boston Red Sox