Ian Kinsler: Difference between revisions

Ian Kinsler
Texas Rangers – No. 5
Second baseman
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
April 3, 2006, for the Texas Rangers
Career statistics (through August 3, 2009)
Batting average	.280
Home runs	75
Runs batted in	250
Runs	334
Stolen bases	82
Teams
Texas Rangers (2006-present)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star selection (2008) 2x AL Player of the Week: April 2007 & April 2009 Hit for the cycle (2009)

Ian Michael Kinsler (born June 22, 1982, in Template:City-state) is a Major League Baseball All-Star second baseman for the Texas Rangers.

Kinsler is known as a five-tool player, hitting for average and power, and exhibiting proficiency in baserunning, throwing, and fielding.^[1] While he was drafted in only the 17th round, Kinsler has risen to become the Rangers' starting second baseman and leadoff hitter, an All Star, a two-time Player of the Week, and a member of the Sporting News' 2009 list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball. He also contributed a historic offensive performance in a game in April 2009, in which he had hits in all six of his at bats, and hit for the cycle.

Kinsler is Jewish,^[2][3] has become a prominent figure in the Jewish community and likes the attention that he generates from the Jewish community. His father, who was a warden at the state prison on Tucson's Southeast Side, was his coach until high school and has been the greatest influence on him.^[4][5]

Kinsler graduated from Canyon del Oro High School in the Tucson suburb of Oro Valley, Arizona. He helped lead the baseball team to state titles in 1997 and 2000. He hit .380 as a junior, to earn second-team all-league honors, and .504 with 5 home runs and 26 stolen bases during his senior year, in which he was named first-team all-state and first-team all-league.^[6] Outfielder Brian Anderson of the Pawtucket Red Sox was his best friend and teammate in high school,^[7] and three other current major leaguers: Scott Hairston of the Oakland Athletics, Chris Duncan of the St. Louis Cardinals, as well as Shelly Duncan and Ryan Schroyer were all on his high school baseball team as well.

Kinsler was featured in the 2008 Hank Greenberg 75th Anniversary edition of Jewish Major Leaguers Baseball Cards, published in affiliation with Fleer Trading Cards and the American Jewish Historical Society, commemorating the Jewish Major Leaguers from 1871 through 2008.^[8] He joins, among other Jewish major leaguers, Brad Ausmus, Kevin Youkilis, Ryan Braun, Brian Horwitz, Gabe Kapler, Jason Marquis, Jason Hirsh, John Grabow, Craig Breslow, and Scott Schoeneweis. Kinsler was one of three Jewish players in the 2008 All-Star Game, joining Youkilis and Braun.^[9] Kinsler says that "Youkilis will always say something to me on the bases [referring to the fact that they are both Jewish]. 'Happy Passover,' he'll throw something at me."^[10] Through 2008, he had the ninth-highest career batting average (.290; directly behind Goody Rosen and ahead of Kevin Youkilis) of all Jewish major leaguers.^[11]

Kinsler was drafted by his home state Arizona Diamondbacks in 2000 (29th round), but didn't feel ready for the pros, and in 2001 (26th round), but declined to sign because he felt that playing college baseball a little longer would help him develop his game.[3]

He opted instead to take a college tour, first—because he hadn't been recruited by any D-1 programs—attending Central Arizona College, where he played alongside future major leaguers Scott Hairston and Rich Harden, hit .405 with 17 doubles, 37 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases, and was named second-team All-ACCAC (and was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity), Arizona State (where he played alongside fellow middle infielder Dustin Pedroia), and the University of Missouri for his junior year after the team's coach Tim Jamison spotted him in a summer league and convinced him to head east (.335/.416/.536, with 16 steals in 17 attempts).^[12][13]

