FORT WORTH, Texas — Ian Kinsler figured his playing career was pretty much over. And while he was not happy that an injury forced him out of the game, he was at peace with the decision when he retired.
The former second baseman for the Texas Rangers aimed to retire at the end of the 2020 season with the San Diego Padres, but a neck injury, and COVID-19, destroyed those plans.
But that neck injury, and COVID-19, helped the 39-year-old Kinsler land a spot in the Olympics.
Kinsler's father is Jewish, which made him eligible to represent Israel.
"To be honest my only real awareness about the Israeli national baseball team was that it played in the World Baseball Classic. That's where it was brought to my attention," Kinsler said during a phone interview. "I never really thought about playing for them because baseball has been such an on again, off again sport in the Olympics and there had been such a long absence.
"The only time I thought it would be a possibility was when the GM of the team called me and asked."
Kinsler walked in behind the Israeli flag during the opening ceremony in Tokyo. He is a member of Israel's first national Olympic team since 1976.
After not being a part of the Olympics since 2008, baseball made its return as an Olympic sport. As such, Kinsler's playing career wound up being extended for a few more games to play for a nation where the sport is in its infancy.
"There are about 1,000 kids in Israel playing baseball and softball," Team Israel's executive director Lou Rosenberg said. "The sport is growing there."
These things take time.
A long time.
There are really no baseball fields per se in Israel.
Rosenberg's group is trying to raise money not only to cover the costs of the Olympic team, but to complete baseball projects back in Israel through the Jewish National Fund-USA. Projects like a real field.
After Kinsler retired and accepted a job to work in the Padres' front office, he was asked to join the Israeli national baseball team for a shot at the Olympics.
Without the injury, and then COVID-19 delaying the Olympics by a year, Kinsler would not have been a part of the team.
Early in 2020, Kinsler was in Israel to help conduct some camps for kids while he completed his citizenship process to make him eligible for the Olympics.
"It's all pretty brand new there. The only field they have is in the Baptist Village. They rent it out and allow them to play on the field just outside of Tel Aviv," Kinsler said. "They are in the process of building a new field. The field they have doesn't have an outfield fence. The batting cage really isn't in great shape."
While he was there, something else wasn't in great shape.
As he stood on a field working with kids, he was notified he had to leave. The country.
Israel was in the process of issuing strict COVID-19 protocols, and Kinsler and his wife were told they had to leave or they were going to have to stay for what would have been a long, long time.
"We beat it by three hours," Kinsler said. "We were on one of the last flights out of Tel Aviv."
Kinsler was eventually able to work out again with his new teammates, which included former big leaguer Danny Valencia and a roster of guys who played in college and the minors.
They worked out together a few months ago in Phoenix, and played some games against unaffiliated minor league teams.
"We have a 50 percent chance to medal," Rosenberg said before the games. "We have talked about that at our training camp. Can you imagine if we can medal and create an Olympic moment for Israel that is not 1972?"
Rosenberg is referring to the lowest point of the modern Olympics, when a Palestinian terrorist group killed 11 members of the Israeli Olympic delegation at the '72 games in Munich.
Israel did not medal in baseball, but the national team was able to achieve a milestone — its first Olympic victory when Israel defeated Mexico, 12-5, in pool play.
It was the highlight of the team, but it wasn't the only top moment. In another game, Kinsler hit a two-run homer against South Korea. It was the first home run hit by a player playing for Israel.
To be sure, Kinsler was not expecting a medal — just the chance to play a competitive baseball game again that would allow him to retire on his terms.
Ian Kinsler played in the World Series, the MLB All-Star Game, and the Olympics, too.
Not a bad way to go out.
