Brandon Inge Latest News Thread

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sat May 17, 2008 11:26 am

He's not in the minors!

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sat May 17, 2008 11:28 am

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sat May 17, 2008 11:28 am

Nevermind. That's not what I meant at all ashamed

You said a guy wears stirrups. I said that's awesome and I said I need a smiley that wouldn't be suitable for people under age 18 whistle

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Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sat May 17, 2008 11:30 am

ooooooooo

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sun May 18, 2008 11:48 am

I miss my man.

I think that leyland should so move b.inge back to 3rd put carlos at first, cabrera at DH and get sheff's ass outta there.

but that's just me.
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"You can give your all. That's all you can do. Play as hard as you can and represent the team in the best manner that you can. If you win, you win. If you don't, well, you can sleep well, because you left it all out there."

- Brandon♥Inge -

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sun May 18, 2008 12:29 pm

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sun May 18, 2008 2:01 pm

Please no Los at 1st, he sucks there and is sure to get injured. Miggy is better at 1st, (and I don't like Miggy) But Inge should be at third. DH Los and get rid of Sheff.

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sun May 18, 2008 2:05 pm

Yeah, what Gogetem said. I forgot about Los at first. He needs to coach or something.
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Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sun May 18, 2008 11:44 pm

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon May 19, 2008 5:27 am

Good thing too! Then we can put Clete or Matt Joyce in LF!

I say Clete!
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Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Wed May 28, 2008 8:37 am

I vote Inge as the most underrated player in the whole MLB!
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"Contrary to what everybody else thinks, I still think I can come back and help this team."

Todd Jones on shoulder injury.

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Wed May 28, 2008 8:39 am

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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Thu May 29, 2008 8:09 am

lol, just a random thought.
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"Contrary to what everybody else thinks, I still think I can come back and help this team."

Todd Jones on shoulder injury.

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:08 pm

06/20/2008 11:09 PM ET
Inge starting to feel improvement
Outfielder recovering from pulled left oblique muscle
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- Brandon Inge remained out of the Tigers lineup on Friday night for a fourth consecutive game, but his light hitting session before the game was an encouraging sign toward getting him back playing.

Inge swung at some soft-toss pitches in the batting cage at PETCO Park on Friday night and felt a lot of improvement in his pulled left oblique muscle. Considering that his swing was giving him the most trouble from a pain standpoint, the fact he was swinging well clears a major hurdle for him.

He's not swinging pain-free. Realistically, he'll probably be dealing with his oblique for at least the next few weeks. But the pain now is more manageable than it was two weeks ago, right after he injured himself on a checked swing at Seattle.

"It's something [athletic trainers] said would be a month-long process," said Inge, who had a cortisone shot last Sunday. "I'm just going to have to play with it and deal with it. But this type of pain that I have, it's probably half the pain that I had before. That's nothing compared to what I was playing through."

Manager Jim Leyland has remained cautious with Inge to avoid making the injury worse. He already has one player on the disabled list with Gary Sheffield, and he doesn't need his part-time catcher and superutility player on the DL as well.

Sheffield, meanwhile, had Friday off from his rehab stint at Class A Lakeland due to a family obligation. He went 0-for-2 with a run scored on Thursday, and he's 1-for-10 with five walks, five runs scored and a solo homer so far in his stint.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Tue Jul 08, 2008 3:26 am

Tigers' IF Brandon Inge to Continue Rehab Assignment in Toledo on Tuesday, July 8!
(July 6) MLB.com's Jason Beck reports that IF Brandon Inge will go on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo starting on Monday, as the Tigers' utilityman works his way back from a pulled left oblique muscle. He is expected to remain with the Hens until the All-Star break. For Mud Hens ticket information call 419-725-HENS or click here

Inge to begin rehab stint Monday

Utilityman likely won't be activated until after All-Star break

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

SEATTLE -- Brandon Inge will go on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo starting on Monday, as the Tigers' utilityman works his way back from a pulled left oblique muscle.

Inge, who went on the 15-day disabled list two weeks ago after trying to play through the injury for a few weeks, went through a full session of batting practice and infield practice before Saturday's game against the Mariners at Safeco Field. It's the same place where he first pulled his oblique little more than a month ago while taking batting practice and then checking his swing during a game.