The Texas Rangers selected Kinsler in the 17th round (496th overall) in the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft as a shortstop, at the urging of area scout Mike Grouse, who liked Kinsler's tools, makeup, heart, love for the game, desire, and gritty approach.^[12] In Grouse's scouting report he wrote that Kinsler had a great feel for the game, athleticism, solid defensive actions, intensity, and leadership qualities. Grouse knew that Kinsler was probably being underrated by rival scouts, who didn't know that Kinsler had a foot stress fracture while at Missouri, “so he really couldn’t run like I knew he could. I’d seen him in Wichita the year before so I knew he was a plus runner. Most people ... didn’t know that so they probably downgraded him. But I knew it and I wasn’t telling anybody.” The pick was later lauded as "one of the greatest 17th round picks of all time." Kinsler, for his part, says "I thought I was a lot better than a 17th round pick. I thought I belonged in the top 10 rounds."^[14]

Kinsler signed quickly and breaking in as a shortstop in 2003 batted .277 in 188 at bats for the Spokane Indians in the short-season Northwest League in his pro debut, while leading the team in steals (11) and triples (6).^[12][15] Kinsler spent the 2003-04 winter in Arizona working out with the Rangers' strength and conditioning coaches.^[12] Kinsler said that after his first year in the minors, "I was probably 170 pounds and I decided I needed to lift, put on some weight, and eat as much as I could. And I learned how to hit".^{[citation needed]}

By early 2004 Kinsler had vaulted to the # 1 spot on Baseball America's Prospect Hot Sheet, and John Sickels of ESPN described him as having "great plate discipline, power, and ... [being] a reasonably good defensive shortstop."^[12][16]

He had a breakout year in 2004. He split the season between two teams, starting it with the Low-A Clinton Lumberkings, where he hit .401 batting average/.465 on base percentage/.687 slugging percentage in 224 at bats.^[17] Kinsler was voted to start at shortstop for the Midwest League Western Division All-Star team, as he was leading the league in batting, hits, doubles, on base percentage, extra-base hits, slugging percentage, and runs scored, but did not play as he was promoted.^[18] Baseball America rated him the most exciting ballplayer and # 8 prospect in the Midwest League.

Kinsler was promoted two levels on June 12 to the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders, where he hit .300/.400/.480 in 277 at bats.^[17] Those numbers would have placed him eighth in the league's batting race, fourth in OBP, and and seventh in slugging percentage had he received enough plate appearances to qualify (he was short by about 60).^[17] "When I first got called up, there were a million things running through my head," Kinsler said. "I was nervous, my hands were sweating. It was really exciting, but I didn't know what to expect. I was a little nervous that ... all of a sudden I wouldn't be able to hit."^[13] In June he was named the Rangers Minor League Player of the Month.^[19] Frisco manager Tim Ireland said: "I think he's succeeding because his swing is graceful and effortless. It's just a smooth swing, and he hits for power because he lets his swing work for him. Defensively, so far he's shown a real feel for shortstop. He's got good feet and soft hands, and he throws well enough.... He seems pretty legit to me."^[12] In July the Rangers actually agreed with the Rockies to send Kinsler and prospect righthander Erik Thompson to Colorado for Larry Walker, but Walker vetoed the trade.^[20] Baseball America rated Kinsler the # 9 prospect in the Texas League.

Overall, in 501 at bats, Kinsler had 51 doubles, 174 hits (ninth in the minor leagues), 20 home runs, 103 runs, 99 RBIs, 18 HBP, and 23 steals. He tied for first in the minor leagues in doubles (51), and was seventh in batting average (.345) and ninth in hits (174).^[21] Rangers manager Buck Showalter took marvelled at Kinsler's 50 doubles, saying: "Fifty. A lot of guys don't have 50 singles."^[22]

Baseball America rated him the # 11 prospect in the minors and second-team Minor League All Star, and the # 4 Rangers prospect.^{[23][24][25][26]} Kinsler was also named a Sports Weekly All Star, and the Rangers' Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year.^[13][27] He was also awarded the first annual Diamond in the Rough Award, which recognizes a minor league player who defies the odds and rises from obscurity to play himself into prospect status during a breakout season.^[28] For his part, Kinsler noted: "It is fun to come to the ballpark every day when you are playing good baseball."^[29]

Towards the end of the season Sickels augmented his scouting report on Kinsler by writing that he was:

