72 Facts About Ian Kinsler

1.

Ian Michael Kinsler is an American-Israeli former professional baseball second baseman, World Series champion, World Baseball Classic champion, Olympian, and advisor in the San Diego Padres front office, who will manage Team Israel at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

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2.

Ian Kinsler played in Major League Baseball for 14 seasons for the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego Padres.

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3.

Ian Kinsler was known as a five-tool player, hitting for average and power, and excelling in baserunning, throwing, and fielding.

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4.

Ian Kinsler hit for the cycle in a game in 2009, while getting hits in all six of his at bats.

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5.

Ian Kinsler has been awarded both a Fielding Bible Award and two Gold Glove Awards.

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6.

Ian Kinsler retired following the end of the 2019 season with 1,999 career hits.

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7.

Ian Kinsler will be the manager of Team Israel at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

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8.

Ian Kinsler was born in Tucson, Arizona, and was born to a Jewish father and a Catholic mother.

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9.

Ian Kinsler's paternal great-grandparents, Benjamin and Rose Kunstlich, were born in Germany and immigrated to the United States in the 1930s to escape the rising antisemitism in Europe prior to World War II.

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10.

Benjamin and Rose anglicized their last name to Kinsler by the time their son, Jack, was born in the US Ian Kinsler's father, Howard, had grown up in the Bronx and played basketball during his freshman season at the University of Arizona, and was a warden at a state prison on Tucson's southeast side.

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11.

Ian Kinsler's father coached him until high school, and was especially tough.

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12.

When Ian Kinsler was 13 years old, and the best player on a PONY league team coached by his father that was playing for a championship, his dad caught Ian Kinsler rolling his eyes as he gave the team orders.

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13.

Ian Kinsler graduated in 2000 from Canyon del Oro High School in the Tucson suburb of Oro Valley, Arizona.

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14.

Ian Kinsler helped lead the baseball team to state titles in 1997 and 2000.

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15.

Ian Kinsler was drafted by his home-state Arizona Diamondbacks after high school in the 29th round of the 2000 MLB draft, but did not feel ready for the pros.

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16.

Ian Kinsler started his college career at Central Arizona College, where he hit.

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17.

Ian Kinsler was then drafted a third time by the Texas Rangers in the 17th round in 2003 as a shortstop at the urging of area scout Mike Grouse.

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18.

In Grouse's scouting report, he wrote that Ian Kinsler had a great feel for the game, athleticism, solid defensive skills, intensity, and leadership qualities.

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19.

Ian Kinsler signed quickly, and broke in as a shortstop in 2003.

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20.

Ian Kinsler was voted to start at shortstop for the Midwest League Western Division All Star team, while he was leading the league in batting, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, extra-base hits, and runs scored, but did not play as he was promoted.

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21.

Ian Kinsler had 20 home runs, 103 runs, 98 RBIs, 18 HBP, and 23 steals.

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22.

Ian Kinsler was named a Sports Weekly All Star, and the Rangers' Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year.

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23.

Ian Kinsler was selected to the mid-season Pacific Coast League All Star team in June, and came in a close second to Mitch Jones in the 2005 Triple-A Home Run Derby.

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24.

Ian Kinsler cracked the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects list, ranking 98th.

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25.

Ian Kinsler made his major league debut against the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day on April 3,2006, and got his first major league hit in his first major league at bat, off Curt Schilling.

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26.

In 2007, Ian Kinsler hit 20 home runs and was 23-for-25 in stolen base attempts.

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27.

Ian Kinsler did it despite his stress fracture, which kept him under 500 at bats.

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28.

Ian Kinsler was tied for fourth in the league in steals of third, eighth in line drive percentage, and tied for ninth in sacrifice hits.

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29.

Ian Kinsler began to hit higher in the batting order, as he batted second in 48 games, leadoff in 26, seventh in 24, sixth in 19, ninth in 10, and eighth in 2.

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30.

In February 2008, Ian Kinsler signed a five-year deal worth $22 million guaranteed with a $10 million option for 2013.

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31.

Ian Kinsler was delighted when Rangers manager Ron Washington ultimately committed to Ian Kinsler being the team's leadoff hitter in 2008.

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32.

Ian Kinsler was a 2008 AL All Star at the 79th All Star Game at Yankee Stadium.

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33.

Ian Kinsler was called out attempting to steal another base, though replays demonstrated that the umpire had missed the call.

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34.

Ian Kinsler was one of only three batters in the AL to have at least 18 home runs and 18 stolen bases in both 2007 and 2008, along with Alex Rodriguez and Grady Sizemore.

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35.

Ian Kinsler was mentioned as an MVP candidate before his injury by writers at ESPN, the Dallas News, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post.

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36.

