The All-Star game has always been one of my favorite parts of the season. Actually the pre-game festivities really more than anything else. I never, ever miss the pregame introductions. Seeing all the great players together on one field is really what makes this game matter, not the home-field advantage that is attached to the outcome.
Don't misunderstand, when the 2002 game was called a tie, I felt robbed. I had invested something like five hours into watching that game, just to have all the drama of an extra-inning affair with no available reserves jerked out from under me. So anything that prevents another travesty like that one from recurring is surely welcomed. That being said, the game itself has always kind of been secondary.
The 1999 game in Boston still holds the highest place in my heart. Several sites since have tried to create the magic that happened before the that game, but have fallen well short. I don't know the back-story, nor do I need to know it. All I know is that watching all those incredible players huddling around Ted Williams, just trying to get a chance to talk to him or shake his hand was amazing.
That scene allowed us, the fans, to see the other side of our favorite players. It was so cool to see guys like Mark McGwire, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Jeff Bagwell showing so much respect and adoration for a player of Williams' stature.
I have written that the fans should not be allowed to vote, that the players and coaches should be selecting the All-Star teams, perhaps I was wrong. This game is about the fans. It's about the players past and present being fans themselves. It's about feel-good stories like Brandon Inge and Josh Hamilton. It's about recognizing the greatness of Derek Jeter and Roy Halladay. And it's also about shining a light on unfamiliar names like Nelson Cruz and Aaron Hill.
Watching the interview with Hamilton last night, who had been my poster boy for taking the fan vote away, clued me in maybe more than anything else. Hamilton's numbers this year certainly don't make any kind of a case fore his inclusion on this year's team.
He has missed significant time, and not played all that well when he was on the field, but after listening to Hamilton I realized that I wanted to see him play. I recall his performance last year, I know his story. If this guy isn't an All-Star, I don't know who is.
The All-Star game is about seeing all the great players at once, on the same field. Their greatness can be defined in many different ways. You can have players having breakout years whose numbers put them in the game more than their name. You can have players whose name puts them in the game, because even if they are having down years, they are the stars that drive the sport.
You can even have players who are past their prime, who are included simply to recognize the great careers they have amassed. All of that is okay. In fact that is exactly why the game is important, much more so than deciding home-field for the World Series.
For a few nights in the middle of the season, you can put away the standings, you can stop fretting over your under-performing right fielder, you can stop worrying about which name might next be revealed as a steroid user. For a few nights you can enjoy the greatness of the players on those rosters and remember that this is a game, in its purest form, with its greatest players all on one field.
Showing posts with label Brandon Inge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brandon Inge. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
I Don't Know, I Don't Get It
There was a reason Fernando Rodney began to warm up in the eighth inning of last night's 5-1 win over Cleveland. Joel Zumaya had just left the game with a cut on his thumb, and Bobby Seay couldn't find the strike zone upon his arrival to the mound. Brandon Lyon had already been throwing and appeared ready to go when Rodney began lightly throwing.
Seay managed to get out of the inning with the lead intact at 3-1, so Lyon, again, who was already warm, and Rodney remained in the 'pen. Country Strong Marcus Thames extended the lead to four in the bottom of the inning with a two-run bomb. At this point the strategy is simple; sit Rodney down and bring in Lyon for the ninth.
That's not what Jim Leyland did. Rodney continued to warm while Lyon took a seat.
Enter Rodney for the ninth, with a four run lead, in a non-save situation, and hang on tightly.
Trouble began immediately when Brandon Inge, all-star, bounced a throw to first that Miguel Cabrera failed to scoop. Rodney then walked the next hitter on four pitches. Eventually Cleveland loaded the bases to bring the tying run to the plate, which of course had to be Grady Sizemore, probably the only hitter in Cleveland's lineup who absolutely terrifies you in that situation.
Rodney managed to retire Sizemore and the game ended, no harm, no foul, right? Right? Wrong!!!