Though he could play in the field with just minor trouble, swinging a bat became an increasing problem for him until the pain became excruciating. It was no problem on Saturday, when he took several big swings and was still pain-free.

"I didn't feel a thing," Inge said. "I let them go, too."

The progress was impressive enough that head athletic trainer Kevin Rand cleared Inge for game action.

Manager Jim Leyland said Sunday morning that he still expects that Inge will not be activated until after the All-Star break. At the very least, this assignment gives him plenty of at-bats before the break, when the Mud Hens are off for three days as well.

Another injured Tigers utilityman, Ramon Santiago, is on track to rejoin the Tigers when they resume play at home on Tuesday. Santiago is on the 15-day DL with a separated left shoulder but has spent the past week on a rehab assignment with Toledo. He entered play Sunday having gone 2-for-21 with a double and two runs scored in six games, but the key for the Tigers is simply health.

Santiago's return likely will have Michael Hollimon headed back to the Hens, Leyland said. Hollimon entered Sunday having gone 6-for-23 with two doubles, a triple and a home run in 10 games for the Tigers, but club officials want the young prospect to have everyday at-bats to continue to hone his game.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Tue Jul 08, 2008 5:41 pm

Inge gets two hits in Toledo
Eric Lacy The Detroit News

TOLEDO, Ohio -- Brandon Inge, wearing No. 29 for Triple-A Toledo, had his second straight successful rehab outing Tuesday night against Scranton-Wilkes Barre.

Inge, the Tigers utility man, played catcher for the first five innings and had two hits and an RBI.

Inge's performance came a day after he, as a designated hitter, hit a three-run homer in an 8-1 win over the Yankees.

Inge was placed on the disabled list June 23 with a pulled oblique muscle.

Inge's return to the Tigers is unclear. Toledo finishes its series with Scranton-Wilkes Barre Wednesday before it travels to Indianapolis on Thursday.
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Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sun Jul 20, 2008 7:48 pm

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:36 pm

Very true! I just wonder at these staffing decisions sometimes. Why Tigs management messes with a good thing is beyond me.
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:07 pm

Absolutely. Inge has to be our everyday man at 3rd!
I like Carlos very much but i think he could be traded for some pitching! Sorry win... i know he's your G! Sad

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Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:43 pm

Wish I had enough money to hire him.....no need to go back to

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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:34 pm

08/18/2008 9:25 PM ET
Leyland sees potential in Inge's bat
Skipper thinks catcher can improve hitting with new approach
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

ARLINGTON -- Brandon Inge battled questions about his hitting in his first stint as an everyday catcher years ago. His manager, in his second stint, sees potential for his hitting to take the next step.

The key for Inge, Jim Leyland said, is going to be in the approach that he takes at the plate. In that aspect, he sees progress behind the numbers.

That was one of the few positives that Leyland could take out of Sunday's 16-8 loss to the Orioles. Inge went 1-for-4 with a triple and a walk, but Leyland pointed to his focus on staying on the ball -- not just with the triple to the gap in right-center field in the eighth inning, but with a line drive out earlier in the game. If he can build on that approach, Leyland sees the chance to vastly improve his offensive numbers, from batting average to doubles to overall production.

"Does he have the potential to do much better? Absolutely," Leyland said Monday afternoon. "I think Brandon Inge has the potential to raise his average 50 points. I think Brandon Inge could be somewhere between .245 and .265, .270 with some power numbers, and I think that's pretty good. Just by doing that, that would make him a heckuva player."

Inge entered Monday's action batting .213 on the season with 10 home runs and 38 RBIs. Since the Ivan Rodriguez trade on July 30, he's batting .169 (10-for-59) with eight walks and 14 strikeouts in 17 games -- 14 of them behind the plate. Six of his hits have gone for extra bases, including two home runs to go with eight RBIs.

It's no secret that Inge has focused his offense on power. As Leyland put it, "I think Inge thinks homer all the time."

Leyland was cautious not to express it as a criticism.

"I don't mean that wrong," Leyland said. "He likes to turn on balls. He looks for pitches. He likes to hit the ball out of the ballpark. If he hit 25 home runs and hit .260, .270, he'd be a star. But if you're trying to hit home runs hitting .210, that doesn't work, for the most part."

