Adam Parrish Wainwright (born August 30, 1981), nicknamed "Waino" and "Uncle Charlie", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who spent his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Atlanta Braves selected him 29th overall in the first round of the 2000 amateur draft from Glynn Academy in Brunswick, Georgia. His performance in the minor leagues made him one of the Braves' top pitching prospects. After the 2003 season, the Braves traded him to the Cardinals for outfielder J. D. Drew.

Wainwright made his MLB debut on September 11, 2005, and spent the rest of the season as a relief pitcher. The next year, he briefly assumed closer duties, saving the series-clinching games of the 2006 National League Championship Series and the 2006 World Series over the Detroit Tigers. In 2007, he returned to starting pitching, a role in which he has since remained. He missed the 2011 season due to Tommy John surgery, but emerged as an ace, leading the National League multiple times in wins, innings pitched, and games started. He also has multiple top-ten finishes in earned run average, strikeouts, walks plus hits per inning pitched, and complete games. In 2014, Wainwright became the first pitcher in Major League history to post nine of his first 18 starts with seven innings pitched and no runs allowed. In his career, Wainwright has won 200 games, received three All-Star selections and two Gold Glove Awards, and finished in the top three in the Cy Young Award balloting four times.

With 2,202 career strikeouts, Wainwright is second to Bob Gibson (3,117) in Cardinals franchise history. Wainwright and longtime teammate Yadier Molina are the most successful battery in Major League history, having both the most wins and starts together.

On September 18, 2023, he became the third Cardinals' pitcher to win 200 games, joining Bob Gibson (251), and Jesse Haines (210), and the 122nd in baseball history. With three strikeouts, he also became the 66th pitcher in baseball history with at least 2,200 strikeouts.

Early life
Wainwright was born in Brunswick, Georgia, to Bill, an attorney, and Nancy Wainwright, a real estate agent. His parents divorced when he was seven years old and his father moved to Florida, leaving only Wainwright's mother to raise him and his older brother Trey, now an attorney in Atlanta. Wainwright credits Trey, seven years his senior, with teaching him everything he knows about sports after their father left, including building a pitcher's mound in their back yard to teach him how to pitch. Wainwright also participated in the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and numerous church activities, and grew up an Atlanta Braves fan.

High school
Wainwright attended high school at Glynn Academy in his native Brunswick, where he was an athletic and academic standout. With a fastball over 90 mph and batting average at times over .500, Wainwright was named Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year in 2000. He also played football, in which he was named to the All-State team as a wide receiver his junior and senior years as well as All-Region honors as a placekicker. Various colleges and universities, including Georgia Tech, offered him academic and baseball scholarships.

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues (2000–05)

Atlanta Braves organization (2000–03)
The Atlanta Braves selected Wainwright 29th overall in the first round of the 2000 MLB draft, using a compensatory pick from the Arizona Diamondbacks for signing Russ Springer in the offseason. Wainwright chose to forgo college to go straight to the pros, signing a contract that included a $1.25 million bonus. The Braves had been his favorite team growing up. Less than two weeks after high school graduation, Wainwright reported to the Braves rookie team and soon advanced to Atlanta's Class A Danville Braves in the Appalachian League. He pitched for the Macon Braves in the South Atlantic League in 2001, where he broke the team record for strikeouts, previously held by Bruce Chen, with 184.

Wainwright spent the 2002 season in the Carolina League and also participated in that season's All-Star Futures Game. In 2003, Wainwright advanced to the Braves' Double-A club, Greenville. He was Baseball America's top Braves prospect in 2003. In December of that year, the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Wainwright and pitchers Jason Marquis and Ray King in a trade that sent outfielder J. D. Drew and utility player Eli Marrero to the Braves.

St. Louis Cardinals (2005–2023)
Wainwright pitched just 12 games for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in 2004 before he was shut down for nearly the entire rest of the season with an elbow strain. There, he had a 4–4 win–loss record (W–L) with a 5.37 earned run average (ERA) in  innings pitched (IP). He struck out 64 batters and allowed 68 hits and 28 walks (BB). In the Arizona Fall League, he returned to pitch 10 innings. He spent the next season with Memphis, starting 29 games, completing 182 IP, allowing 204 hits and 51 BB while striking out 147. His win–loss record was 10–10. After two somewhat uneven seasons in the Cardinals' minor league system, Wainwright made his MLB debut for St. Louis on September 11, 2005.

2006

Wainwright made the Cardinals' Opening Day roster as a relief pitcher after having been a starter for his entire minor league career. On May 24, 2006, he hit a home run on the first pitch he saw as batter in the major leagues against the San Francisco Giants' Noah Lowry; he became the 22nd batter, and only the seventh pitcher, in Major League history and 11th National Leaguer to hit a home run off the first pitch thrown in his first at-bat.

Wainwright pitched capably as a middle reliever, but when incumbent closer Jason Isringhausen underwent season-ending hip surgery in September, Wainwright was pressed into service as the closer. He saved two crucial games on September 27 and 30 as St. Louis held off the Houston Astros' late charge and won the NL Central Division championship. Despite their unexceptional 83–78 regular-season record, the Cardinals rolled through October to win the 10th world championship in franchise history. As the closer, Wainwright closed out the final game of the Cardinals' National League Division Series, ending the New York Mets' season and propelling the Cardinals to the 2006 National League Championship Series, where he famously struck out Carlos Beltrán in Game 7 to send the Cardinals to the World Series. In Game 5 of the 2006 World Series, Wainwright struck out Detroit Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge to win the championship.

2007
Wainwright moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation for 2007. Shortly after losing ace Chris Carpenter for the year due to elbow surgery, Wainwright emerged as the Cardinals' most reliable starter. On August 10, he threw the first complete game of his career, a 2–1 loss to Los Angeles, and the only nine-inning complete game for the Cardinals that season. By September, Wainwright had established himself as the staff ace in Carpenter's absence, going 9–6 with a 2.94 ERA from mid-May to the end of the season. He finished his first year by leading the club in almost every pitching category—games started, innings pitched, strikeouts, and wins—while compiling a 3.70 ERA and a 14–12 record. His 14 wins were the most in franchise history for a first-year starter. His 2.71 ERA after the All-Star break was third-best in the NL.

2008

In March 2008, Wainwright signed a four-year deal with the Cardinals worth $21 million, with two club options for 2012 and 2013 that made the potential aggregate value $36 million. He gave up four runs or less in each of his first seven starts. However, the Cardinals lost to the Brewers 8–3 in Wainwright's eighth start, on May 13, as Ryan Braun hit two home runs off him.   He suffered a strain on the middle finger of his pitching hand in June, causing him to miss  months of the season. In 20 starts, he finished 11–3 with a 3.20 ERA.

2009
On August 19, 2009, at Dodger Stadium, Wainwright had a no-hitter going against the Los Angeles Dodgers for  innings before Orlando Hudson broke it up with a clean single to left field. In his next start against the Astros, he pitched eight shutout innings to pick up his then-league-leading 15th win in a 1–0 victory. It was Wainwright's 25th straight start with at least six innings pitched. In five August starts that season, he completed  IP with just one walk and 22 SO. On September 26, Wainwright pitched eight innings and struck out eleven for a 6–3, NL Central division-clinching victory against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field for his 19th win. Wainwright finished with a 19–8 record and a 2.63 ERA, leading the National League in wins, games started (34), and innings pitched (233). He also struck out a major-league high 140 batters on third-strike curveballs.

On October 28, Wainwright won the Players Choice Award as the NL Most Outstanding Pitcher. He won his first Gold Glove Award on November 11, 2009. Wainwright was a top contender for the Cy Young Award along with teammate Chris Carpenter and eventual winner Tim Lincecum. He became only the second pitcher ever—Trevor Hoffman was the first—to get the most first-place votes and not win the award.

2010
Pitching in his first All-Star Game, Wainwright completed one inning. He faced five batters, throwing 17 pitches for ten strikes and seven balls, and allowed no runs with just one hit—a double off the glove of fellow Cardinal All-Star Matt Holliday—one walk, and two strikeouts. In one 11-game stretch preceding August 16, he compiled  IP in nine of those starts and allowed two earned runs for a 0.27 ERA.

Wainwright finished the 2010 season 20–11 with a 2.42 ERA, five complete games, 213 strikeouts, 56 walks, 15 home runs allowed, and a WHIP of 1.05, in  IP. His win, strikeout, complete game, and shutout totals were all career-bests. His win total and ERA were both good for second place in the National League (behind only Josh Johnson's 2.30 ERA and Roy Halladay's 21 wins). He also pitched the first two shutouts of his career in 2010—one against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 4 and a two-hitter against the Florida Marlins on August 6.

Wainwright was the runner-up for the 2010 NL Cy Young Award, finishing second in voting behind unanimous winner Halladay. Wainwright picked up 28 of 32 second-place votes. Near the end of the season, he had experienced elbow discomfort and nerve swelling. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan cleared him after the season.

2011
Shortly after reporting to spring training, Wainwright experienced discomfort in his right elbow while pitching batting practice on February 21. Three days later, the Cardinals announced that Wainwright would miss the entire 2011 season—and possibly the first three months of the next season—after finding that ulnar collateral ligament damage necessitated Tommy John surgery (TJS). George Paletta, the team physician, performed the surgery on February 28 in St. Louis and it was deemed "a success". Former clients for the same surgery included teammates Chris Carpenter, Jaime García, and Kyle McClellan. Wainwright's contract featured options for 2012 and 2013 totaling $21 million with a provision that they would not automatically vest if he ended the 2011 season on the disabled list.

