Longtime Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler, who was traded to the Detroit Tigers this offseason to make room in the infield for Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar, was interviewed for the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine. He had unflattering things to say about his former team and its general manager especially:
During that time, it was well-known throughout the game that there was a power struggle going on between Ryan and Daniels, who had acquired the title of president of baseball operations last March in a front office restructuring that ultimately led to Ryan’s departure after the season. Kinsler squarely blames the man who traded him. “Daniels is a sleazeball,” he says. “He got in good with the owners and straight pushed Ryan out. He thought all the things he should get credit for, Ryan got credit for. It’s just ego. Once we went to the World Series, everybody’s ego got huge, except for Nolan’s.”
When Daniels hears Kinsler’s version, he refrains from returning fire. “I’m not going to justify that,” he says. “He was a key member of the best teams in the history of the franchise. He’s entitled to his opinion.
Kinsler says that with Ryan’s role diminished the past couple of years, the Rangers lost the swagger and professionalism that had been a point of pride for the team. He believes the Rangers will regret yielding to Daniels at Ryan’s expense. “Nolan s — s gold here,” he says. “Once the Rangers fall apart, he’s going to s — gold even more because they turned on him.”
Now, the drama behind him, Kinsler has a chance to step back. “I’ll miss all my teammates,” he says. “I’ll miss Elvis and Beltre, Mitch [Moreland], Matt Harrison and [Ron] Washington.” But the frustration — with his play, with the team, with the organization — is still so raw. “To be honest with you, I hope they go 0-162. I got friends, and I love my friends, but I hope they lose their ass.”
Kinsler was generally a popular player in Arlington, never seemed to mind that the fans showered Michael Young with more love than him even when Kinsler was the superior player. But I’m guessing the boo-birds will come out when the Tigers arrive for a three-game set on June 24.
