Thursday Newsletter time: Ian Kinsler headed to Rangers Hall of Fame as homegrown inductee

Jeff Wilson May 11, 2022

(AP photo/Tony Gutierrez)

ARLINGTON — Ian Kinsler still makes Dallas-Fort Worth his home, 8 1/2 years after the Texas Rangers traded him away and now nearly three years removed from his last MLB game.

The Rangers are bringing him back to his first baseball home this summer.

Kinsler, an All-Star second baseman with the Rangers during their World Series seasons, and longtime PR man John Blake will be inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame on Aug. 13 in a pregame on-field ceremony.

Kinsler, who turns 40 next month, will join Michael Young, Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre from the World Series era in the team’s Hall of Fame, but Kinsler is the only one who was homegrown.

That’s a point of pride for the Rangers’ 17th-round pick the 2003 MLB Draft.

“I’m super proud of it being that I was drafted by the Rangers,” said Kinsler, one of two second basemen in MLB history with 30 homers and 30 steals in multiple seasons. “You don’t expect it. You kind of just let it happen, and if it happens, obviously, it’s just a huge honor. It’s super humbling. You look at the other names in the Hall of Fame, and it’s great company to be a part of.”

Blake, now the executive vice president of public affairs, is in his 34th season with the Rangers and 44th in professional baseball. He originally joined the Rangers in 1984, working through 2004, and returned to the club in 2009. He oversaw communications during the construction of the Ballpark in Arlington and Globe Life Field.

Kinsler and Blake will be the 25th and 26th members of the Rangers Hall.

“I don’t know if I have a story, per se, but he knows everything,” said Kinsler, who spent 14 seasons in the majors with five teams. “He knows everything about inside the organization, he knows everything about the game, he knows everything about all media members, he knows how many people are coming. I don’t think there’s any question you can stump John Blake with.”

Defense rests

Believe it or not, Rangers infielders take grounders just about every day. Their first basemen work on scooping balls out of the dirt. Their middle infielders work on turning double plays.

They do a lot before batting practice and even some more during BP.

Of late, though, it’s not translating to games.

The Rangers committed four errors Wednesday in an 8-2 loss to Kansas City and weren’t flagged on a few other plays. They committed two Tuesday and could have had a third. They also committed three errors Sunday in Game 1 of their doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, and again could have been hit a few more.

“We can’t have lapses like that,” manager Chris Woodward said.

Second baseman Marcus Semien, who did not commit an error, said that’s baseball.

“As an infielder the only thing you can do is come back tomorrow and clean it up,” he said. “That’s going to happen in this game.”

Woodward, as he tends to be, was a little more direct.

The game itself wasn’t good in any facet, other than a few relievers pitching well. Brad Miller hit a pinch-hit home run and Corey Seager hit another solo homer to account for the Rangers’ offense.

But the defense didn’t sit well with the manager, who also has seen some mental mistakes in the field.

“Handling a baseball? We do that every day,” Woodward said. “You’re going to make mistakes at times, obviously. I understand that. We’ve just got to clean all of that up. I know they’re putting the work in, but it just comes down to between the lines we’ve got to be better.”

ICYMI …

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Now, we’ve had some good stuff the past few days. Here are some helpful links, in case you missed it.

T.R.’s Memoirs: 50 people who lifted the Rangers

Notes from the Rangers’ farm system

Jon Gray is OK. Mitch Garver not so much.

Links to latest podcast episode (with Mason Englert)

Who wants a Joey Gallo reunion?