To say Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler harbors some ill will toward his former team would be an understatement.
Kinsler, who was traded from the Texas Rangers for Prince Fielder in an offseason blockbuster, told ESPN The Magazine that he’d be happy to see the Rangers go winless this season.
“To be honest with you, I hope they go 0-162,” he said. “I got friends, and I love my friends, but I hope they lose their [expletive].”
Kinsler spent his first eight seasons with the Rangers, but his final two years in Texas were marred by infighting, questionable front-office decisions and postseason disappointment.
The 30-year-old made a point to call out Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, whom he blames for pushing out team CEO — and Rangers legend — Nolan Ryan.
“Daniels is a sleazeball,” Kinsler said. “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.”
Daniels declined to respond to Kinsler’s comments when speaking with reporters Tuesday at Rangers spring training.
“It’s not worth defending,” Daniels said, via ESPN.com. “I’m really proud of the group we’ve got here, the decisions we’ve made, the people we have in place and what we’re building. Based on how he feels, the trade is probably a good thing for all parties involved.”
Kinsler hit .277 with 13 home runs and 72 RBIs in 136 games last season. His first trip back to Arlington will come in late June, when the Tigers visit the Rangers for a three-game set.
Update: Kinsler clarified his comments when speaking with Tom Gage of the Detroit News on Tuesday, saying they were taken “a little out of context.”
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