Article: Kinsler wants to start at the top

Only 10 days have passed since the Texas Rangers locked in Ian Kinsler as their second baseman for at least the next five years.

If the first two games of the spring are any indication, the club has another role for him to fill: full-time leadoff man.

Kinsler, who played for the Missouri Tigers in 2003, was a regular atop the lineup against left-handed pitchers late last season, and that's where he was in the spring opener Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals.

But he batted first yesterday against Los Angeles Angels righty Ervin Santana, and Manager Ron Washington said he will consider using him as the club's full-time leadoff man.

That's where Kinsler, with a new five-year, $22 million ...