While he may have only played one season for the Missouri Tigers, Ian Kinsler is still one of the best Tigers to take the diamond.
In his one season as a Tiger Kinsler would slash an impressive .335/.416/.536 while launching six home runs and driving in 45 runs. He would also flash his speed on the, racking up 16 stolen bases.
Kinsler's success at the college level would see him drafted in the 17th round by the Texas Rangers, where he would become a core member of their World Series teams. He would retire from the MLB in 2019 after a 14-year career, finishing with 257 home runs and 1,999 hits, as well as several awards including two Gold Gloves.
Despite retiring in 2019, Kinsler would play for Team Israel in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics after he earned his Israeli citizenship the year prior. Now, Kinsler will coach the Israel team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
“I was very excited when I was asked to manage Team Israel at the WBC, and it didn’t take long for me to accept the position,” Kinsler told Israel baseball. “I enjoyed my time playing in the tournament, and, now that I know Israel baseball well from my time in the Olympics, I am convinced that we will have a very competitive squad that will go far.
"I can’t wait to visit Israel this summer and see the young talent that will be on display at the Maccabiah Games.We are already hard at work putting together a (winning) roster for Israel at the WBC, and I look forward to making all of our fans proud.”
This won't be Kinsler's first experience at the World Baseball Classic, as he was Team USA's starting second baseman and leadoff hitter when they won the gold medal in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Israel might not ultimately win the World Baseball Classic, but having a manager like Kinsler leading a team will go a long way towards that goal.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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