The Cardinals made the playoffs as a wild card entry, overtaking the Braves on the final day of the season. They eventually won the World Series, defeating the Texas Rangers four games to three. The Cardinals awarded Wainwright his second World Series ring, despite not pitching the entire season.

2012
Fully recovered after TJS and rehabilitation, Wainwright was ready ahead of schedule for spring training. Statistically, the 2012 season proved to be an overall disappointment by Wainwright's standards, as he wound up 14–13 with a 3.94 ERA. However, it was encouraging in regards to the health of his right arm, as he completed the entire season without any issues. In addition, pitchers recovering from TJS often find it challenging at first to throw with the same command as before the surgery, and thus to achieve post-surgery results equal to pre-surgery results. This was the case at first with Wainwright.

On May 22, he threw his first complete-game shutout since August 6, 2010, and the third of his career in his ninth complete game. It was a four-hit, 4–0 win at home against the San Diego Padres, striking out nine and walking only one. Wainwright reached his 1,000th career inning on July 29. The May 22 start marked a turning point in the season. During a 13-start stretch through August 3, he pitched  innings, striking out 83 while allowing just four home runs and 17 BB. Wainwright attributed the improvement to be able to sustain the usual finishing movement on his pitches through late innings, which earlier in the season, had eluded him, thus making his pitches easier to hit. He also corrected a subtle flaw that had developed on the grip of his curveball during a bullpen session prior to the start against San Diego. The flaw made it increasingly difficult to throw the curveball for consistent strikes.

2013
On March 28, 2013, the Cardinals announced they and Wainwright had agreed to a five-year contract extension. At the time, he was under the last year of his previous contract, so the new deal extended him through 2018. With a total value of $97.5 million, it was the largest contract ever for a Cardinals pitcher. On April 18, he became the first pitcher in baseball since 1900 to achieve 28 strikeouts and zero walks in his first four starts of a season. Slim Sallee established the franchise record exactly 100 years earlier by not issuing a walk in his first 40 innings. Wainwright's streak ended in a start at Washington on April 23 after  innings and 133 batters faced.

The first MLB pitcher to post 10 wins on June 13, Wainwright put up seven scoreless innings in a 2–1 defeat of the Mets at Citi Field. Moreover, his strikeout of David Wright was his first of the game and the 1,000th of his career. He allowed six hits and struck out a total of four. Wainwright became the NL Pitcher of the Month for June with a 4–2 record and 1.77 ERA. With 40 strikeouts for the month, Wainwright issued just six walks while holding opposing batters to a .220 average. Through that point in the season, he was 11–5 with a 2.22 ERA, and was the MLB leader with four complete games and a 9.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

In successive starts against the Reds in late August, Wainwright allowed 15 runs, both losses. He struck out eight in seven shutout innings on September 7 at home in a 5–0 win over the first-place Pirates in earning his 16th victory of the season. The Pirates, Reds, and Cardinals were all close contenders for the Central division title in September. The win gave the Cardinals first place over the Pirates by a half-game, and  games over the Reds. Wainwright's seven strikeouts increased his career total to 1,103, passing Dizzy Dean (1,095) for second place among Cardinals' pitchers. Only Bob Gibson (3,117 in 528 games) had more.

In a 60-inning stretch following the All-Star break Wainwright had walked 14, compared with 15 in  IP before the break. When fellow starter Shelby Miller defeated Nationals' starter Jordan Zimmermann on September 26, he denied Zimmermann his 20th victory. Two days later, Wainwright, who was second in the league with 18 entering the game, defeated the Chicago Cubs in his final start of the season to tie Zimmerman for the lead in wins at 19. Wainwright also became just the third pitcher in franchise history to twice lead the league in wins, joining Dizzy Dean (1934–35) and Mort Cooper (1942–43). He also led the NL in games started (34), innings pitched (), hits allowed (223), and batters faced (956), and was third in strikeouts.

The Cardinals faced the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, and called upon Wainwright to start Game 1 against Jon Lester. It was Wainwright's first World Series appearance since 2006 and first start. He allowed five runs and St. Louis lost, 8–1. In Game 5, a rematch against Lester, the Cardinals again lost, this time 3–1. Wainwright struck out 10 in seven innings, becoming the first Cardinal to reach double digits in strikeouts in a World Series game since Gibson against the Detroit Tigers in 1968. After the Cardinals took a 2–1 Series lead, the Red Sox won the final three games to take the title.

Wainwright won his second Gold Glove award in 2013. In the Cy Young balloting, Wainwright placed second, his second such ranking, and finished 23rd in the NL MVP voting.

2014
Starting for the Cardinals against the Reds on Opening Day, March 31, 2014, Wainwright won his 100th career decision. In seven innings, he struck out nine and gave up just three singles in a 1–0 win. At Nationals Park against Washington on April 17, he pitched a two-hit shutout, winning 8–0. Wainwright gave up the first hit in the second inning on a high infield chopper, but none after until two outs into the ninth. He walked three and struck out eight. It was his seventh career shutout. In an April 27 start against the Pirates, Wainwright tallied eight scoreless innings to extend a streak to 25 innings as the Cardinals won, 7–0, but was pulled before he could get a complete game due to concerns over his April 22 hyperextended right knee injury. His streak of 25 scoreless innings ended in the first inning on May 2 in a loss against the Cubs, to whom he allowed six runs.

On May 20, Wainwright pitched a one-hitter against the Diamondbacks. He retired the first 11 batters before giving up a double to Paul Goldschmidt in the fourth inning. After the hit, Wainwright retired the final 16 batters, facing only 28, one over the minimum for a perfect game. He walked none and struck out nine, throwing 115 pitches, 86 for strikes. It was Wainwright's seventh win of the year, tying for the National League lead, and his 106th career victory against 59 losses. It also tied him for eighth place with Sallee on the all-time Cardinals' pitching win list and was his eighth career shutout. Wainwright followed that effort with eight more scoreless innings on May 25. Between those two starts, he gave up just one walk and struck out a major-league-leading 21 batters in 17 scoreless innings. He was named NL Co-Player of the Week with Dodgers starter Josh Beckett, who threw a no-hitter on May 25. However, he missed his June 16 against the Mets due to elbow tendinitis, but an MRI showed no structural damage to the Tommy John surgically repaired ligament.

After leading the NL with a 1.79 ERA and 11 wins through July 6, Wainwright was selected to his third All-Star Game at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was selected as the NL's starting pitcher for the first time in his career. Besides two starts in which he gave up seven runs to the Giants and six to the Cubs, Wainwright had allowed 13 runs in 16 of his first 18 starts. Nine of those starts included totals with seven or more innings pitched and zero earned runs allowed. Per the Elias Sports Bureau (ESB), it was the first time in Major League history that any pitcher achieved that feat in his first 18 starts of the season.

When the Cardinals defeated the Brewers 10–2 on July 12, Wainwright finished his pre-All Star break total with a 12–4 record and a 1.83 ERA. Further, he joined Hall of Fame member Steve Carlton as the only Cardinals to post an ERA less than 2.00 and at least 12 wins before the All-Star break (1969). In that game, Wainwright posted his Major League-leading 15th start of the season with at least seven innings pitched and two or fewer runs allowed. At the plate, his RBI-single scored rookie Oscar Taveras for his 100th career hit.

In the All-Star Game, Wainwright incurred controversy over his remarks about facing leadoff hitter Derek Jeter. Jeter, who was retiring after the season, doubled on Wainwright's second pitch of the game. During interviews, he admitted that he gave Jeter an easy pitch to hit. "I was gonna give him a couple of pipe shots. He deserved it," Wainwright said. "I didn't know he was gonna hit a double or I might have changed my mind." Wainwright later recanted, stating that it was in humor and that he was "not intentionally giving up hits out there".

Conversely, Jeter was appreciative. "He grooved them? The first one was a little cutter that he threw down and away. He probably assumed I was swinging. So he didn't groove the first one. The second was about 90, a two-seamer that stayed on a really good ... No, I don't know, man," he paused and smiled, drawing laughs from reporters. "I have no idea. If he grooved it, thank you. You still got to hit it."

Following the All-Star break, Wainwright temporarily struggled to keep the consistency of the first half of the season due to frequent elbow irritation. In June, he gave up just four earned runs in 31 IP for a 1.16 ERA, and followed that up with a 1.62 ERA in July. His results reversed in August when he allowed 22 ER in  IP for a 5.17 ERA. However, in September, he posted a 1.38 ERA in 39 IP with 29 SO and a 5–0 W–L. He was subsequently named the NL Pitcher of the Month for September.

After the season, Wainwright had a procedure to remove part of the cartilage of the right elbow on October 24. At times—commencing in June—he had altered his mechanics to mitigate the discomfort. In his third-to-last and second-to-last starts of the season—which were in the NLDS against the Dodgers and NLCS against the Giants—Wainwright was unable to complete five innings in both starts. This led to speculation Wainwright was pitching with pain, which he denied.

Through the 2014 season he had a career 132 ERA+, third-highest for an active pitcher who has a minimum of 1,000 innings, and a  winning percentage, fourth-highest for active pitchers. Wainwright finished third in the Cy Young voting for 2014, his third such placing, and fourth time he was positioned in the top three.

