Ian Kinsler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ian Kinsler |
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Kinsler with the Detroit Tigers in 2016
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| Second baseman | ||||||||||||||
| Born: June 22, 1982 Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| April 3, 2006, for the Texas Rangers | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| August 12, 2019, for the San Diego Padres | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .269 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 257 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 909 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Ian Michael Kinsler (born June 22, 1982) is a former professional baseball player. He played as a second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons. He played for teams like the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego Padres.
Kinsler was a very successful player. He was chosen for the All-Star team four times. He also won the Gold Glove Award twice, which is given to the best defensive players. In 2018, he was part of the Boston Red Sox team that won the World Series.
Even though he wasn't picked until the 17th round of the 2000 MLB draft (meaning many players were chosen before him), Kinsler became a top player. He was known as a "five-tool player". This means he was great at hitting for both average and power, running the bases, throwing, and fielding.
Kinsler achieved a rare feat twice: he hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases in the same season (in 2009 and 2011). Only 16 players in MLB history have done this more than once. This is called being part of the 30–30 club. In 2009, he also achieved a "cycle" in one game. This means he hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. He also got six hits in that game, which is very rare!
He retired after the 2019 season, finishing his career with 1,999 hits. In 2021, Kinsler played for the Israeli national baseball team in the 2020 Summer Olympics. He later became the manager for Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Contents
- Early Life and High School Baseball
- College and Draft Journey
- Minor League Career (2003–2005)
- Major League Career
- Front Office Career
- International Career
- Personal Life
- See also
Early Life and High School Baseball
Ian Kinsler was born in Tucson, Arizona. His father was Jewish, and his mother was Catholic. Ian's great-grandparents moved to the U.S. from Germany in the 1930s to escape problems before World War II.
His father, Howard, played basketball in college and was a prison warden. He was a big influence on Ian. When Ian was four, his dad would throw him fly balls, and Ian could catch them easily. His father coached him until high school and was very strict. Once, when Ian was 13 and the best player on his team, his dad benched him for rolling his eyes. The team lost the championship game without him.
Ian also had to deal with asthma his whole life. He said it was tough when he was younger because he sometimes couldn't breathe and had to go to the hospital. He learned to control it with medicine as he got older.
He went to Canyon del Oro High School in Arizona and helped his baseball team win state titles in 1997 and 2000. In his senior year, he hit really well (.504 batting average) and stole 26 bases. Four of his high school teammates also became major league players. In 2019, he was honored by being inducted into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame.
College and Draft Journey
Kinsler was first drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2000 after high school. But he decided he wasn't ready for professional baseball and chose to go to Central Arizona College. There, he played shortstop and hit very well. The Diamondbacks drafted him again in 2001, but he still chose to stay in college to improve his game.
He then transferred to Arizona State University. Later, the University of Missouri Tigers coach, Tim Jamieson, saw him play and convinced him to join their team. Kinsler played great at Missouri, hitting .335 and stealing 16 bases.
Finally, in 2003, the Texas Rangers drafted him in the 17th round. Kinsler felt he should have been picked earlier, but he signed with the Rangers for $30,000 on his 21st birthday. Scouts later praised this pick as one of the best 17th-round choices ever.
Minor League Career (2003–2005)
2003: Starting in the Pros
Kinsler began his professional career as a shortstop in 2003 with the Spokane Indians. He hit .277 and led the team in steals and triples. He spent the winter working out to get stronger and improve his hitting.
2004: A Breakout Year
In 2004, Kinsler had an amazing year. He started with the Low-A Clinton LumberKings, hitting an incredible .402. He was leading the league in many stats before being promoted.
He then moved up two levels to the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders. He admitted he was nervous at first but continued to play well, hitting .300. Overall, in 2004, Kinsler tied for first in the minor leagues with 51 doubles and was seventh in batting average (.345). He also hit 20 home runs and stole 23 bases.
Baseball America ranked him as one of the top prospects in the minors. He was also named the Rangers' Minor League Player of the Year. Kinsler said, "It is fun to come to the ballpark every day when you are playing good baseball."
2005: Moving to Second Base
In 2005, Kinsler played for the Triple-A Oklahoma RedHawks. He started learning to play second base, as the team thought he would play that position in the future. This was tough for him at first, especially learning how to turn a double play.