Look, we have all seen this movie 1000 times. Every non-save that Rodney pitches in works this way. Why, why, why does Jim Leyland continue to do this to us?
Two things here, Rodney did not need work. He had pitched in three straight games prior to yesterday's off day, so he could have used another day off. Secondly, again, Lyon had already warmed up and was ready to go. The second that ball left Thames' bat, Gene Lamont should have been on the phone to Jeff Jones telling him to sit Rodney down and get Lyon back up.
Now you have a rested Lyon for tomorrow, but Rodney threw a ton of pitches (28 to be exact) and has pitched in four straight games with two more coming before the break. When you factor in the injury to Zumaya, it's possible he could miss the next couple games, so you'd be looking at having to use Lyon to close in one of the next two games.
All of this could have been avoided if Leyland had the foresight to keep his closer in the bullpen when the game was not on the line in the ninth. That is exactly where he should have been to a)prevent a near heart attack from Tiger fans, and b) make sure he could pitch the final two games if needed.
Leyland did what Leyland does and Rodney did what Rodney does. Why do we expect differing results?
Seay managed to get out of the inning with the lead intact at 3-1, so Lyon, again, who was already warm, and Rodney remained in the 'pen. Country Strong Marcus Thames extended the lead to four in the bottom of the inning with a two-run bomb. At this point the strategy is simple; sit Rodney down and bring in Lyon for the ninth.
That's not what Jim Leyland did. Rodney continued to warm while Lyon took a seat.
Enter Rodney for the ninth, with a four run lead, in a non-save situation, and hang on tightly.
Trouble began immediately when Brandon Inge, all-star, bounced a throw to first that Miguel Cabrera failed to scoop. Rodney then walked the next hitter on four pitches. Eventually Cleveland loaded the bases to bring the tying run to the plate, which of course had to be Grady Sizemore, probably the only hitter in Cleveland's lineup who absolutely terrifies you in that situation.
Rodney managed to retire Sizemore and the game ended, no harm, no foul, right? Right? Wrong!!!
Look, we have all seen this movie 1000 times. Every non-save that Rodney pitches in works this way. Why, why, why does Jim Leyland continue to do this to us?
Two things here, Rodney did not need work. He had pitched in three straight games prior to yesterday's off day, so he could have used another day off. Secondly, again, Lyon had already warmed up and was ready to go. The second that ball left Thames' bat, Gene Lamont should have been on the phone to Jeff Jones telling him to sit Rodney down and get Lyon back up.
Now you have a rested Lyon for tomorrow, but Rodney threw a ton of pitches (28 to be exact) and has pitched in four straight games with two more coming before the break. When you factor in the injury to Zumaya, it's possible he could miss the next couple games, so you'd be looking at having to use Lyon to close in one of the next two games.
All of this could have been avoided if Leyland had the foresight to keep his closer in the bullpen when the game was not on the line in the ninth. That is exactly where he should have been to a)prevent a near heart attack from Tiger fans, and b) make sure he could pitch the final two games if needed.
Leyland did what Leyland does and Rodney did what Rodney does. Why do we expect differing results?
Friday, July 10, 2009
Inge Going to St. Louis
MLB announced yesterday that Brandon Inge of the Tigers and Shane Victorino of the Phillies were the winners of the All-Star game final vote and will be added to the rosters.
Inge will join Curtis Granderson, Justin Verlander, and Edwin Jackson in representing Detroit in this year's game. It will be the first selection for Inge, Granderson, and Jackson. Verlander is making his second appearance.
The final vote began Sunday afternoon and ended Thursday at 4pm. During that span, Inge amassed over 11 million votes, edging out the Rangers' Ian Kinsler. Inge's total set a new record for most votes received by an AL player. Victorino got over 15 million votes to set an overall record as well.