2015
The Cardinals selected Wainwright to make his fourth career Opening Day start, and the season-opening game for MLB in 2015, in what was also the first-ever MLB Opening Night game. He was credited with the win as the Cardinals defeated the Cubs at Wrigley Field, 3–0. On April 25, Wainwright left the game against the Brewers in the top of the fifth after suffering an ankle injury while batting. The next day, the Cardinals placed him on the 15-day disabled list, and announced the following day that he had an Achilles tendon rupture and would likely miss the remainder of the season. He underwent successful surgery to repair the tendon on April 30.

With a recovery initially expected to take nine to twelve months, Wainwright had made four appearances through that point in the season, going 2–1 with a 1.44 ERA. As the season progressed, he consistently stated his goal was to return to pitching before the end of the season. After working diligently to accelerate his recovery, the Cardinals announced on September 21 that he was cleared to resume baseball activities, two weeks prior to the conclusion of the regular season. His actual recovery took five months.

Making his first appearance of the season since April, Wainwright pitched a scoreless inning of relief in the first game of a doubleheader against Pittsburgh on September 30, an 8–2 loss. It was his first relief appearance since the 2006 World Series. Wainwright was named the Hutch Award winner for 2015.

2016

The Cardinals announced before spring training that Wainwright would be the Opening Day starter in 2016, his fifth time. For the three previous seasons, he had gone 41–19 with a 2.61 ERA. For the second consecutive season, the Cardinals opened the MLB season, this time at PNC Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 3. The Cardinals lost the game, 4–1, with Wainwright taking the first loss of the season. He hit his first home run of season in a 10–3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on May 2, also being credited with his second win. In each of four consecutive plate appearances spanning April 27 to May 7, he became the first Cardinal pitcher since 1900 to garner an extra base hit while batting, per Elias Sports Bureau. On the mound, he struggled early, yielding a 5.04 ERA in his first 16 starts of the season.

Wainwright pitched a three-hit, complete-game shutout and 5−0 win against Miami on July 15, 2016; the first hit he allowed was a double to Adeiny Hechavarria in the sixth inning. With four RBI against Colorado on September 20, Wainwright increased his season total to 18, the highest total for all pitchers in the designated hitter era – since 1973 – and the most since Ferguson Jenkins drove in 20 for the Cubs in 1971.

2017
On April 21, 2017, Wainwright struck out nine and hit a home run with four RBI as the Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 6−3. His May 27 appearance was the 330th of his career, tying him with Larry Jackson (1955−1962) for tenth place in games pitched for the Cardinals. while passing Al Hrabosky. Wainwright pitched six scoreless innings versus Los Angeles on June 1, while hitting a two-run home run facing Brandon McCarthy, for a 2−0 win.

On July 17, he passed Bill Doak for fifth place in wins (145) for the Cardinals. On the same day, Wainwright became the only active major league pitcher with multiple seasons of 10+ RBI (2016–17).

The Cardinals placed Wainwright on the 10-day DL on July 25 due to mid-back tightness, retroactive to July 23. It was the fourth time in his career that he had been placed on the DL. Wainwright was activated from the DL on August 6, and totaled 11 innings in three starts. On August 18, the Cardinals placed him back on the DL for right elbow impingement. Wainwright reported pain in his right elbow for the second consecutive season and displayed a precipitous decline in velocity in his most recent starts. Treatments on the right elbow that Wainwright received during the season included trimming cartilage and an injection of platelet-rich plasma into the joint. In 23 games he had started, he allowed a 5.12 ERA with a 12−5 W−L record. Wainwright returned to pitch on September 18 from the bullpen for the remainder of the season.

In 2017, Wainwright won his first career Silver Slugger Award, the first Cardinal pitcher to win the award since Bob Forsch (1980 and 1987) and Jason Marquis (2005). He batted .262/.279/.452, a career-high .731 OPS, and two home runs. Wainwright led all pitchers with seven runs scored and 11 RBI, and, among all with at least 40 plate appearances, in slugging percentage and OPS. He also hit .462 with runners in scoring position.

After the season, Wainwright underwent right elbow surgery to remove a cartilage flap, the first surgery on the elbow since having Tommy John surgery in 2011. The cartilage flap was believed to have caused a bone bruise which led to reduced velocity and efficacy of his breaking pitches. Recovery time was expected to take six weeks with full readiness in time for the 2018 season.

2018
Wainwright began the 2018 season on the 10-day disabled list with a left hamstring sprain. He was reactivated on April 5 but placed on the disabled list again with right elbow inflammation on April 22. Wainwright was activated once again on May 13 and started that same day against the San Diego Padres. He gave up two runs and walked six batters in  innings as San Diego beat St. Louis 5–3. Two days later, Wainwright was placed back on the 10-day DL before being transferred to the 60-day DL on May 17.

2019
Wainwright signed a one-year, $2 million contract extension with the Cardinals prior to the 2019 offseason. On April 24, 2019, Wainwright picked up his 150th win in a 5–2 victory against the Brewers. Over 31 starts during the regular season, he went 14–10 with a 4.19 ERA, striking out 153 over  innings. In the 2019 MLB postseason, Wainwright struck out 19 over  innings and had a 1.62 ERA.

2020
On November 12, 2019, Wainwright and the Cardinals agreed to a one-year contract for the 2020 season. On his 39th birthday, Wainwright pitched his first complete game since 2016 against the Cleveland Indians in a 7–2 win. He pitched a second, albeit 7-inning complete game against the Milwaukee Brewers on September 16. Over 10 starts for the 2020 season, Wainwright went 5–3 with a 3.15 ERA and 54 strikeouts over  innings.

2021
On January 28, 2021, Wainwright signed a one-year, $8 million contract to stay with the Cardinals. On April 26, Wainwright pitched a complete game against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 2–1 loss as Rhys Hoskins hit two solo home runs off him. It was the second such occurrence in his career to pitch a 9-inning complete game and lose since a 2–1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2007.

Wainwright picked up his first win of the season in a 6–5 win over the New York Mets on May 3, while also picking up his 1,000th career strikeout at Busch Stadium; joining Bob Gibson as the only Cardinals pitchers with 1,000 strikeouts at their home ballparks. On June 14, Wainwright picked up his 1,900th strikeout against the Miami Marlins. On Father's Day, June 20, he pitched his second complete game of the year, albeit 7 innings in the first game of a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves; striking out 11 while allowing just one run. On August 10, Wainwright pitched his first shutout since 2016, and his first ever Maddux against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in a 4–0 Cardinals win, throwing 88 pitches. At 39, he became the oldest pitcher to record a shutout since Bartolo Colón in 2015. He was subsequently named National League Pitcher of the Month for August after going 5–1 with a 1.45 ERA, striking out 36 while walking just six over 44 innings. On September 3, Wainwright started against the Brewers with battery mate Yadier Molina, marking their 300th start as a battery. They are the fourth battery in MLB history to make 300 starts. The Cardinals won the game 15–4, with Wainwright picking up the win. While facing the Milwaukee Brewers on September 23, Wainwright recorded his 2,000th career strikeout against Luis Urías. Wainwright became the second pitcher in franchise history alongside Bob Gibson to reach the milestone.

On October 1, the Cardinals and Wainwright agreed on a one-year deal for the 2022 season.

Statistically for 2021, Wainwright had his best season since 2014, going 17–7 with a 3.05 ERA and 174 strikeouts in  innings. Wainwright was second in MLB in wins (17), third in innings pitched (), tied for first in complete games (3) and tenth in walks and hits per inning pitched (1.057). He led the major leagues in sacrifice hits, with 14.

Wainwright finished seventh in the 2021 NL Cy Young Award voting.

2022
On October 4, 2021, Wainwright and the Cardinals agreed to a one-year, $17.5 million deal for the 2022 season

On April 7, 2022, Wainwright won his 100th game at Busch Stadium on Opening Day in a 9–0 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates, pitching six shutout innings with six strikeouts. On May 15, 2022, Wainwright and Molina made history claiming their 203rd win together, becoming the most successful battery in MLB history. Later that season on September 14, Wainwright and Molina set another MLB record by starting alongside one another for the 325th time, surpassing Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan of the Detroit Tigers for the most starts by a battery.

In November 2022, it was announced that Wainwright intended to represent Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

2023
Wainwright announced that the 2023 season would be his last. On March 30, Wainwright sang the national anthem before the opening day game. In 21 starts for the Cardinals, Wainwright struggled to a 5–11 record and 7.40 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 101.0 innings of work.

On September 18, pitching at home against the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers, he won his 200th game, 1-0, pitching seven scoreless innings, giving up only four hits, walking two, striking out three. His 2,202 career strikeouts make him the 66th pitcher to have at least 2,200 strikeouts. His 200 wins make him the 122nd pitcher in baseball history to reach that milestone. His 200 wins, all with the Cardinals, rank him third in the team's history, joining Bob Gibson (251) and Jesse Haines (210).

At home on September 29, he batted for the first time since October 6, 2021. In the sixth inning with the team trailing 14-2, he pinch-hit for designated hitter Luken Baker. On the second pitch, he grounded out sharply to second base. It was his only at-bat that night. Over his career, he has 10 home runs, 75 RBIs, and a .193 batting average. He has five seasons batting over .200.

Annual statistical achievements
Notes: Through 2019 season. Per Baseball-Reference.com.

Pitching style

Wainwright has a sinkerball, throwing it in the  range. He also throws a good deal of cutters  and curveballs  that have dropped more than 8 inches before from top to bottom of the pitch. Less commonly, he also throws a four-seam fastball  and an  changeup. He uses all of his pitches against left-handed hitters, but he does not use the changeup against right-handers. Wainwright's most-used pitch in two-strike counts is his curveball.