He was chosen for the mid-season All-Star team. For the season, he hit .274 with 23 home runs, 102 runs, and 94 RBIs. He also stole 12 bases.
Major League Career
Texas Rangers (2006–2013)
2006: Rookie Season
Kinsler earned the starting second base job for the Rangers in 2006. He made his MLB debut on April 3, 2006, and got his first hit in his very first at-bat.
However, he dislocated his thumb sliding into second base on April 11 and missed 41 games. When he returned on May 25, he hit two home runs in his first game back! He finished his rookie season hitting .286 with 14 home runs and 11 stolen bases. He was named the Texas Rangers 2006 Rookie of the Year.
2007: The 20–20 Club
In 2007, Kinsler continued to hit well. He was named the AL Player of the Week in April. He hit nine home runs in April, which was a team record for that month.
He had a stress fracture in his foot in July, which made him miss 26 games. Despite the injury, Kinsler hit 20 home runs and stole 23 bases. This made him the sixth player in Rangers history to achieve the "20–20 club" (20 home runs and 20 stolen bases). He also led all major league second basemen in "range factor" for the second year in a row, which means he covered a lot of ground on defense.
2008: Becoming an All-Star
In February 2008, Kinsler signed a big five-year contract with the Rangers. He was excited, saying, "I've been working my whole life to get to this point."
Kinsler became the team's leadoff hitter, meaning he was the first batter in the lineup. He was chosen as an AL All-Star for the first time, which he called his most exciting moment in baseball. He had a 25-game hitting streak in June and July.
He was having an amazing season, leading the AL in many stats, but he got a sports hernia injury in August that ended his season early. Even with the injury, he finished the year hitting .319 with 102 runs and 26 stolen bases. Many people thought he could have been an MVP candidate if he hadn't gotten hurt.
2009: Hitting for the Cycle and 30–30 Club
In 2009, Kinsler was named one of the 50 greatest current players in baseball by Sporting News.
On April 15, 2009, Kinsler had an incredible game against the Baltimore Orioles. He hit for the cycle, meaning he hit a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game. He also got six hits in that game, which was only the second time a Ranger had done that. This was a very rare achievement in baseball history.
He was named AL co-Player of the Week for his amazing performance. He also set a new club record for career leadoff home runs.
Kinsler just barely missed making the AL All-Star team that year, even though he had a great first half. His teammates even wore wristbands with his number to show support.
On September 25, Kinsler hit his 30th home run, making him the only player in MLB to join the 30–30 club in 2009. This means he had 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season. He was only the second player in Rangers history to do this.
2010: Another All-Star Season
Kinsler started the 2010 season on the disabled list due to an ankle sprain. He returned in late April.
He was selected as a reserve for the 2010 American League All-Star team, his second All-Star appearance. He missed more time later in the season with a groin injury. Despite playing in only 103 games, he finished the season with a career-high on-base percentage of .382.
In the playoffs, Kinsler played exceptionally well against the Tampa Bay Rays, hitting .444 with 3 home runs and 6 RBIs. He helped lead the Rangers deep into the playoffs.
2011: 30–30 Club, Again!
In 2011, Kinsler made history by becoming the first player to hit a leadoff home run in the first two games of a season. He also hit his 20th career leadoff homer.
He joined the 30–30 club for the second time in his career, becoming only the 12th player in MLB history to have multiple 30–30 seasons. He also joined the "20–20 club" (20 home runs and 20 steals) for the third time.
In 2011, Kinsler was second in the American League in runs scored (121) and fifth in home runs (32). He also had a great ratio of walks to strikeouts, showing his good eye at the plate. On defense, he led AL second basemen in double plays.
2012: Third All-Star Selection
In April 2012, the Rangers gave Kinsler a large contract extension, making him the highest-paid second baseman in baseball at the time.
Kinsler was an All-Star again in 2012, his third time being selected. For the season, he was third in the AL in runs scored (105) and sixth in doubles (42).
2013: Rangers' Stolen Base Leader
In 2013, Kinsler was one of the toughest batters to strike out in the American League. He became the Texas Rangers' all-time career leader in stolen bases with 172. He was also inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame in 2022.
