Ian Kinsler, a four-time MLB All-Star, has been named the manager for Team Israel at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Kinsler, who received his Israeli citizenship in 2020, previously represented Israel at the Tokyo Games after winning the ’17 WBC with USA Baseball. Currently, the 39-year-old is an advisor in the Padres front office.
Instead of playing in the WBC, the 14-year MLB veteran plans to visit Israel in the coming weeks to attend the Maccabiah Games in July. Kinsler was also selected as one of the five torchbearers at the opening ceremonies for the games in Jerusalem on July 14, according to the San Diego Jewish World.
“I enjoyed my time playing in the tournament and now that I know Israel Baseball well from my time in the Olympics, I am convinced that we will have a very competitive squad that will go far,” Kinsler said, per the World. “We are already hard at work putting together a winner roster for Israel at the WBC.”
Kinsler was a 2018 World Series champion with the Red Sox, and he also played for other teams across MLB including the Rangers, Tigers, Angels, and Padres. He was one of 12 players in MLB history to record a minimum of 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season twice in his career.
The two Gold Glove award winner retired with the most stolen bases (243) among Jewish players in MLB history. He ranks second among Jewish players in hits (1,999) and doubles (416), and fourth in home runs (257) and RBI (909).
