How do you say it?

By foxsports
Published

Major League Baseball players imported from around the world have often come to the States putting teammates, media and fans in a quandary. How exactly do you pronounce your name?

Through the first 13 years of my career, I didn't put much thought into this kind of thing. I did my best but my effort level was average. After playing four seasons in Asia, two each in both Korea and Japan, I care a little more.

For an American going to Asia it wasn't a big deal to me when my name was pronounced differently. I have had my name butchered by Americans plenty of times, so this was no different. To this day one of my closest friends, one I have known since I was in the fifth grade, still says my last name wrong. The first "k" is not silent.

It's Nitkowski, just like it's spelled, Knit-cow-ski. When I was in Asia it was still Nitkowski, just not at all like it's spelled, Knee-co-su-ki was how it was pronounced. I was cool with that.

Playing in a foreign country does not make me an authority on this. While in Japan I always thought Aoki was A-oh-key, it's not. I was in the other league and I only faced him a few times, so that's my excuse.

Jung-Ho Kang is the latest Asian import, from Korea, and the pronunciation of his name has become an embarrassing debacle here in the U.S. I was teammates with Jung-Ho Kang in Korea. I know his name is pronounced Jung (sung) Ho (hoe) Kang (kong).

Earlier this year I heard my colleague at MLB Network Radio, Jim Bowden, say on air that Kang's agent says it is pronounced Kang, as is bang. That can't be right.

Then this from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Bill Brink:

Gung? What? That can't be right either. It just can't.

Hyun-Jin Ryu Americanized the Ryu part of his name when he came to the Dodgers. It is not pronounced Ree-u in Korea. It's more one syllable, Ryoo.

I know how to say Jung-Ho Kang's name, but if he decides he wants it Americanized then I'm going to wait until I hear him say it the way he wants it pronounced here in the U.S. I have no faith in these other pronunciations I'm hearing.

Until then, See Yay Knee-co-su-ki will always call him Jung-Ho Kang, like Kong. 

h/t @GSIntegration