Detroit Tigers (2014–2017)
In November 2013, Kinsler was traded to the Detroit Tigers for another All-Star player, Prince Fielder.
2014: Fourth All-Star Selection
In 2014, Kinsler was named to his fourth All-Star team. He led the American League in at-bats (684), which was also a Tigers team record. He was fourth in hits (188) and doubles (40), and scored 100 runs for the fifth time in his career.
On defense, he led the AL in putouts among second basemen. He also won the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award for second base.
2015: Fielding Bible Award
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In 2015, Kinsler had his best batting average since 2008, hitting .296. He led all major league players in games with multiple hits (61).
On defense, he was excellent, leading all major league second basemen in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), which measures how many runs a player saves with their defense. He was awarded the Fielding Bible Award as the best-fielding second baseman in MLB.
2016: Gold Glove Winner
In 2016, Kinsler became the first Tigers player to hit leadoff home runs in four straight games. On July 3, he hit his 200th career home run. He also set a new Tigers record for leadoff home runs in a single season with eight.
For the season, he scored 117 runs and hit 28 home runs. On defense, he led AL second basemen in "range factor" and was second in putouts and assists. After the season, Kinsler won his first Gold Glove Award for second base.
2017: Top Defender
In 2017, Kinsler missed some time due to a hamstring injury. He also got into trouble for criticizing an umpire and was fined. He hit 22 home runs but had a lower batting average of .236.
Despite his batting average, Kinsler was still a top defender. He led AL second basemen in both Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved.
Los Angeles Angels (2018)
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On December 13, 2017, the Tigers traded Kinsler to the Los Angeles Angels. On June 19, 2018, Kinsler hit his 48th career leadoff home run, which ranked fourth all-time in MLB history. In 91 games with the Angels, he hit 13 home runs and stole 9 bases.
Boston Red Sox (2018): World Series Champion
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On July 30, 2018, Kinsler was traded to the Boston Red Sox. In 37 games with the Red Sox, he hit .242.
Between the Angels and Red Sox, he tied for first among all American League second basemen in Defensive Runs Saved. Kinsler won a World Series ring with the Red Sox in 2018, when they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After the season, he won his second Rawlings Gold Glove Award for second base. He was the only player in the American League to steal more than 10 bases and score more than 60 runs in each of the 13 seasons since 2006.
San Diego Padres (2019): Final Season
On December 20, 2018, Kinsler signed a two-year contract with the San Diego Padres. His season ended early due to a neck injury. In 2019, he hit 9 home runs and also pitched one scoreless inning in a game, which was his first time pitching in the major leagues. He then hit a home run in the same game! This was his final game ever played in the major leagues.
He finished his career with 1,999 hits, just one short of 2,000.
Long Island Ducks
In 2021, Kinsler played for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball to get ready for the Olympics. He played well in his few games there.
Front Office Career
San Diego Padres
On December 20, 2019, Kinsler announced he was retiring from playing baseball. He then took on a new role as an advisor to baseball operations for the San Diego Padres. He ended his 14-year playing career with 257 home runs, 909 RBIs, and 243 stolen bases.
Texas Rangers
In February 2023, Kinsler was hired by the Texas Rangers as a special assistant to the general manager. He also served as a coach for the National League team in the 2024 All-Star Futures Game.
International Career
Team USA; Player
In 2017, Kinsler played for Team USA in the 2017 World Baseball Classic and won a gold medal.
Team Israel; Player
In March 2020, Kinsler became an Israeli citizen and joined Team Israel. The team qualified to play baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Kinsler played second base for Team Israel at the Olympics in 2021.
Team Israel; Manager
Kinsler managed Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Miami.
Personal Life
Kinsler identifies as Jewish, as his father is Jewish. He was featured in a special edition of Jewish Major Leaguers Baseball Cards. He is the all-time career stolen bases leader among Jewish major league players.
Kinsler married his high school sweetheart, Tess Brady, in 2006. They have a daughter, Rian, and a son, Jack.
In 2008, Kinsler won an award from the Rangers for his community work, showing he spent a lot of his personal time helping others. In March 2020, he officially became an Israeli citizen. In July 2022, Kinsler was one of the people who carried the torch at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Maccabiah Games in Jerusalem.
See also
- List of Jewish Major League Baseball players
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
- List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
