Ian Kinsler, John Blake Selected to Rangers Hall of Fame

Ian Kinsler, one of the club's best postseason performers, and media relations stalwart John Blake will be the next members of the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame.

Chris Halicke | May 11, 2022

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Former Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler and current executive vice president of public affairs John Blake have been selected as the 25th and 26th members of the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame.

The club officially announced the 2022 Hall of Fame class Wednesday afternoon. Kinsler and Blake will be inducted during a pre-game ceremony on Aug. 13 prior to their 6:15 p.m. game against the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.

Kinsler played with the Rangers from 2006-2013 and was a key member of the teams that won back-to-back American League pennants in 2010-2011. He holds multiple offensive records for a Rangers’ second baseman and batted .273 with 156 home runs and 539 RBI over 1,066 games with Texas.

Jul 3, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler (5) hits a home run in the fifth inning of the game against the Seattle Mariners at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Oct 23, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler throws to first base in the sixth inning of game four of the 2011 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Rangers Ballpark.

He was also a huge postseason performer for the Rangers, setting career team records with a .311 batting average and .422 on-base percentage in 34 games. Kinsler was a three-time All-Star as a Ranger and was the team’s Rookie of the Year in 2006.

Kinsler is just one of just 13 players and two second basemen in Major League history with 30 homers and 30 steals each in multiple seasons, accomplishing that feat in both 2009 and 2011. Kinsler has the only six-hit cycle in a nine-inning game since 1900, tying overall team records for hits (6) and runs (5) on April 15, 2009 against the Baltimore Orioles.

Kinsler was traded for Prince Fielder after the 2013 season, and played for the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres over the rest of his Major League career. He finished with a .269 average, 257 homers, 909 RBI and 243 stolen bases in 1,888 games. Kinsler also played for Israel in the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing last year, and currently works in a player development role for San Diego.

Blake has spent 34 of his 44 years in professional baseball with the Rangers, originally joining the club as director of media relations on November 1, 1984. He also served as vice president of public relations and senior vice president of communications over two decades in his first stint with the organization that extended through the 2004 season.

March 14, 2021; Surprise, AZ, USA; John Blake addresses players and media during the unveiling of Charley Pride Field at the Texas Rangers spring training facility.

Oct 15, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler (right) dumps ginger ale on the head of shortstop Elvis Andrus (left) after defeating the Detroit Tigers 15-5 in game six of the 2011 ALCS at Rangers Ballpark.

After spending three seasons as vice president of media relations for the Boston Red Sox, Blake returned to the Rangers as executive vice president of communications on November 1, 2008 and transitioned into his current role this past January.

Blake has been the principal team spokesman for nearly three-and-a-half decades, and has been instrumental in a multitude of departments, including media and public relations, broadcasting, community and player relations, marketing, social media, alumni initiatives, photography, archives and publications. He was responsible for the communications efforts during both the construction and opening of two different ballparks (The Ballpark in Arlington and Globe Life Field).

Blake joins Rangers Hall of Fame broadcaster Eric Nadel as the only team employees to work all 52 of Texas’ postseason games. Blake was the 1993 recipient of MLB’s Robert O. Fishel Award for public relations excellence and received the 2004 Harold McKinney Good Guy Award from the Dallas-Fort Worth BBWAA Chapter.

Published May 11, 2022

CHRIS HALICKE