In spring training of 2013, he started incorporating an elevated four-seam fastball, making his curveball more effective.

Outside baseball

Big League Impact
A fantasy football enthusiast, Wainwright created and hosts a fantasy football network in eight cities called Big League Impact, designed to raise money for various charities. In 2015, the organization raised more than $1 million total. Other major leaguers, including David Wright, Hunter Pence, and John Smoltz host in their respective cities.

The concept officially opened in July 2013 with the launch of a website called WainosWorld.com. In an interview with Fox Sports Midwest, Wainwright remarked that the program combined his love of fantasy football with his passion for helping the less fortunate. For a registration fee, all of which goes to charity, fans can assemble their own fantasy team and compete throughout the season against not only Wainwright but his current and former Cardinals teammates Allen Craig, David Freese, and Matt Holliday. Those with the best team records at season's end will receive prizes. The league raised $100,000 in 2013 and supported Operation Food Search and Water Missions International.

Wainwright was the recipient of the 2020 Roberto Clemente Award due to his work with Big League Impact alongside his contributions in helping build Haiti's Ferrier Village Secondary School.

As an actor
With longtime aspirations to host an episode of Saturday Night Live, Wainwright made his film debut in the 2016 comedy-drama Proximity, directed by Dan Steadman and filmed in the St. Louis area. The majority of the work done was completed in 2015, after the opportunity presented to Wainwright due in part to the Achilles tendon injury he had suffered early in the season.

Broadcasting
Adam Wainwright made his national TV broadcasting debut on October 6, 2020, calling the 2020 NLDS with the Miami Marlins facing the Atlanta Braves on Fox Sports 1 with Adam Amin and former teammate A. J. Pierzynski. Wainwright joined Amin and Pierzynski again for the 2023 ALDS between the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins.

Musician
On March 30, 2023, Wainwright surprised his teammates by performing the national anthem prior to the Cardinals' home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. After he accomplished his musical goal, he nervously admitted, "I didn't mess the words up." An aspiring country music singer when his baseball career concludes after this season, Wainwright held a concert in Springfield, Illinois, in January 2023 for approximately 500 fans.

Personal life
Wainwright married his high school sweetheart, Jenny Curry, in 2004. In a quirk of fate, he was in the midst of proposing to Curry in December 2003, when a telephone call interrupted him to inform him he'd been traded from the Braves to the Cardinals. Jenny holds a degree in interior design from Georgia Southern University. In the off-season, the Wainwrights reside on St. Simons Island, Georgia, with their four daughters and a son, whom they adopted in 2019. Wainwright has openly expressed his Christian faith, and is active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

See also

 List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
 List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders
 List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a pitcher leaders
 List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
 List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in their first major league at bat
 List of St. Louis Cardinals team records
 List of World Series starting pitchers
 St. Louis Cardinals award winners and league leaders

References

Footnotes

Source notes

External links

1981 births
Living people
Gold Glove Award winners
Silver Slugger Award winners
Major League Baseball pitchers
Baseball players from Atlanta
National League All-Stars
St. Louis Cardinals players
National League wins champions
Sportspeople from Brunswick, Georgia
Danville Braves players
Greenville Braves players
Gulf Coast Braves players
Macon Braves players
Memphis Redbirds players
Myrtle Beach Pelicans players
Team USA players
Mesa Solar Sox players
Springfield Cardinals players
People from St. Simons, Georgia
2023 World Baseball Classic players

Adam Wainwright


Tamil is the second most spoken language, after Kannada in the city of Bangalore in Karnataka, India, having established itself as a notable dialect of Tamil. There are three main dialects of Tamil spoken in Bangalore – the Tigala dialect, Bhovi dialect, and the Brahmin Iyer/Iyengar dialect. The differences between Bangalore Tamil and standard Tamil, though numerous, do not affect understandability between speakers of the opposing dialects. Amongst the three dialects, the Iyer/Iyengar dialect shows a higher degree of difference from standard Tamil due to the retention of numerous Sanskrit words (but its influence has very rapidly affected the other two dialects of Tamil, which have quickly taken on linguistic similarities). Likewise, the majority of people from this demographic had relocated to Karnataka far prior to recent times, having moved due to land grants from the once prospering Mysore kingdom. Religious influence from Hinduism coupled with the usage of an older Tamil also occurred (which had developed independently from standard Tamil, leading to it not undergoing the substantial decrease in Sanskrit usage due to the Dravidar Kazhagam movement). These speakers are considered multilingual and usually have full native-level grasp on both Kannada and Tamil.

While the insertion of Kannada words is not significant, it is relatively common for speakers of Bangalore Tamil to apply them in replacement of lengthier Tamil words for the sake of efficiency. One of the main differentiators between the 3 subsets of Bangalore Tamil, not only lies in the varying usage levels of Sanskrit vocabulary, but also pronunciation. The more sanskritized Tamil dialects will oftentimes mirror Malayalam and Kannada word pronunciations, with pronunciation of the full "u" at the end of words as well as Sanskrit words being pronounced more accurately despite there being a mismatch between the sound limitations of the written Tamil script and the spoken variant of Tamil. Thus, it can be inferred that speakers of this dialect will slightly alter the words (to more accurately reflect their originated pronunciations) read from Tamil instead of sounding them out exactly as written, specifically in regards to Kannada, Malayalam, or Sanskrit origin words that entered this brand of Tamil.In a sense, Bangalore Tamil, especially Iyer/Iyengar Tamil, can have similarities drawn between it and Malayalam, due to its nature as a new age Manipravalam (albeit with increased Kannada influence, clear usage of Tamil words, and slightly lessened Sanskrit influence compared to standard Manipravalam, which could oftentimes reach 50% Sanskrit usage).

Notes

Languages of Karnataka
Tamil dialects

Bangalore Tamil dialects


Ian Michael Kinsler (; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons for the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego Padres. Kinsler was a four-time All Star, two-time Gold Glove winner, and a member of the 2018 World Series champion Boston Red Sox.

Despite having been drafted in the 17th round out of college, Kinsler rose to become a four-time All-Star and a member of the Sporting News''' 2009 list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball. He was known as a five-tool player, hitting for average and power, and excelling in baserunning, throwing, and fielding.

Kinsler twice hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases in the same season (2009 and 2011), and is one of 12 ballplayers in major league history who have had multiple 30–30 club seasons. In 2011, he also joined the 20–20 club for the third time, one season shy of the major league record for a second baseman. He hit for the cycle in a game in 2009, while getting hits in all six of his at bats.

Through 2013, Kinsler led the Texas Rangers, all-time, career-wise, in stolen bases and power-speed number.  In November 2013, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers for Prince Fielder.  He has been awarded both a Fielding Bible Award (2015) and two Gold Glove Awards (2016 and 2018). Through 2019, on defense Kinsler had the best career range factor of any active second baseman in MLB, while on offense among all active players he was 3rd in power–speed number and in career runs scored, and 5th in career doubles. He retired following the end of the 2019 season with 1,999 career hits.

In 2021, he played for the Israeli national baseball team in the 2020 Summer Olympics.  He was the manager of Team Israel at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Early life and high school
Kinsler was born in Tucson, Arizona, and was born to a Jewish father and a Catholic mother.  Kinsler's paternal great-grandparents, Benjamin and Rose Künstlich, were born in Germany and immigrated to the United States in the 1930s to escape the rising antisemitism in Europe prior to World War II. Benjamin and Rose anglicized their last name to Kinsler by the time their son, Jack, was born in the U.S. Ian Kinsler's father, Howard, had grown up in the Bronx and played basketball during his freshman season at the University of Arizona, and was a warden at a state prison on Tucson's southeast side. He has been a major influence on Kinsler. When Kinsler was four his father would toss him fly balls, and his dad says Kinsler would "get under them like he'd been doing it his whole life."

His father coached him until high school, and was especially tough.Greg Hansen (February 24, 2008). "Hard work got most of 38 Tucsonans to big leagues," Arizona Daily Star, accessed August 7, 2009. When Kinsler was 13 years old, and the best player on a PONY league team coached by his father that was playing for a championship, his dad caught Kinsler rolling his eyes as he gave the team orders. "I benched him, without hesitation", said his father. With Kinsler on the bench, the team lost the game.

Kinsler had a physical challenge to overcome. "I've had asthma my whole life", Kinsler said. "That was tough when I was younger. I woke up a lot and couldn't breathe, and had to go to the hospital in the middle of the night. It kind of held me back from athletics. I still have it, but I control it. Now I use an atomizer or an inhaler. When I was younger, I used this breathing machine… I hated that thing. I always wanted to run around and be active."

He graduated in 2000 from Canyon del Oro High School in the Tucson suburb of Oro Valley, Arizona. Kinsler 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. Four of his high school teammates also made it to the major leagues: Brian Anderson (his best friend in high school), Scott Hairston, Chris Duncan, and Shelley Duncan. In 2019 he was inducted into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame.

Draft and college
Kinsler was drafted by his home-state Arizona Diamondbacks after high school in the 29th round of the 2000 MLB draft, but did not feel ready for the pros. He opted instead to honour his commitment.  He started his college career at Central Arizona College, where he hit .405 with 17 doubles, 37 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases, was named second-team All-ACCAC, and played shortstop alongside future major leaguers Scott Hairston and Rich Harden. The Diamondbacks drafted him again in 2001 (26th round), but he declined to sign because he felt that playing college baseball a little longer would help him develop his game.