The outpouring of public support for Inge was amazing. I have to wonder if any other Tiger would have received the same type of support. I'd like to say yes, but would everyone have pushed as hard as they did if it were say, Gerald Laird or Placido Polanco that were on the final ballot? Or even Miguel Cabrera?
Inge's place in the hearts of Tiger fans is one that no other player has. No current Tiger has been here longer. He was there in 2003, as a light hitting catcher for the worst team in AL history. He lost his job when Pudge Rodriguez came aboard and learned to play all over the field to stay in the big leagues.
After becoming a mainstay at third base for a couple years, his poor hitting combined with the trade for Cabrera cost him yet another everyday job, and before last year ended, he was back behind the plate.
The offensive prowess he has shown this year has been the biggest surprise of this season for Detroit, and maybe in all of baseball. His flashy defense keeps him on the national highlight reels nearly every night, and has helped vault these Tigers to first place.
It's just kind of funny, with all the effort that seemingly everyone put into getting Inge to the All-Star game, I guess it sorta feels like we're all going. That "we" won this thing. I've never seen anything like this before.
All the bloggers pushing every reader to vote, the Tigers throwing in the contest with the on-field experience and making the deal with the Phillies to market Inge and Victorino together. All the tales of people voting 500-600 times each, effectively crashing MLB.com. It really is overwhelming.
It was a total group effort from the team to the fans to put Inge on that plane to St. Louis. The Little Inge that Could, did. Our Special Little Guy is an All-Star. We did that for him. After all he has given to us over the course of his career, it was the least we could do. I've never been more proud to be a Tigers fan.
Inge will join Curtis Granderson, Justin Verlander, and Edwin Jackson in representing Detroit in this year's game. It will be the first selection for Inge, Granderson, and Jackson. Verlander is making his second appearance.
The final vote began Sunday afternoon and ended Thursday at 4pm. During that span, Inge amassed over 11 million votes, edging out the Rangers' Ian Kinsler. Inge's total set a new record for most votes received by an AL player. Victorino got over 15 million votes to set an overall record as well.
The outpouring of public support for Inge was amazing. I have to wonder if any other Tiger would have received the same type of support. I'd like to say yes, but would everyone have pushed as hard as they did if it were say, Gerald Laird or Placido Polanco that were on the final ballot? Or even Miguel Cabrera?
Inge's place in the hearts of Tiger fans is one that no other player has. No current Tiger has been here longer. He was there in 2003, as a light hitting catcher for the worst team in AL history. He lost his job when Pudge Rodriguez came aboard and learned to play all over the field to stay in the big leagues.
After becoming a mainstay at third base for a couple years, his poor hitting combined with the trade for Cabrera cost him yet another everyday job, and before last year ended, he was back behind the plate.
The offensive prowess he has shown this year has been the biggest surprise of this season for Detroit, and maybe in all of baseball. His flashy defense keeps him on the national highlight reels nearly every night, and has helped vault these Tigers to first place.
It's just kind of funny, with all the effort that seemingly everyone put into getting Inge to the All-Star game, I guess it sorta feels like we're all going. That "we" won this thing. I've never seen anything like this before.
All the bloggers pushing every reader to vote, the Tigers throwing in the contest with the on-field experience and making the deal with the Phillies to market Inge and Victorino together. All the tales of people voting 500-600 times each, effectively crashing MLB.com. It really is overwhelming.
It was a total group effort from the team to the fans to put Inge on that plane to St. Louis. The Little Inge that Could, did. Our Special Little Guy is an All-Star. We did that for him. After all he has given to us over the course of his career, it was the least we could do. I've never been more proud to be a Tigers fan.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Our Special Little Guy Needs Your Help!
(image provided by Erin (aka SabreRoseTiger) of Tigers Amateur Analysis ) The Tigers are sending three players to next week's All-Star game in St. Louis, but you still have time to send along another one.
While no Tiger was voted into the starting lineup this year, center fielder Curtis Granderson was selected as a reserve outfielder for the American League squad, joining pitchers Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson.
