Gene Kingsale

Eugene Humphrey Kingsale (born August 20, 1976) is a Dutch-Aruban former Major League Baseball player with the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, and Detroit Tigers from 1996 until 2003. At 6 feet, 3 inches, Kingsale was known as a slick fielding, speedy switch-hitter.

Gene Kingsale
Kingsale with Neptunus in 2009
Outfielder
Born: (1976-08-20) August 20, 1976 (age 48) Solito, Aruba
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 3, 1996, for the Baltimore Orioles
Last MLB appearance
June 8, 2003, for the Detroit Tigers
MLB statistics
Batting average	.251
Home runs	3
Runs batted in	53
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
Baltimore Orioles (1996, 1998–2001) Seattle Mariners (2001–2002) San Diego Padres (2002) Detroit Tigers (2003)
Medals Men's Baseball Representing  Netherlands Intercontinental Cup 2010 Taichung National team 2006 Taiwan National team European Baseball Championship 2010 Germany National team

In 2003, he was decorated as a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau, along with fellow Aruban former Orioles players Sidney Ponson and Calvin Maduro.^[1][2]

Following his time in professional baseball in the United States, Kingsale played extensively for the Netherlands national team in international competitions, including the Baseball World Cup, the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, and World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournaments in 2006 and 2009. He played for perennial champions Neptunus in the Dutch Hoofdklasse from 2008 to 2011.^[3]

Kingsale has most recently participated in professional baseball on the coaching side, serving as hitting coach for the Texas Rangers' Dominican Summer League (DSL) team in 2024^[4] and as first base coach for the Netherlands' 2023 WBC team.^[5]

Major League Baseball

Kingsale was signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent on June 19, 1993. He made his MLB debut with the Orioles on September 3, 1996.

On July 10, 2001, he was selected off waivers by the Seattle Mariners. On June 14, 2002, he was selected off waivers by the San Diego Padres.

On November 15, 2002, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers for Mike Rivera and became the Tigers' opening day center fielder. On September 29, 2003, he was granted free agency and signed with the Padres on November 9 of that year.

In 2005, he played for the Double-A Bowie Baysox and Triple-A Ottawa Lynx in the Orioles' farm system.

Career statistics

During Kingsale's seven major league seasons, he played in 211 games with 533 career at bats. He scored 65 runs, had 134 hits with three home runs and 53 RBI. He had a career .251 batting average and had 15 stolen bases. Kingsale hit a single off Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez on September 27, 1999.

International career

In the qualifying round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic, Kingsale drove in the tying run and scored the winning run in the 11th inning to lead the Netherlands to a 2–1 win over the Dominican Republic.

Kingsale was the first base coach for the Netherlands in the 2023 WBC, as the team went 2–2 and did not advance out of Pool A.^[6] The team's performance did earn it automatic qualification for the 2026 tournament.