Ian Kinsler has a lot of friends in his former teammates on the Texas Rangers, but the new Detroit Tigers second baseman won't be rooting for them to have any success this season, especially not under general manager Jon Daniels.
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"I hope they go 0-162," Kinsler told ESPN The Magazine last month, in a story published this week. "I got friends, and I love my friends, but I hope they lose their [expletive]."
According to ESPN, many Texas Rangers players declined to comment on the magazine article and manager Ron Washington was mum on the topic while some did speak up.
"I don't think he's going to get what he wants," pitcher Tanner Scheppers said, according to ESPN. "I have all the respect in the world for Ian. He's taught me a lot, but he's now with the Detroit Tigers. I wish him luck and I wish luck for everybody. I think we'll do our talking on the field. We'll see what happens between the lines."
Kinsler vented his frustrations with his former club in the magazine article, including Daniels, who he called a "sleazeball" and blamed for Nolan Ryan's departure from the club thanks to his ego.
"It's not worth defending," Daniels said via ESPN. "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. It's a fresh start for him and a fresh start for Prince [Fielder] and us and Detroit, so we'll move on.
Daniels added: "Name calling and stuff like that, what are you going to do about that? Just take it in stride and move on."
Kinsler was reportedly frustrated with the team asking him to shift from second base to first base in 2013 to make room for prospect Jurickson Profar, something he never ended up doing due to his resistance. He was also frustrated with the team placing him in a leadership role when Michael Young departed.
Kinsler was also displeased with the way he found out about his trade to the Tigers. The news leaked when Daniels was on an airplane and he left a voicemail for Kinsler after he found out the story had gotten out. Daniels wasn't able to reach Kinsler, ESPN reports, and Kinsler was frustrated with the way it was handled.
Rangers pitcher Matt Harrison understood Kinsler's competitive drive.
"He's on a different team now. He's on a team we're trying to beat," Harrison said per ESPN. "I don't want them beating us and going to the playoffs and I'm sure he was trying to say the same thing. No matter how good a friend you are, once you step in between the lines, all that goes away. I'm trying to get you out, no matter who you are. He's going to try to hit home runs off us just as much as anybody would. If you step on the mound, you're going to try to get your mom out. It doesn't matter who's in there."
Kinsler hit .277 through 136 games with 13 homers and 72 RBIs for the Rangers last year, and now he'll look to help the Tigers to their fourth straight AL Central crown.
He'll do so while hoping the Rangers go 0-162.
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