But there is still time to make sure that the Tigers resurgent third baseman, Brandon Inge catches that flight to St. Louis.
Inge is competing with four other players in an online vote to earn his place among the AL's elite. Voting ends Thursday at 4pm Eastern, so vote as many times as you can to get our Special Little Guy to the All-Star game.
Simply click on the giant VOTE FOR INGE button at the top of this page and you will whisked away to an online voting form. Again, there is no limit to how often you can vote, so stop working right now and help out.
As of last night, Inge was still neck and neck with Texas' Ian Kinsler for the honor, but Inge is the far superior candidate. His 19 home runs and 54 RBI lead the team, and he leads the league in "web gems" as well.
Do you civic duty! Always Vote "D", Always Vote Inge!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Inge is an All-Star On and Off the Field
I'm a little late with this post, but I felt it was worth writing about. It has been documented by several other outlets, but I wanted to add my thoughts, and since I have a blog, I decided to do so.
If you happened to be watching the telecast of the Tigers/Cubs game Tuesday night, either on WGN or FSN Detroit, you probably saw that Brandon Inge was sporting a new tattoo on his right forearm.
That was no tattoo.
It was an autograph signed by Tommy Schomaker, an eight-year-old boy, who is recovering from heart-transplant surgery at Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Inge, who regularly visits and donates to the hospital, had made a trip there a few weeks ago, and Tommy was excited about the possibility of meeting him. Tommy has battled heart conditions since birth, but doctors were able to find a new heart for him. He was rushed into surgery just about the time Inge was making his visit. Tommy was unable to meet with Inge at that time.
Upon hearing of Tommy's disappointment, Inge made a return trip to the hospital, just to meet Tommy. He spent time in Tommy's room, signing several autographs and talking with the young boy. Then Inge asked if he could have an autograph of his own. He had Tommy sign his name on Inge's arm, in a spot that he wore no arm bands, so it could be seen on television.
In the game that night, Inge hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning. Although he didn't promise a home run to Tommy, the air-time that autograph got brought joy to Tommy and his family.
In July of last year, my wife and I were told that our son, Leyton, would be born with gastroschisis, a condition that affects the closing of the abdominal wall. He would face surgery shortly after he was born. Leyton was born on October 9, and was taken by ambulance to Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
Leyton had surgery one week later, and spent a total of 24 days in the hospital. I know first-hand how much the people at Children's Hospitals all over mean to the patients and the families they care for. Leyton is now eight months old and his condition has been corrected. He should face no more difficulties than any other child going forward. The wonderful staff at Children's made that possible.
Many athletes, like Inge, donate their time and money to good causes. Like Inge, most do so behind the scenes. In a time when we spend so much energy discussion the evils of professional athletes, it's good to recognize those who give back.
Tommy Schomaker is progressing well in his recovery. His surgery was made possible in part due to monetary donations from large companies and extraordinary people like Inge. He will continue his progress with a big smile on his face, and that is largely because Brandon Inge donated his time.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Weekend Roundup: Tigers Lead in Central Growing
Thanks to another outstanding pitching performance from Justin Verlander and a long home run from Brandon Inge, the Detroit Tigers completed a three game sweep of the formerly hot Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday to kick off their current six game home stand, and knock the Brewers off the top of the NL Central standings.
Verlander, facing the Brewers for the first time since his 2007 no-hitter, fanned eight over 7.2 innings to collect his eighth victory of the season, matching rookie Rick Porcello for the team lead. Verlander allowed two solo homers to account for all of Milwaukee's offense in the 3-2 win, the fourth straight for Detroit.
With Detroit trailing 1-0 in the sixth, Inge came to the plate with two on and two out. He took a Yovanni Gallardo offering and hammered it over the bullpen into the left field seats to give the Tigers all the offense Verlander would need. It was Inge's 16th homer of the year and gave him the team lead with 47 RBI.