"a good athlete, not super-toolsy, but strong for his size with speed a notch above average. His swing looked short, quick and sharp. Although I'm told that some people worry that his swing is too long, it looked fine to me. "Long swings" usually show up in the stat line as excessive strikeout totals, but Kinsler is not a whiff king. He works the count well, controlling the strike zone without trouble and not swinging at pitches outside the plate area. His bat has some pop in it, particularly to the gaps, where he rifles frequent extra-base shots. He already has above-average power for a player his size, and I think he has enough bat speed to keep hitting home runs at higher levels. Defensively, he shows slightly above-average range and good hands. His arm strength is average, but he's accurate with his throws and seems fundamentally sound, although his error rate is higher than ideal (20 in 71 games at Frisco). He might end up at second base eventually. Kinsler's running speed is a bit better than average, but he's fairly aggressive on the bases and will steal if the opportunity is there. Overall, he is a solid all-around player who makes the most of his natural ability."^[30]

Kinsler spent the winter of 2004-05 playing for the Peoria Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League, improving his versatility by getting work in at second base.^[31] There, he hit .306/.369/.500.^[17] One scout in Arizona noted that his swing was so effortless, yet generated so much line drive power, that: "It's like he's swinging a Wiffleball bat out there."^[13]

Invited to the parent club's 2005 spring training, he hit .327 while slugging .612.^[17] Kinsler spent 2005 at Triple-A with the Oklahoma RedHawks, transitioning from shortstop to second base. He 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.^[32][33] For the season, in 530 at bats he hit .274 with 23 home runs, 102 runs (tied for tenth in the minor leagues),[4] 94 RBIs, and 12 steals in 14 attempts. Kinsler cracked the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects list, ranking 98th in 2005.^[34] During the season he kept an on-line journal for MinorLeagueBaseball.com.^[35]

With Alfonso Soriano having been traded in the off-season, Kinsler won the Rangers' starting second base job in spring training in 2006 over Mark DeRosa. "Ian Kinsler came as advertised," said Showalter.^[36]

He 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. Kinsler said "The crowd was full; I had the butterflies going, so to get that hit was huge. The family was in town.... To go out there and face one of the best pitchers of all time, you've got to be locked in. It's your first game, your first big league experience -- it was unbelievable to face that guy."^[37]

He was hitting .476 when he dislocated his left thumb sliding head-first into second base on April 11, 2006, and was placed on the disabled list. "I knew it wasn't good when I looked down and I saw the top part of the thumb pointing in at me," Kinsler said.^[38] Kinsler came back 41 games later on May 25, and went 3-4 with a single and 2 home runs, to lead the Rangers to an 8-7 victory over the Oakland Athletics. "I hope the fans don't expect that much every night," he joked.^[39]

While Kinsler started off the season batting ninth in the lineup, in June Showalter moved him up to seventh. "I think as Ian's career progresses, he'll move up in the batting order", said Showalter.^[40] For the season, he ended up starting 31 games batting seventh, 30 batting eighth, 20 batting sixth, 19 batting ninth, 12 batting second, 3 batting leadoff, 2 batting third, and one batting fifth. On defense, in August he tied a team record by recording five double plays in one game.^[41]

Kinsler finished 2006 with a .286 batting average, 14 home runs, a team-leading 11 stolen bases, and 55 RBIs in 423 at bats.^[42] His .454 slugging percentage that was the seventh-best by an AL rookie with at least 400 at bats in a season since 2000.^[43] He batted .300 with runners in scoring position, and .300 when the game was tied.^[44] Defensively, Kinsler led all AL second basemen in both range factor (5.58) and errors (18). He was named Texas Rangers 2006 Rookie of the Year.^[45]

After Kinsler's successful rookie season, the Rangers let fellow second baseman Mark DeRosa walk in free agency.

During the 2006-07 off-season, Kinsler focused on building up his legs to help his speed, durability, and agility.^[46] In spring training in 2007, he hit .429, led the AL in RBIs (19), and was sixth in the major leagues in hits (27).^[47][48]

Kinsler was named the American League (AL) Player of the Week for the period ending April 15. He batted .476 (10-for-21) with four home runs, eight RBIs, seven runs scored, and a 1.095 slugging percentage. His nine home runs in April tied the team record for that month (shared by Ivan Rodriguez (2000), Alex Rodriguez (2002) and Carl Everett (2003)), and were the most ever in the season's first month by a Major League second baseman.^[49][50] Kinsler said: "I'm trying to put good swings on the ball, and if it goes out, it goes out."^[51] He was also voted the Rangers' Player of the Month for April by the club's broadcasters and traveling media, after also batting .298 with 22 RBIs for the month.^[52]