Arizona State Sun Devils coach Pat Murphy secured his commitment out of junior college, getting him transfer to ASU in his sophomore year with the promise that he would play shortstop for the Sun Devils. But while he started briefly alongside fellow middle infielder Dustin Pedroia, he ended up spending much of the season on the bench. He was also teammates with Andre Ethier.

University of Missouri Tigers coach Tim Jamieson spotted him in a summer league, and convinced him to head east for his junior year. Jamieson said, "I saw him take ground balls and thought, defensively, he was as good a middle infielder as I had ever seen. As for his bat, I didn't really care." While there, Kinsler had a .335 batting average, .416 on-base percentage, and .536 slugging percentage, with 16 steals in 17 attempts. He was named to the All-Big 12 Conference second team. Jamieson noted, "From the day Ian stepped through the doors here, you could see it on his face: He was on a mission."

Kinsler was then drafted a third time by the Texas Rangers in the 17th round (496th overall) in 2003 as a shortstop at the urging of area scout Mike Grouse. Grouse liked Kinsler's tools, makeup, desire, and gritty approach. In Grouse's scouting report, he wrote that Kinsler had a great feel for the game, athleticism, solid defensive skills, intensity, and leadership qualities. Grouse knew that Kinsler was probably being underrated by rival scouts who did not know that Kinsler had played with a foot stress fracture while at Missouri, "so [Kinsler] 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." 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." Kinsler nonetheless agreed to sign with the Rangers on his 21st birthday, for $30,000.

Five years later, John Sickels wrote: "Only a handful of players from the 2003 draft are as good as Kinsler, and he's certainly outperformed many more heralded talents. Scouting and drafting will always be an inexact science/art." The pick was later lauded as "one of the greatest 17th round picks of all time."

Minor league career (2003–05)

2003: Entering the pros
Kinsler signed quickly, and broke in as a shortstop in 2003. He batted .277 in 188 at-bats in his pro debut for the Spokane Indians in the Short-season Northwest League, while leading the team in steals (11) and triples (6). He then spent the 2003–04 winter in Arizona, working out with the Rangers' strength and conditioning coaches. He said: "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."

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

He had a breakout year in 2004. He split the season between two teams, beginning with the Low-A Clinton LumberKings, for which he hit .402/.465/.692 in 224 at bats. Kinsler was voted to start at shortstop for the Midwest League Western Division All Star team, while he was leading the league in batting, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, extra-base hits, and runs scored, but did not play as he was promoted. Baseball America rated him the most exciting ballplayer and the # 8 prospect in the league. When a friend asked him what the secret was to his success, he responded: "Dude, I have no idea."

Kinsler was promoted two levels on June 12 to the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders. "When I first got called up, there were a million things running through my head", he 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." In June he was named the Rangers' Minor League Player of the Month. Frisco manager Tim Ireland observed: 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. In July, the Rangers agreed to send Kinsler and prospect right-hander Erik Thompson to the Colorado Rockies for Larry Walker, but Walker vetoed the trade.

He ended up hitting .300/.400/.480 for Frisco, in 277 at bats. Those numbers would have placed him fourth in OBP, seventh in slugging percentage, and eighth in the league's batting race had he received enough plate appearances to qualify for the title (he was short by about 60). Baseball America rated Kinsler the # 9 prospect in the Texas League.

Overall, in 501 at bats, Kinsler tied for first in the minor leagues in doubles (51), and was seventh in batting average (.345) and ninth in hits (173). He also had 20 home runs, 103 runs, 98 RBIs, 18 HBP, and 23 steals. Rangers manager Buck Showalter marveled at Kinsler's 51 doubles, saying: "Fifty... A lot of guys don't have 50 singles."

Baseball America rated him the No. 4 Rangers prospect, the No. 11 prospect in the minors, and a second-team Minor League All Star. Kinsler was also named a Sports Weekly All Star, and the Rangers' Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year. In addition, he was awarded the first annual Diamond in the Rough Award, which recognizes a minor leaguer who "defies the odds" and rises from obscurity to play himself into prospect status during a breakout season. For his part, Kinsler noted simply: "It is fun to come to the ballpark every day when you are playing good baseball."

Towards the end of the season, Sickels augmented his scouting report on Kinsler by reporting 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...Overall, he is a solid all-around player who makes the most of his natural ability."

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. There, he hit .306/.369/.500. A 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."

2005: Transitioning to second base

Invited to the parent club's 2005 spring training, he hit .327 while slugging .612. Kinsler spent 2005 at Triple-A with the Oklahoma RedHawks, transitioning from shortstop to second base because that is where the organization anticipated he would play in the future, in the event that Alfonso Soriano no longer played second base for the major league team. That was tough on Kinsler's ego initially, but the most difficult part of the switch for him was the double play. 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.

For the season, in 530 at bats he hit .274 with 23 home runs, 102 runs (tied for tenth in the minor leagues), 94 RBIs, and 12 steals in 14 attempts. Kinsler cracked the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects list, ranking 98th. On the side, during the season he kept an on-line journal for MinorLeagueBaseball.com.

Major league career

Texas Rangers (2006–13)

2006: Rookie
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.

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.

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. He came back 41 games later on May 25, and went 3–4 with a single and two 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.

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", predicted Showalter. For the season, he started 31 games batting seventh, 30 batting eighth, 20 batting sixth, 19 batting ninth, 12 batting second, 3 batting leadoff, 2 batting third, and 1 batting fifth.

Kinsler finished 2006 with a .286 batting average, 14 home runs, 55 RBIs, and a team-leading 11 stolen bases in 423 at bats. He batted .300 with runners in scoring position, and .300 when the game was tied. He led all AL rookies with 27 doubles, and his .454 slugging percentage was the seventh-best in a season since 2000 by an AL rookie with at least 400 at bats."Texas Rangers sign Ian Kinsler to 5 year, $22 million contract" , Pegasus News, February 19, 2008, accessed August 5, 2009 Defensively, in August he tied a team record by recording five double plays in one game. He also led all American League (AL) second basemen in both range factor (5.58) and errors (18). He was named Texas Rangers 2006 Rookie of the Year.

2007: 20–20 season

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

His torrid hitting continued into the season, and Kinsler was named the AL Player of the Week for the period ending April 15. He batted .476 (10-for-21) that week 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 Iván Rodríguez (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."Red Sox pour on misery for Yankees", The China Post, May 1, 2007, accessed August 5, 2009 Kinsler said: "I'm trying to put good swings on the ball, and if it goes out, it goes out." He batted .298 with 22 RBIs for the month, and was also voted the Rangers' Player of the Month for April.

On July 2, Kinsler went on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his left foot; he did not come back until July 31, and missed 26 games. He tied a major league record on August 25, when he had eight plate appearances in a nine-inning game (a 30–3 win over Baltimore).

In 2007, Kinsler hit 20 home runs and was 23-for-25 in stolen base attempts (a 92% success rate). He became the sixth player in franchise history to reach the 20–20 plateau, joining Alfonso Soriano (2005), Iván Rodríguez (1999), Rafael Palmeiro (1993), Bobby Bonds (1978), and Toby Harrah (1975 and 1977). He did it despite his stress fracture, which kept him under 500 at bats. His 23 stolen bases and 96 runs led the Rangers.

Kinsler finished the season seventh in the AL in power/speed number (21.4), ninth in sacrifice hits (8) and steals of third base (4), and tied for tenth in bunt hits (5). He was also tied for fourth in the league in steals of third (4), eighth in line drive percentage (23%), and tied for ninth in sacrifice hits (8).
He began to hit higher in the batting order, as he batted second in 48 games, leadoff in 26, seventh in 24, sixth in 19, ninth in 10, and eighth in 2. On defense, Kinsler led all major league second basemen in range factor (5.69), leading the league for the second straight year.

2008: All-Star
In February 2008, Kinsler signed a five-year deal worth $22 million guaranteed with a $10 million option for 2013. The contract was at the time largest the Rangers have ever made to a player whom they drafted and developed. "Ian represents the past, present, and future of this organization", said assistant general manager Thad Levine.

"It's a lot of money", Kinsler said. "I've never imagined being in this position in my life." "This is a big day for me and my family", he reflected. "I've been working my whole life to get to this point, since my dad first started taking me out in the backyard and started throwing the baseball with me."

Kinsler was delighted when Rangers manager Ron Washington ultimately 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."

Through mid-May 2008, Kinsler had the best career stolen-base percentage (88.5%) of anyone in Rangers/Senators history with at least 40 attempts. "It's part of my game", said Kinsler. "It's not one of the first things I'm known for." According to scouts, his ability on the basepaths is due to innate instincts and his "twitch speed" rather than his pure running speed. Grouse, who signed him, says that Kinsler also "goes from first to third faster than anyone, because he has that God-given ability to read the ball so well off the bat."

During a mid-June rain delay at Shea Stadium, Kinsler hopped to his feet, raced from the dugout and dove head-first across the wet tarp covering the infield as though it was a giant Slip 'n Slide. Four teammates followed, receiving a large ovation from the New York Mets fans. Shea Stadium security ushered them off the field, drawing a chorus of boos. "We had some good routines going", said Kinsler. "It was awesome."

Kinsler was a 2008 AL All Star at the 79th All Star Game at Yankee Stadium. It was his most exciting moment in baseball to that point. He was a reserve voted in by his peers. In the fan balloting, Dustin Pedroia, who finished with nearly 1.3 million votes, beat him by 34,243 votes. In the game, Kinsler hit 1-for-5 and stole a base. He was called out attempting to steal another base, though replays demonstrated that the umpire had missed the call. The Washington Post and ESPN baseball writer Jayson Stark picked Kinsler as the AL MVP for the first half of the season.