Ian Kinsler could have conceivably rivaled Pedroia for MVP, if not for the sports hernia that cut his 2008 campaign short a month and a half.

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37.

Ian Kinsler missed in his third chance, as AL All Star team and Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon did not pick him as a reserve.

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38.

Ian Kinsler missed a fourth opportunity to make the team, in the Sprint Final Vote competition for the final spot on the team, coming in second to Brandon Inge of the Tigers.

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39.

The fact that Ian Kinsler isn't even a reserve makes it hard to take the All Star Game seriously.

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40.

Ian Kinsler rolled his right ankle, and suffered a sprain of the ligaments above it, as well as a small bone bruise at the tip of his tibia at the back of his ankle.

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41.

Ian Kinsler missed three weeks of spring training, and began the season on the disabled list.

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42.

Ian Kinsler had finished second among AL second basemen in voting by AL players.

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43.

In September, Ian Kinsler tied his own Rangers record, which he set in 2009, with his seventh leadoff home run of the season.

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44.

Ian Kinsler hit his 20th career leadoff homer, becoming the 34th player in major league baseball history to have hit at least 20.

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45.

In 2011, Ian Kinsler was 2nd in the American League in runs scored, 5th in home runs and walks, and 9th in stolen bases and extra base hits.

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46.

Ian Kinsler was an All Star again in 2012, for the third time.

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47.

Ian Kinsler finished the season tied for fifth among active players in leadoff home runs.

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48.

In November 2013, Ian Kinsler was traded to the Detroit Tigers for Prince Fielder in a one-for-one trade of All-Stars, with the Tigers sending Texas $30 million to cover part of the difference in the players' salaries.

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49.

In 2014, Ian Kinsler was named to his fourth All-Star team, as a replacement for an injured Victor Martinez.

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50.

On November 5,2014, Ian Kinsler was awarded the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award for second base.

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51.

On September 10,2015, Kinsler recorded his 1,500th career hit, a single off of Bryan Shaw of the Cleveland Indians.

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52.

Ian Kinsler had put up 50 Defensive Runs Saved over the last three seasons, according to The Fielding Bible.

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53.

Ian Kinsler became the third active Major League player, and the 40th overall, with 200 home runs, 1,000 runs scored, 1,600 hits, and 200 stolen bases.

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54.

Ian Kinsler missed some time in 2017, going on the disabled list in late May due to a left hamstring strain.

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55.

On June 19,2018, Kinsler hit the 48th leadoff home run of his career, which ranked fourth all-time behind Rickey Henderson, Alfonso Soriano, and Craig Biggio.

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56.

Ian Kinsler won a World Series ring in the 2018 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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57.

Ian Kinsler became the only player in the American League to steal more than 10 bases, as well as the only one to score more than 60 runs, in each of the prior 13 seasons since 2006.

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58.

On December 20,2018, Ian Kinsler signed an $8 million, two-year contract with the San Diego Padres.

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59.

Ian Kinsler's season ended early, as he suffered a herniated disc in his neck.

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60.

On December 20,2019, Ian Kinsler announced the end of his playing career and his subsequent move into an adviser to baseball operations role in the Padres front office.

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61.

Ian Kinsler ended his 14-year career one hit short of 2,000, with 257 home runs, 909 RBIs, and 243 stolen bases.

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62.

In 2017, Ian Kinsler participated in the 2017 World Baseball Classic as a member of Team USA and won a gold medal in the competition.

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63.

In March 2020, Ian Kinsler obtained Israeli citizenship and joined Team Israel.

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64.

On June 21,2021, in preparation for the games, Ian Kinsler signed a contract with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

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65.

Ian Kinsler played second base for Team Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the summer of 2021.

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66.

Ian Kinsler identifies as Jewish; his father is Jewish and his mother is Catholic.

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67.

Ian Kinsler was featured in the 2008 Hank Greenberg 75th Anniversary edition of Jewish Major Leaguers Baseball Cards, licensed by Major League Baseball, commemorating the Jewish major leaguers from 1871 through 2008.

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68.

Ian Kinsler joined, among others, teammate Scott Feldman, Brad Ausmus, Kevin Youkilis, Ryan Braun, Gabe Kapler, Jason Marquis, Jason Hirsh, John Grabow, Craig Breslow, and Scott Schoeneweis.

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69.

Ian Kinsler married Tess Brady, his high school sweetheart, on November 18,2006.

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70.

In 2008 Ian Kinsler won the Rangers' Jim Sundberg Community Achievement Award, in recognition of his having devoted a great deal of his personal time to the community.

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71.

Ian Kinsler made aliyah in March 2020 and became an Israeli citizen.

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72.

In July 2022, Ian Kinsler was one of five torch carriers of the opening ceremony of the 2022 Maccabiah Games at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem.

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