On July 2 Kinsler went on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his left foot; he didn't come back until July 31, and ended up missing 26 games.^[53]

In 2007, Kinsler had 20 home runs (leading all AL second basemen) and was 23-for-25 in stolen base attempts. He was one of only 6 batters in the AL to have at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, along with Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Grady Sizemore, B.J. Upton, and Curtis Granderson. It was the seventh time in franchise history a player reached the 20-20 plateau.^[54] He did this despite his stress fracture, which kept him under 500 at bats.^[55]

Kinsler finished the year seventh in the AL in power/speed number (21.4), ninth in sacrifice hits (8), and tied for tenth in bunt hits (5). On defense, Kinsler led all major league second basemen in range factor (5.69), leading the league for the second straight year.

In February 2008, Kinsler signed a five-year deal worth $22 million guaranteed, which will jump to $32 million if the Rangers exercise an option for 2013. It could buy him out of two years of free agency. He will receive a raise to $500,000 in 2008, and a $1 million signing bonus. The contract will go to $3 million in 2009, $4 million in 2010, $6 million in 2011, and $7 million in 2012. If the Rangers choose not to exercise the $10 million option, Kinsler will receive a $500,000 buyout. If he is traded, both the buyout and option year would increase by $500,000. With the option, the commitment would be the largest the Rangers have made to a player who they drafted and developed. "Ian represents the past, present, and future of this organization," said assistant general manager Thad Levine.^[56] "It's a lot of money," Kinsler said. "I've never imagined being in this position in my life."

"I'm going to play the same regardless of whether I'm making $5 or $1 trillion," he said. "It really doesn't make a difference to me. I'm going to go out there and play hard and money doesn't bring respect. The way you play the game brings respect. When I finish playing the game, it's not how much money I made that is going to be legacy. It's how I played the game and what I did on the field."

While initially reluctant, Rangers manager Ron Washington committed to Kinsler being the team's leadoff hitter in 2008. "I didn't think he was the prototype leadoff hitter, but the guy proved me wrong," Washington said. "He'll take a walk or get one run for us with one swing of the bat. He can bunt, he can run and he can hit the ball to the other side."

Kinsler was a 2008 AL All Star. It was his most exciting moment in baseball up until that point.^[57]

Kinsler had a majors'-best 25-game hitting. The team hitting streak, belonging to Gabe Kapler, is 28.^[58]

Through July 28, Kinsler had been leading the AL in batting average (.331), runs (90), hits (145), total bases (232), extra base hits (55), at bats (438), and plate appearances (499). He was also second in doubles (37) and power/speed number (17.9), third in sacrifices (7), fourth in singles (90), sixth in sacrifice flies (6), seventh in stolen bases (25), triples (4), and on base percentage (.392), and eighth in OPS (.922). However, after last playing on August 17, in early September it was announced that Kinsler would have season-ending surgery to repair a sports hernia. "I really didn't have a decision," Kinsler said. "If I want to fix this injury, then I have to have surgery."

In 2008, despite missing the last 6 weeks of the season, Kinsler was fourth in the AL in batting average (.319) and power/speed number (21.3), eighth in runs (102) and OPS (.892), ninth in sacrifice hits (8), and tenth in stolen bases (26). He hit .413 with runners in scoring position.^[59] He was one of only 3 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. In the field, he led all major league second basemen with a 5.77 range factor and 123 double plays, but also in errors with 18.^[60]

Kinsler was mentioned as an MVP candidate before his injury by writers at ESPN, the Dallas News, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post.^{[58][61][62][63][64]} Kinsler could have conceivably rivaled Dustin Pedroia for MVP if not for the sports hernia that cut his 2008 campaign short by a month and a half.^[65] In the end, he received a single 10-place vote from Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.^[66][67]

In 2009 he was named # 24 on the Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball. A panel of 100 baseball people, many of them members of the Baseball Hall of Fame and winners of major baseball awards, was polled to arrive at the list.^[68]