Kinsler had an MLB-best 25-game hitting streak in June and July. The team-best hitting streak of 28 belongs to Gabe Kapler.

Through July 28, Kinsler was 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 (26), triples (4), and on-base percentage (.392), and eighth in OPS (.922). "Kinsler", said Seattle Mariners left fielder Raúl Ibañez, "is the engine that makes that offense go."

However, on August 17 he injured the left side of his groin on a defensive play, suffering a sports hernia that ultimately required season-ending surgery. He missed the last 37 games of the season. "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 six weeks of the season, Kinsler was third in the AL in times advanced from first to third on a single (17), fourth in batting average (.319) and power/speed number (21.3), fifth in steals of third base (8) and "bases taken" (23; advanced on fly balls, passed balls, wild pitches, balks, etc.), sixth in line drive percentage (24%) and in extra base hit percentage (10.8% of all plate appearances), eighth in runs (102) and OPS (.892), ninth in sacrifice hits (8) and home runs on the road (14), and tenth in stolen bases (26; while only being caught twice—a 93% success rate) and lowest strikeout percentage (11.5% of at bats).

He hit .413 with runners in scoring position. He was one of only three 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. His 41 doubles ranked second in franchise history to Alfonso Soriano's 43 in 2005. He had a .377 on-base percentage as a leadoff hitter, the third-best mark in the AL, and his .521 slugging percentage was the highest for a leadoff batter in the American League. Kinsler's .381 on-base percentage as a leadoff hitter over the 2005–08 seasons was the fourth-highest in the major leagues.

"Most hitters have [a location] that you can exploit", said All Star pitcher Justin Duchscherer. "This guy has trouble with fastballs in. This guy has trouble with breaking balls down. [Kinsler] doesn't have a hole like that." 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.

Kinsler was mentioned as an MVP candidate before his injury by writers at ESPN, the Dallas News, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post.White, Lonnie (July 16, 2008). "Red Sox haven't lost favorite role,"  The Los Angeles Times, accessed March 21, 2009 He could have conceivably rivaled Pedroia for MVP, if not for the sports hernia that cut his 2008 campaign short a month and a half. "I think he just missed having an MVP year", manager Ron Washington said. "If luck [had been] on our side and he [had stayed] healthy, he would have run away with it." In the end, he received a single 10th-place vote from Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Matschulat, Joey (November 19, 2009). "Wednesday Morning Rangers Notes", MVN.com, accessed March 21, 2009.

2009: Hitting for the cycle, and joining the 30–30 club
In 2009, Kinsler 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.

On April 15, 2009, in a game against the Baltimore Orioles, Kinsler hit for the cycle, becoming only the fourth Ranger to do so (and, at the time, 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 having been 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." 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. Kinsler's 13 total bases were also one base shy of Jose Canseco's June 13, 1994, team record. Only three other players in the prior 55 years had had six hits, five runs, and four extra-base hits in a game, the most recent having been Shawn Green of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002.

Kinsler was named AL co-Player of the Week on April 20, 2009. For the week, in 30 plate appearances 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). 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", said teammate Hank Blalock.

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. On May 21, Kinsler stole third base in the fifth inning, setting a club record for career steals of third at 18. Furthermore, at the time Kinsler had never been caught trying to steal third. Rick Paulas of ESPN called Kinsler his "first quarter MVP."

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.

Kinsler narrowly missed making the AL All-Star team. First, though he had led all AL second basemen as of June 30, with 2,170,100 fan votes (fifth-most votes of all AL players, just ahead of Dustin Pedroia's 2,163,270), Pedroia passed him on the last day in last-minute voting. Then, he just missed making the team as a reserve in player voting, coming in second again, this time to Toronto's Aaron Hill. He missed in his third chance, as AL All Star team and Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon did not pick him as a reserve. He missed a fourth opportunity to make the team, in the Sprint Final Vote competition for the final spot on the team, coming in second to Brandon Inge of the Tigers. A fifth opportunity presented itself when Pedroia pulled out of the All Star Game to spend time with his pregnant wife—and as Kinsler had finished second in fan voting, in player voting, and in the Final Vote competition, he appeared a likely candidate to replace his fellow second baseman. But Maddon went with one of his own to replace Pedroia, Tampa Bay's first baseman Carlos Peña, who was leading the league in homers but batting .228 (and who had come in fourth in the Final Vote competition, behind Kinsler and Chone Figgins). A sixth and final opportunity presented itself when Evan Longoria withdrew because of a finger infection; but again Maddon (a former Angels coach) chose someone else as a replacement, this time Figgins of the Angels, who had come in third in the Final Vote competition (behind Kinsler).Bleacher Reports' Andrew Nuschler observed: "Maddon spent his tenure as the AL All Star manager finding new and inventive ways to give Ian Kinsler the middle finger." And Sports Illustrateds Jacob Osterhout took note, writing: It is an absolute travesty that Ian Kinsler is not the starting second baseman for the American League. Dustin Pedroia, who IS the starting second baseman, has hit only three home runs and has 36 RBIs. Kinsler, on the other hand, has hit 20 home runs and has 63 RBIs. The fact that Kinsler isn't even a reserve makes it hard to take the All Star Game seriously.

At the All Star Game, as a tribute to Kinsler, his teammate and close friend Michael Young wore wristbands with Kinsler's number 5.

On July 11, Kinsler stole third base for the 21st time in his career, building on his team record, without ever having been thrown out. Kinsler suffered a strained left hamstring on July 28, and missed 11 games while on the disabled list.

Kinsler, who already had 30 stolen bases, hit his 30th home run on September 25, becoming the only major leaguer to join the 30–30 club in 2009, and the 34th major leaguer ever. He became only the second player in Rangers' history to have a 30–30 season (joining Alfonso Soriano, who did it in 2005), and joined Soriano (who also had 30–30 seasons in 2002 and 2003 for the Yankees) and Brandon Phillips (2007) as the only 30–30 second basemen in Major League history. "It's an incredible accomplishment", said Michael Young. "I've played with guys who have had some incredible seasons here, but 30–30 is something special. He deserves a lot of credit. He battled all season long. That's what separates the great players from the good ones."

He led the AL in power-speed#, with a 31.0. Through 2009, he had the second-highest steal success rate among active players with at least 100 attempts, at 87.5% (91-of-104). Carlos Beltrán was the best, at 88.3%. Sharing his philosophy on stealing bases, he said: "It takes the art of stealing away if you do it when you're four runs up or four runs down, and the opposing team is just worried about getting outs, not stolen bases. The idea is to steal them when you need them."

He also showed a good eye at the plate. Of 15 Rangers who had at least 100 at bats, his rate of only one strikeout per 8.31 at bats was the best on the team. Similarly, he made contact on 87% of his swings, the best contact rate on the team.

Playing 144 games, he also had 13 home runs against lefties (2nd in the league), stole third base 11 times (3rd), hit 47% of his hits for extra bases (7th-best in the AL), was 7th in the AL in stolen bases, scored 101 runs (10th), and had 5 bunt hits (10th). On defense, he led AL second baseman in "zone runs"s (17), was 2nd in assists (451) and range factor/game (4.86), and was 5th in putouts (249).

2010: All-Star

In December 2009, Washington said Kinsler would bat second in 2010. "I think Kinsler performs better when he's in the mix hitting at the top of the lineup in the first inning", Washington said. "When he has to wait to hit, I think it takes a lot away from him." But by early March, it was reported that he would bat fifth. Washington said, however, that that would not keep Kinsler from running: "I will not slow him down. He is a threat. I will not take away that threat. I'm not stopping Kins." On days when Julio Borbon was not batting leadoff, Kinsler was to move up to the top of the lineup. In the end, Kinsler started 60 games batting 3rd, 20 games batting 5th, 16 games batting 6th, and 6 games leading off.

In spring training, while he was batting .400, Kinsler slipped on a patch of wet grass during pre-game warm-ups. He rolled his right ankle, and suffered a sprain of the ligaments above it (referred to as a "high ankle sprain"), as well as a small bone bruise at the tip of his tibia at the back of his ankle. He missed three weeks of spring training, and began the season on the disabled list. Washington said: "We miss his presence. We miss his threat. We miss what he brings on the defensive end. We miss his leadership." He made his initial 2010 appearance on April 30, after having missed the first 20 games of the season.

Batting .304 at the time with a .412 on-base percentage (4th in the AL), he was selected as a reserve to the 2010 American League All Star team, his second All Star Game. An appreciative Kinsler said: "It's a huge honor." He had finished third among AL second basemen in fan voting behind Robinson Canó and Pedroia, but Pedroia was injured, and Kinsler was picked to replace him. He had also finished second among AL second basemen in voting by AL players. On July 29 he went on the disabled list again, this time for a strained left groin, and was not reactivated until September 1.

Kinsler finished the season batting .286, with a career-high on-base percentage of .382. His .985 fielding percentage was 5th-best in the league, and he had the highest career range factor/game of all active major league second basemen (5.201). With his two stints on the disabled list, he played in only 103 games.