The Tigers have made a flurry of moves recently, both with the lineup and the roster. Struggling outfielder Magglio Ordonez has not played during the winning streak. Marcus Thames, who homered twice in Friday's win, has been installed as the new cleanup hitter, and manager Jim Leyland received a contract extension. Right hander Alfredo Figaro made his major league debut and beat the Brewers on Saturday. After Sunday's game, reliever Ryan Perry was optioned to AAA Toledo. Catcher Dane Sardinha was designated for assignment.
The Tigers lead in the AL Central now stands at four games over Minnesota, who lost two of three to Houston over the weekend. With the Royals and Indians both suffering sweeps of their own, only the White Sox were able to win their weekend series and keep pace with Detroit.
Twins/Astros
Minnesota entered the weekend trailing the Tigers by just two games, but were unable to capitalize on the major's best home field advantage. After taking the opener on Friday, the Twins dropped the next two to Houston to fall four games off the division lead. Wandy Rodriguez held the Twins to just two hits over seven innings in Sunday's rubber match, a 5-1 win for the Astros. Micheal Cuddyer accounted for all of Minnesota's offense, with a solo homer in the second.
White Sox/Reds
After dropping Friday's opener in Cincinnati, Chicago stormed back and won the series with the Reds, capped by a 4-1 win on Sunday. Mark Buerhle was stellar once again as he held the Reds scoreless over seven innings to improve to 7-2 on the season. Bobby Jenks pitched a perfect ninth for his second save in as many nights and 17th on the season. Winners of two straight, Chicago now sits five games back of Detroit.
Royals/Cardinals
St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa won his 2500th game as the Cardinals completed a three game road sweep of the Royals, outscoring Kansas City 29-11 in the process. Albert Pujols did what Albert Pujols does and homered twice in Sunday's finale, giving him three for the series (along with 10 RBI), and a major league leading 26 home runs for the season. The sweep dropped Kansas City to 8.5 games out of first in the AL Central.
Indians/Cubs
Cleveland started play on Wednesday just six games out of the division lead. They ended the day Sunday a full 10 games off the pace. After getting swept at home by Milwaukee last week, the Tribe traveled to Chicago to take on the Cubs, and promptly got swept again. Cleveland watched their hapless bullpen hand over big leads both Friday and Saturday in dropping the first two games of the set with the Cubs. Sunday however, the Cubs raced out to a 6-0 lead off starter Jeremy Sowers and held off Cleveland for the 6-2 win. Sowers was knocked around for six runs on seven hits and four walks over just 4.1 innings for the Indians.
Verlander, facing the Brewers for the first time since his 2007 no-hitter, fanned eight over 7.2 innings to collect his eighth victory of the season, matching rookie Rick Porcello for the team lead. Verlander allowed two solo homers to account for all of Milwaukee's offense in the 3-2 win, the fourth straight for Detroit.
With Detroit trailing 1-0 in the sixth, Inge came to the plate with two on and two out. He took a Yovanni Gallardo offering and hammered it over the bullpen into the left field seats to give the Tigers all the offense Verlander would need. It was Inge's 16th homer of the year and gave him the team lead with 47 RBI.
The Tigers have made a flurry of moves recently, both with the lineup and the roster. Struggling outfielder Magglio Ordonez has not played during the winning streak. Marcus Thames, who homered twice in Friday's win, has been installed as the new cleanup hitter, and manager Jim Leyland received a contract extension. Right hander Alfredo Figaro made his major league debut and beat the Brewers on Saturday. After Sunday's game, reliever Ryan Perry was optioned to AAA Toledo. Catcher Dane Sardinha was designated for assignment.
The Tigers lead in the AL Central now stands at four games over Minnesota, who lost two of three to Houston over the weekend. With the Royals and Indians both suffering sweeps of their own, only the White Sox were able to win their weekend series and keep pace with Detroit.