Kinsler, speaking in mid-January of his recovery from surgery, said: "I'm 100% ready to go in the spring."^[69] He recovered in time to participate in spring training.^[70]

On April 15, 2009, in a game against the Baltimore Orioles, Kinsler hit for the cycle,^[72] becoming only the fourth Ranger to do so (and the only right-handed Ranger). In the same game, Kinsler became only the second player in Ranger history to get 6 hits in a single game (the first being Alfonso Soriano on May 8, 2004), and the first to do so in a 9-inning game. His five runs and four extra base hits in the game matched two other team records. "It was a thing of beauty," teammate Marlon Byrd said. "I loved it."^[71] Kinsler's dual feat was the first in the modern baseball era; the last major league player to have six hits in a game while hitting for the cycle was William Farmer Weaver, for the Louisville Colonels on August 12, 1890.^[73][74] Kinsler was also one base shy of Jose Canseco’s team record for total bases. Kinsler had 13; Canseco had 14 against Seattle on June 13, 1994. Only three other players in the prior 55 years have had six hits, five runs, and four extra-base hits in a game, the most recent being Shawn Green of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002.^[75]

Kinsler was named AL co-Player of the Week on April 20, 2009. For the week, in 30 plate appearances^[76] he led the major leagues in batting average (.556), hits (15), extra base hits (7), and runs (9), and tied for the lead in doubles (4).^[77] He also had a .600 on base percentage and 1.000 slugging percentage, with a triple, two home runs, and six stolen bases. "He's incredible," teammate Hank Blalock said.^[78]

On June 16 against Houston, Kinsler opened the first inning with his ninth career leadoff homer, surpassing the club record of eight, shared by Mike Hargrove, Oddibe McDowell, and Michael Young.^[79] On May 21, Kinsler stole third base in the fifth inning, setting a club record for career steals of third at 18; Kinsler at the time had never been caught trying to steal third.^[80]

Through July 1, Kinsler led the AL in power-speed number (17.5), was third in home runs (19), fourth in runs (55) and total bases (160), sixth in extra base hits (38) and at bats (307), seventh in sacrifice flies (4), and ninth in stolen bases (16) and sacrifices (8),

while batting .359 against left-handers and .333 with runners on base.^[81][82]

All Star Vote--Final Vote Competition. Kinsler was competing with Chone Figgins of the Angels, Adam Lind of the Blue Jays, Brandon Inge of the Tigers, and Carlos Pena of the Rays to make the final spot on the AL All Star team by way of the Sprint Final Vote competition, but lost out to Brandon Inge of the Tigers. The competition allows fans to select the final player on each All Star team through balloting on MLB.com. Kinsler was the first Rangers player nominated for the Final Vote competition. Kinsler had been leading all AL second basemen, with 2,170,100 votes as of June 30, ahead of Dustin Pedroia (2,163,270) and Robinson Cano (1,245,065),^[83] and had the fifth-most votes of all AL players, behind Derek Jeter, Evan Longoria, Joe Mauer, and Jason Bay, but fell behind Pedroia in last-minute voting and was not picked as a reserve by AL All Star team manager Joe Maddon.^[84]

Kinsler married his high school sweetheart (Tess Brady) on November 18, 2006.^[85] Their first child, Rian Brooklynn Kinsler was born December 5, 2008.^[1]

Kinsler's five strangest autograph requests were a diaper, neck brace, yarmulke, kids' arms, and giant baseball.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ian Kinsler.

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs
• Hardball Times stats
• Baseball America bio
• "Interview: Kinsler feels Rangers have talent to win: Infielder acknowledges April has been frustrating," MLB.com, 5/2/07
• "Warming up for the Jewish Boys of Summer," 3/5/08
• "Second To None" Sports Illustrated, 8/11/08
• "Ian Kinsler chat transcript; Rangers second baseman fields questions from fans," MLB.com, 5/27/09
• "Grouse Hunt: The Inside Story Of How Ian Kinsler Became A Ranger," D Magazine, 6/7/09
• Ian Kinsler and Rangers help Toys for Tots Campaign December 2008
• Ian Kinsler’s leadership saves the day for the Texas Rangers