In the first round of the playoffs, against the Tampa Bay Rays, Kinsler batted .444/.500/.944 in five games, leading the majors with 3 home runs (tied) and 6 RBIs in the division series. He hit safely and scored a run in all five games, joining Boston's Nomar Garciaparra as the only two players to start their post-season careers with at least one hit—and with at least one hit and one run—in each of five consecutive games. As teammate Nelson Cruz also hit three home runs, it marked the second time in Major League history that two teammates each hit three homers in a postseason series of five games or fewer (the other two to do it were Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, in the 1928 World Series). For the first two rounds of the playoffs, Kinsler hit safely in 9 of 11 games, and batted .342 with 3 HRs, a playoff-high 9 RBIs, 6 runs, 2 stolen bases, an OBP of .409, and an OPS of 1.067.

2011: 30–30 club, redux

On April 2, 2011, Kinsler became the first player in major league history to hit a lead-off home run in the first two games of a season (giving him a total of 15 lead-off homers in his career). In his next game against the Red Sox, he hit another home run in the third inning. Kinsler and Nelson Cruz also became the first two teammates to homer in each of the first three games in a season. The two also joined Dean Palmer (1992) as the only Texas ballplayers to ever homer in the first three games of the season.

In September, Kinsler tied his own Rangers record, which he set in 2009, with his seventh leadoff home run of the season. He also hit his 20th career leadoff homer, becoming the 34th player in major league baseball history to have hit at least 20. Since his first season in 2006, his 20 lead-off homers were the 6th-most behind Alfonso Soriano (31), Hanley Ramírez (25), Jimmy Rollins (24), Curtis Granderson (24), and Rickie Weeks (24).

He stole 28 consecutive bases without being caught, breaking his own club record, which he had set in 2007–08.

Kinsler joined the 30–30 club, for the second time. He became the 12th player in major league history to have multiple 30–30 seasons. The only other infielders in major league history who had had multiple 30–30 seasons as of 2011 were Alfonso Soriano, Howard Johnson, and Jeff Bagwell. He also joined the 20–20 (home runs–steals) club for the third time in his career. Joe Morgan, who did it four seasons, is the only second baseman to have joined the 20–20 club more times.

In 2011, Kinsler was 2nd in the American League in runs scored (121; the fifth-highest season total in Rangers' history), 5th in home runs (32; a career high) and walks (89), and 9th in stolen bases (30) and extra base hits (70). He was also third in power-speed # (31.0; behind Jacoby Ellsbury and Curtis Granderson), and had the best walks-to-strikeouts ratio in the major leagues, with 1.25 walks per each strikeout. On defense, his career range factor of 5.092 was the highest among active major league second basemen, and in 2011 he led AL second basemen in double plays, with 103.

His 136 career stolen bases through season-end were third-most in Rangers history, behind Bump Wills (161) and Toby Harrah (143), and his career stolen-base percentage was the third-best rate among active players with at least 120 attempts.

His 124 career home runs were the 5th-most in the first six years of any second baseman's career, behind Dan Uggla (183), Joe Gordon (142), Chase Utley (130), and Alfonso Soriano (126).

On October 4, in Game 4 of the playoff series against the Rays, Kinsler led off the game with a home run, sparking the Rangers 4–3 victory over Tampa Bay to send them to the ALCS.

2012: All-Star
In April 2012, the Rangers gave Kinsler a five-year, $75 million contract extension, with a $10 million option for a sixth year and a $5 million buyout if the team were to not pick up the option.  The extension replaced the team's $10 million option for 2013 with a $13 million salary, and paid him $16 million in both 2014 and 2015, $14 million in 2016, and $11 million in 2017. A team option in 2018 could become guaranteed at $12 million, and included a $5 million buyout.  The contract made Kinsler the highest-paid second baseman in baseball.

Kinsler was an All Star again in 2012, for the third time.  For the season, he was second in the AL in plate appearances (731), third in at bats (655) and runs (105), fifth in power-speed number (20.0), sixth in doubles (42), and eighth in hit by pitch (10).

2013: Rangers' all-time stolen base leader
In 2013, Kinsler struck out once every 10.4 plate appearances, making him the third-toughest batter to strike out in the American League, and was the sixth-toughest batter to double up in the league (109.0 at bats/double play).  He finished the season tied for fifth among active players in leadoff home runs.  He led the Texas Rangers, all-time, career-wise, in stolen bases (172), hit by pitch (57), and power-speed number (163.6), and was fifth in runs (748), seventh in doubles (249) and walks (462), eighth in home runs (156), and ninth in hits (1,145) and RBIs (539).  Fangraphs ranked him as the 56th-best baserunner in baseball history.

In 2022, he was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame.Kinsler takes winning swagger into Rangers HOF

Detroit Tigers (2014–17)
In November 2013, Kinsler was traded to the Detroit Tigers for Prince Fielder in a one-for-one trade of All-Stars, with the Tigers sending Texas $30 million to cover part of the difference in the players' salaries. The Tigers gave Kinsler permission to honor Alan Trammell by wearing #3.

2014: All-Star

In 2014, Kinsler was named to his fourth All-Star team, as a replacement for an injured Victor Martinez. For the season he led the American League in at bats (684; also an all-time Tigers record), was 4th in hits (188) and doubles (40), 5th in runs scored (100; scoring 100 runs for the fifth time in his career), and 7th in power-speed number (15.9). He was the 10th-toughest batter in the American League to strike out (once per every 9.19 plate appearances), and was one of seven AL players to hit at least 15 home runs and steal at least 15 bases.

On defense, he led the AL in putouts (290) and was third in assists (467) and fielding percentage (.988), among all second basemen. Through 2014, Kinsler had the best career range factor of any active second baseman in Major League Baseball, at 4.881.

On November 5, 2014, Kinsler was awarded the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award for second base.

2015: Fielding Bible Award

On September 10, 2015, Kinsler recorded his 1,500th career hit, a single off of Bryan Shaw of the Cleveland Indians. For the 2015 season, he hit .296, his best batting average since posting a career-high .319 mark in 2008, while collecting 11 home runs and 73 RBIs. For the season he led the major leagues in multi-hit games (61), and was 4th in the American League in hits (185), 6th in at bats (624, and 10th in runs scored (94) and at-bats-per-strikeout (7.8).

On defense, he was 2nd in the AL in putouts (289), assists (425), and double plays (109) among all second basemen. His single-season defensive WARs in 2014 (2.9) and 2015 (2.6) were the second- and seventh-best in Tigers' history. Following the 2015 season, Kinsler was awarded the Fielding Bible Award as the best-fielding second baseman in MLB. His 19 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) were six better than any other Major League second baseman that season, according to Fangraphs. His 6.3 Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) was the best in the American League, and second only to Miami's Dee Gordon. His 2.6 defensive Wins Above Replacement, according to the Baseball Reference formula, ranked him 8th among all Major League players regardless of position. Kinsler had put up 50 Defensive Runs Saved over the last three seasons, according to The Fielding Bible. The next-best total among Major League second basemen was 29, from Colorado's DJ LeMahieu.

2016: Gold Glove
In mid-May 2016 he became the first player in Tigers history to hit home runs from the leadoff spot in the batting order in four consecutive games. On July 3, Kinsler hit his 200th career home run, off Danny Farquhar of the Tampa Bay Rays. Kinsler became the third active Major League player, and the 40th overall, with 200 home runs, 1,000 runs scored, 1,600 hits, and 200 stolen bases. On September 30 Kinsler hit his eighth lead-off home run of the season, setting a new Tigers' franchise record as he surpassed that of Curtis Granderson.
 The homer was also Kinsler's 28th of the year, tying Lou Whitaker's 1989 record for most by a Tiger second baseman.

For the season he was 4th in the American League in runs (117) and hit by pitch (13), 9th in power-speed number (18.7), and 10th in hits (178), as he batted .288 with 83 RBIs. His 40 career leadoff home runs at year-end were the 7th-most in Major League Baseball history.

On defense, he led AL second basemen in range factor/9 innings (5.09), and was 2nd in putouts (303) and assists (432), and was 5th in fielding percentage (.988) and double plays (109). Following the season, Kinsler was named the Gold Glove Award winner for second base, the first of his career. Kinsler and Dustin Pedroia finished tied for the lead among AL second basemen in 2016 with 12 DRS. Kinsler's 8.5 UZR trailed only Pedroia (12.5). Through 2016, Kinsler had the best career range factor of any active second baseman in Major League Baseball.

2017: Leader in Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved
Kinsler missed some time in 2017, going on the disabled list in late May due to a left hamstring strain. In August, Kinsler was fined $10,000 by MLB for critical comments he made about umpire Ángel Hernández after Hernández ejected Kinsler from a game against the Texas Rangers. He had said that Hernández was a bad umpire, and "needs to find another job." Kinsler slammed 22 home runs in 139 games, but posted a career-low .236 batting average.

Kinsler was named a 2017 Gold Glove finalist at second base, along with Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox and Brian Dozier of the Twins. Dozier won, despite Kinsler having a better Ultimate Zone Rating by a wide margin (6.1; leading AL second basemen), and being much better in Defensive Runs Saved, with a plus-six (leading AL second basemen) compared to Dozier's minus-four.

Kinsler's fWAR since 2014 over his four seasons in Detroit ranked third among Major League second basemen in that timespan, behind José Altuve  and Dozier, and his 57 Defensive Runs Saved were 27 more than the next-highest second baseman.

Los Angeles Angels (2018)

On December 13, 2017, the Tigers traded Kinsler to the Los Angeles Angels, in return for minor league center fielder Troy Montgomery and pitching prospect Wilkel Hernandez.