Twins/Astros
Minnesota entered the weekend trailing the Tigers by just two games, but were unable to capitalize on the major's best home field advantage. After taking the opener on Friday, the Twins dropped the next two to Houston to fall four games off the division lead. Wandy Rodriguez held the Twins to just two hits over seven innings in Sunday's rubber match, a 5-1 win for the Astros. Micheal Cuddyer accounted for all of Minnesota's offense, with a solo homer in the second.
White Sox/Reds
After dropping Friday's opener in Cincinnati, Chicago stormed back and won the series with the Reds, capped by a 4-1 win on Sunday. Mark Buerhle was stellar once again as he held the Reds scoreless over seven innings to improve to 7-2 on the season. Bobby Jenks pitched a perfect ninth for his second save in as many nights and 17th on the season. Winners of two straight, Chicago now sits five games back of Detroit.
Royals/Cardinals
St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa won his 2500th game as the Cardinals completed a three game road sweep of the Royals, outscoring Kansas City 29-11 in the process. Albert Pujols did what Albert Pujols does and homered twice in Sunday's finale, giving him three for the series (along with 10 RBI), and a major league leading 26 home runs for the season. The sweep dropped Kansas City to 8.5 games out of first in the AL Central.
Indians/Cubs
Cleveland started play on Wednesday just six games out of the division lead. They ended the day Sunday a full 10 games off the pace. After getting swept at home by Milwaukee last week, the Tribe traveled to Chicago to take on the Cubs, and promptly got swept again. Cleveland watched their hapless bullpen hand over big leads both Friday and Saturday in dropping the first two games of the set with the Cubs. Sunday however, the Cubs raced out to a 6-0 lead off starter Jeremy Sowers and held off Cleveland for the 6-2 win. Sowers was knocked around for six runs on seven hits and four walks over just 4.1 innings for the Indians.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Brandon Inge Fullfilling All-Star Potential
Brandon Inge spent most of season last year changing positions and waiting for a trade. Following the blockbuster deal that brought Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit after the 2007 season, and the move to bring Edgar Renteria to Detroit, the 2008 Tigers infield was set. Carlos Guillen was shifting from shortstop to firstbase, Cabrera was to be the everyday third baseman. That left the slick-fielding Inge, who had been the team's third baseman, as a man without a position.
Inge, a converted catcher, had become the regular third baseman in 2005 and during the next three seasons, the Tigers watched his defense grow, and his offense become respectable. He had a banner season in 2006, when he hit 27 home runs, mainly from the ninth spot in the order. But his offense lagged in 2007, and the Tigers' brass felt an offensive upgrade was necessary headed into 2008. Speculation of a trade that would send him to a team where he could start ran rampant throughout the off-season and spring training, but nothing materialized, leaving an unhappy Inge back in the utility role he held in 2004.
2008 was a forgettable season in Motown, as the Tigers, picked by many as a team primed to win the world series, stumbled to an 0-7 start and never really contended in the Central, finishing dead last. A spring training injury to Curtis Granderson meant Inge would begin the season as the center fielder. But when Granderson returned to the lineup, Inge returned to the bench. With the Tigers' season slipping away, the team traded catcher Ivan Rodriguez to the Yankees at the deadline and installed Inge as the new starting catcher, a role he had held before Rodriguez had arrived in Detroit. Still, Inge yearned to play third, and as had been the case in his first stint as the Tigers' backstop, his offense struggled. Near the end of the season, manager Jim Leyland announced plans to change the look of the team for '09: In an effort to emphasize defense, Carlos Guillen would be moved to left field, and Brandon Inge would be going home to third base. Everyday. The only question was could Inge hit well enough to keep the position?
