Having competed for Israel in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Ian Kinsler will take over managing duties in the World Baseball Classic, which sees Israel take on Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua in Pool D from 11-15 March in Miami, USA.
After the tournament, he will open a new chapter of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career. The 40-year-old former gold-glove second baseman and All-Star accepted the role of special assistant to the Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young.
"It’s a great feeling to be able to be part of this organization," Kinsler said in an interview with MLB.com. "I’m truly excited about it. I’m excited to be a part of what is being built here."
The Texas Rangers selected Kinsler in the 17th round of the 2003 Draft out of the University of Missouri. He made his MLB debut on 3 August 2006 and spent eight years with the Rangers, helping them reach the World Series in 2010 and 2011. He was inducted into the Rangers' Hall of Fame in August 2022.
He also played for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres. He contributed to the Red Sox World Series title in 2018 and played for the Padres in his last MLB game on 12 August 2019.
Kinsler featured in the first episode of the WBSC Global Game podcast in April 2021.