On June 19, 2018, Kinsler hit the 48th leadoff home run of his career, which ranked fourth all-time behind Rickey Henderson, Alfonso Soriano, and Craig Biggio. In 91 games with the 2018 Angels, Kinsler batted .239 with 13 home runs, 49 runs, 32 RBIs, and 9 stolen bases.

Boston Red Sox (2018): Gold Glove and World Series Champion

On July 30, 2018, the Angels traded Kinsler and cash considerations to the Boston Red Sox for Williams Jerez and Ty Buttrey, with the two teams splitting the remainder of Kinsler's $11 million salary.

In 37 regular season games with the Red Sox, Kinsler batted .242 with 1 home run, 16 RBIs, and 7 stolen bases in 132 at bats. Between the two teams, in 2018 he tied for first among all American League second baseman in Defensive Runs Saved (10), was second in SABR Defensive Index (8.4) and was third in zone rating (.832).  Kinsler won a World Series ring in the 2018 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Following the season, Kinsler was named the Gold Glove Award winner for second base. It was the second Gold Glove Award of his career.

He became the only player in the American League to steal more than 10 bases, as well as the only one to score more than 60 runs, in each of the prior 13 seasons since 2006.

San Diego Padres (2019): 1,999 career hits
On December 20, 2018, Kinsler signed an $8 million, two-year contract with the San Diego Padres.  The team received a $3.5 million option for the 2021 season, with a $500,000 buyout.

Kinsler's season ended early, as he suffered a herniated disc in his neck. In 2019 he batted .217/.278/.368 with 28 runs, 9 home runs, and 22 RBIs in 258 at bats, while also pitching one shutout inning. He ended the season with 1,999 career hits.

Through 2019, Kinsler had the best career defensive range factor per game of any active second baseman in Major League Baseball (4.71). Among all active MLB players, in his career he was 3rd in power-speed # (249.8) and in career runs scored (1,243), and 5th in career doubles (416).

On August 12, 2019, Kinsler pitched for the first time in his major league career in the ninth inning during a blowout against the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching a scoreless inning, and then proceeded to hit a home run in the bottom half of the inning. It would be his final game ever played in the major leagues.

Front office career

San Diego Padres
On December 20, 2019, Kinsler announced the end of his playing career and his subsequent move into an adviser to baseball operations role in the Padres front office. He and the Padres settled the $4.25 million left on his contract for 2020. He ended his 14-year career one hit short of 2,000, with 257 home runs, 909 RBIs, and 243 stolen bases.

Texas Rangers
On February 6, 2023, Kinsler was hired by the Texas Rangers to serve as a special assistant to general manager Chris Young.

International career

Team USA; player
In 2017, Kinsler participated in the 2017 World Baseball Classic as a member of Team USA and won a gold medal in the competition.

Team Israel; player
In March 2020, Kinsler obtained Israeli citizenship and joined Team Israel.  The team qualified to play baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

On June 21, 2021, in preparation for the games (which were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Kinsler signed a contract with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He played with the club from July 2 to July 8, after which he joined Team Israel on a barnstorming tour in the Northeastern United States to further prepare for Tokyo.

Kinsler played second base for Team Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the summer of 2021. He batted four for 18, hitting .222/.333/.444 with a double and a home run. Team Israel went 1-4 overall, defeating Mexico in Round 1 of the knockout stage, but losing to South Korea and the Dominican Republic, eliminating them from the competition.

Team Israel; manager

Israel competed in the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Miami. Kinsler managed the team.

Personal life
Kinsler identifies as Jewish; his father is Jewish and his mother is Catholic. He was featured in the 2008 Hank Greenberg 75th Anniversary edition of Jewish Major Leaguers Baseball Cards, licensed by Major League Baseball, commemorating the Jewish major leaguers from 1871 through 2008. He joined, among others, teammate Scott Feldman, Brad Ausmus, Kevin Youkilis, Ryan Braun, Gabe Kapler, Jason Marquis, Jason Hirsh, John Grabow, Craig Breslow, and Scott Schoeneweis. He said 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."  In 2013 he passed Shawn Green with his 163rd steal, to become the all-time career steals leader among Jewish major leaguers. Through the 2022 season, his 243 steals led the career all-time list of Jewish major leaguers (directly ahead of Ryan Braun), his 416 doubles placed him second directly behind Shawn Green, his 257 home runs and 909 RBIs both placed him 4th (behind Green in each case), his 693 walks placed him 4th behind Sid Gordon, and his 41 triples placed him 6th behind Gordon. His 31 steals in 2009 were the third-most ever in a season by a Jewish ballplayer, behind the 35 steals by Shawn Green in 1998 and the 33 steals by Ryan Braun in 2011.

Kinsler, who would have been eligible to play for Israel in the 2013 World Baseball Classic because of his father's Jewish heritage, said: "Wow, I would be happy to play for Team Israel.... The truth is that if a proposal comes from Team USA to play for them, I will have a very difficult decision to make. Youk [Kevin Youkilis], Braun [Milwaukee's Ryan Braun], and I could make a fantastic team. I am sure that I'll talk it over with Youk – we always laugh about things like this."

Kinsler married Tess Brady, his high school sweetheart, on November 18, 2006. Their daughter, Rian Brooklynn Kinsler, was born December 5, 2008. On June 8, 2011, his wife gave birth to a son, Jack Jamisson Kinsler. He was put on paternity leave due to the birth.

In 2008 Kinsler won the Rangers' Jim Sundberg Community Achievement Award, in recognition of his having devoted a great deal of his personal time to the community.

Kinsler made aliyah in March 2020 and became an Israeli citizen.

In July 2022, Kinsler was one of five torch carriers of the opening ceremony of the 2022 Maccabiah Games at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem.

See also

List of select Jewish baseball players
List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders

References

Further reading

External links

1982 births
Living people
American people of German-Jewish descent
Israeli people of German-Jewish descent
Israeli people of American descent
American League All-Stars
Arizona State Sun Devils baseball players
Baseball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Baseball players from Tucson, Arizona
Boston Red Sox players
Central Arizona Vaqueros baseball players
Clinton LumberKings players
Detroit Tigers players
Frisco RoughRiders players
Gold Glove Award winners
Israeli American
Israeli baseball players
Jewish American baseball players
Jewish Major League Baseball players
Long Island Ducks players
Los Angeles Angels players
Major League Baseball second basemen
Missouri Tigers baseball players
Oklahoma RedHawks players
Peoria Saguaros players
San Diego Padres executives
San Diego Padres players
Spokane Indians players
Texas Rangers players
World Baseball Classic players of the United States
2017 World Baseball Classic players
Olympic baseball players for Israel
21st-century American Jews

Ian Kinsler


A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts.

Christianity

Catholic Church

Baptismal name
In baptism, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should not be "foreign to Christian sentiment" and is often the name of a saint. In East Asia, in Africa and elsewhere, the baptismal name is distinct from the traditional-style given name.

Traditionally, Orthodox and Catholic Christians celebrate their name day (i.e., the feast day of their patron saint), rather than their birthday.

Confirmation name
In some countries, it is common to adopt a confirmation name, always the name of a saint, in addition to the baptismal name. The saint whose name is taken is henceforth considered to be a patron saint.

Religious name
In general, religious names are used among the persons of the consecrated life. In most religious institutes, a new member is traditionally either given a religious name or chooses one. This could be either the name of a beatified or a venerable of the church, an honorific title of the Virgin Mary, or even a virtue or something similar. Apart from that, it is possible to keep the baptismal name as a religious name, too. The name is taken usually either upon investiture or on the occasion of taking the first vows, in some communities prior to the entry of a new postulant.

Papal name
A newly elected pope traditionally takes on a new name, called his regnal name or papal name.

Lutheran Church
In the Lutheran Churches, those who receive the sacrament of baptism are given a Christian name.

Eastern Church

Baptismal name
In the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholicism, converts often take a new name at the time of their reception into the church. When deciding on a name for their child, Orthodox parents will often name the child after a saint whose feast day falls on either the day of the child's birth or the day of its baptism.

Monastic name
Orthodox and Eastern catholic monks and nuns are often given a new monastic name at the time of their investiture.

Judaism
Converts to Judaism take a Hebrew name upon conversion.  Born Jews generally have a patronymic Hebrew name which is used for religious purposes; this is frequently different from their legal name, especially when the latter is of gentile or non-Hebrew origin.

Mandaeism
In Mandaeism, a baptismal (zodiacal) or masbuta name, also known as malwasha, is a name given by a priest, as opposed to a legal name. Mandaeans have matronymic Mandaean names which are used in Mandaean rituals. A malwasha is linked with the mother's name and time of birth in order to protect the individual from their zodiac sign which is considered ominous.

Buddhism

All Buddhist denominations also practice this, with newly ordained Sangha members given new Buddhist names by their master or preceptors. Lay Buddhists (Upāsaka and Upāsikā) are also given Buddhist names during their Tisarana ceremony.

Taoism
All Taoist sects have similar practice like Chinese Buddhism, where all newly ordained Taoist priests or monks are given Taoist name related on their sect's lineage. Lay Taoists who participate in the initiation ceremony are also given Taoist name.

Others

Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Members of ISKCON and some other Gaudiya Vaishnava organisations are given a "spiritual name" by their guru upon initiation. This name ends in "Das" or "Dasa" for men and "Dasi" for women (meaning "servant").

Wicca
In Wicca, a craft name is often used.

References

External links
 Name change on religious conversion, UK Deed Poll

Human names
Religious practices

Religious name