Inge, who was the Tigers' second round draft pick in 1998, came into 2009 like a man on a mission. Armed with the confidence of a full-time job and a new stance at the plate, his offensive numbers have surged this season. Through 40 games, he is carrying a .279 AVG, with a team high 12 HR and 31RBI to go along with a .965 OPS (baseball-reference). His defensive play has also been nothing short of spectacular. Inge leads the majors in the unofficial stat of "web gems", as tracked by ESPN.com. His play in the field has greatly contributed to the turn around of the Tigers' pitching staff, as he turns doubles in to outs on a seemingly nightly basis. He simply makes plays that no other third baseman can make. His range and athleticism allows him to get to balls that even the best at the position just cannot. His play at the dish has more than made up for the poor starts of would-be run producers Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen, and has helped vault the Motor City Kitties into first-place in the Central.
The American League has several worthy contenders for a spot as a third baseman on the All-Star team this season, and Rays' manager Joe Maddon will have a tough time picking his reserves. Evan Longoria leads the AL in RBI, Alex Rodriguez has returned from injury and should garner the votes needed to start the game, and Micheal Young is having another strong season in Texas. But in a season where the Tigers figure to have at least a few all-stars, Brandon Inge should not be overlooked. He won't get the fans' vote to start the game, but Maddon should make sure Inge makes the team. This is the season that he has finally put it all together. He changes games on defense, and this season, he changes games on offense as well.
Inge, a converted catcher, had become the regular third baseman in 2005 and during the next three seasons, the Tigers watched his defense grow, and his offense become respectable. He had a banner season in 2006, when he hit 27 home runs, mainly from the ninth spot in the order. But his offense lagged in 2007, and the Tigers' brass felt an offensive upgrade was necessary headed into 2008. Speculation of a trade that would send him to a team where he could start ran rampant throughout the off-season and spring training, but nothing materialized, leaving an unhappy Inge back in the utility role he held in 2004.
2008 was a forgettable season in Motown, as the Tigers, picked by many as a team primed to win the world series, stumbled to an 0-7 start and never really contended in the Central, finishing dead last. A spring training injury to Curtis Granderson meant Inge would begin the season as the center fielder. But when Granderson returned to the lineup, Inge returned to the bench. With the Tigers' season slipping away, the team traded catcher Ivan Rodriguez to the Yankees at the deadline and installed Inge as the new starting catcher, a role he had held before Rodriguez had arrived in Detroit. Still, Inge yearned to play third, and as had been the case in his first stint as the Tigers' backstop, his offense struggled. Near the end of the season, manager Jim Leyland announced plans to change the look of the team for '09: In an effort to emphasize defense, Carlos Guillen would be moved to left field, and Brandon Inge would be going home to third base. Everyday. The only question was could Inge hit well enough to keep the position?
Inge, who was the Tigers' second round draft pick in 1998, came into 2009 like a man on a mission. Armed with the confidence of a full-time job and a new stance at the plate, his offensive numbers have surged this season. Through 40 games, he is carrying a .279 AVG, with a team high 12 HR and 31RBI to go along with a .965 OPS (baseball-reference). His defensive play has also been nothing short of spectacular. Inge leads the majors in the unofficial stat of "web gems", as tracked by ESPN.com. His play in the field has greatly contributed to the turn around of the Tigers' pitching staff, as he turns doubles in to outs on a seemingly nightly basis. He simply makes plays that no other third baseman can make. His range and athleticism allows him to get to balls that even the best at the position just cannot. His play at the dish has more than made up for the poor starts of would-be run producers Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen, and has helped vault the Motor City Kitties into first-place in the Central.
The American League has several worthy contenders for a spot as a third baseman on the All-Star team this season, and Rays' manager Joe Maddon will have a tough time picking his reserves. Evan Longoria leads the AL in RBI, Alex Rodriguez has returned from injury and should garner the votes needed to start the game, and Micheal Young is having another strong season in Texas. But in a season where the Tigers figure to have at least a few all-stars, Brandon Inge should not be overlooked. He won't get the fans' vote to start the game, but Maddon should make sure Inge makes the team. This is the season that he has finally put it all together. He changes games on defense, and this season, he changes games on offense as well.
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