Texas Rangers: Ian Kinsler to play for Team Israel in Olympics
By David Mullen
Former Texas Rangers second basemen Ian Kinsler announced his retirement in December 2019 but he has the itch again. According to Jon Morosi, Kinsler plans on taking the field again and soon:
Ian Kinsler told me today he’s preparing to play for Israel at the @Tokyo2020 @Olympics. Kinsler, 4-time @MLB All-Star with @Rangers and @Tigers, may play independent ball as a way to prepare for the tournament, which starts July 28. @ILBaseball @WBSC @MLBNetwork @IsraelinUSA
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) March 7, 2021
Former Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler getting ready to play in Olympics
The 38-year-old, according to Morosi, may even play independent ball as a warm-up. Kinsler played 14 years in the majors so this is nothing but fun for him. Over his career, he spent eight seasons with the Texas Rangers, four seasons with the Detroit Tigers, and some time with the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Angels.
Kinsler slashed .268/.337/.777 on his way to four Gold Gloves. Kinsler also smashed 257 home runs while stealing 243 bases. It will be interesting to see Kinsler take the field after such a long layoff. He, at least, believes he needs a tune-up before the Olympics which is why he would sign with an independent team.
The road to the Olympics is an arduous one for a team like Israel. Since 2019, they have played and won in multiple Olympic qualifying tournaments against top teams in Europe. This will be the first Olympic appearance for Team Israel after competing in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
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The Olympics are tentatively set to be held in Tokyo starting on July 23rd, 2021. However, with COVID restrictions bound to pop up at any time, the games could be canceled. I think we all need to collectively wish for these Olympics to go off flawlessly to watch a talent like Ian Kinsler take the field one more time.