He did that in 2006, when his .253 average came with 27 home runs and 83 RBIs. His average fell to .236 last season with 14 homers and 71 RBIs, and the trades for Edgar Renteria and Miguel Cabrera ended up leaving him with a utility role.

His stats this year, Leyland said, are a product of that.

"He should be hitting just the way he's hitting, the way he hits," Leyland said. "But when he stays on the ball better and works at it, yeah, he's got all kinds of talent. The ball jumps off his bat."

However, Leyland sees signs that Inge of getting off that pull-power approach with some encouragement from Tigers coaches. If he can carry that along, Leyland believes Inge's offense could be strong for his position.

"Brandon's a good enough athlete that he should be able to hit .260, .270 with some homers and production," Leyland said. "That would be awful good for a catcher. I'm actually giving him credit. I'm kind of excited a little bit about the way he's at least making an effort. I think sometimes he just goes up there and gets hung up in the at-bat and bails and wails, to be honest with you. But he's working at it, and we need him to work at it, because he needs to be a productive player for us next year.

"I'm not talking about huge numbers, but if he could knock in 75-80 runs, that would be pretty good."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:23 pm

08/21/2008 1:42 PM ET
On-the-job retraining: Inge catching on
Veteran realizes hitting also key to success on his part

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

When the Tigers traded Ivan Rodriguez at the end of last month, they defended it with the acceptance that Inge, not Pudge, was going to be Detroit's catcher in 2009. By trading Rodriguez instead of letting him walk as a free agent, the final two months of the season became a head start on the Inge plan, getting him acclimated back to catching every day. It also happened to come in the middle of a playoff chase.

How much of a chase it is at this point is debatable. The importance of an effective Inge behind the plate is not. It's a job he has held before, and it's a job that he knows what's required to do it well, especially when it involves replacing a future Hall of Famer.

And if it's a job that he's going to do well, it'll come down as much or more to how Detroit's pitching and defense perform with him behind the plate as how well he performs swinging the bat at the plate.

"I don't [give up on] anything until we're completely mathematically eliminated," Inge said this week, "so I'm not saying I'm giving up [on the season]. But I am saying this is a good time for me, like an extended Spring Training type of deal, where I can go out there and I'm concentrating. I'm making a conscious effort to better myself in this last part of the year so that I will be ready to go for next year."

Given how Inge's offense has come under question for most of his Major League career, the presumption would be that his hitting would be the key. To be sure, it's on his mind as he tries to make an improvement with help from hitting coach Lloyd McClendon, staying on pitches longer and looking for line drives instead of always swinging for power.

"We need him to work at it," Leyland said, "because he needs to be a productive player."

Still, Leyland has a sympathy for catchers and all their responsibilities, having played the position himself. And he appreciates all the work that Inge is putting into developing a rapport with pitchers again and getting the most out of them.

"I give him an A for effort right now," Leyland said. "He leads to [pitching coach] Chuck [Hernandez]. I think he's conscientious. I think he wants to do all the right things. I think that you have to go slow."

It's the game responsibilities of a catcher, after all, and the impact of a catcher on a pitcher's performance that helped Inge enjoy catching again as a backup early this season. Now the pitching staff is all his, and it's a staff that has had its struggles this year with and without him.

Inge never completely shed the catching mentality. He frequently talked as a third baseman about watching hitters' reactions to certain pitches and tracking how pitcher and catcher approached opponents. Most of that, he said, was to give himself an edge setting up at the hot corner. The rest was basically force of habit.

"Once you get out of the catching spot, you don't ever lose that," Inge said, "because you're just sitting there the whole time. You're just reading batters more than anything."

As a catcher again, Inge said, "It's more personal. You're in it. You're actually the guy doing it. You're not sitting back watching."

In many cases, he's sitting attentively -- reading and watching scouting reports on hitters, joining in on pitchers meetings with Hernandez and taking those duties to another level.

It has taken up a big portion of Inge's pregame work, aside from batting practice. It's the splitting of duties that once weighed him as a younger catcher and that he shed once he became a third baseman. Now, however, he seems to be relishing it.

"So far, it's been the majority of my focus," Inge said. "I'd say probably 70-75 percent of my focus has been to make sure the pitchers are doing what they want to do, they're comfortable, calling the game.

"Offense, I know it will come, but right now, I think getting back in this position and kind of feeling things out from a defensive standpoint is probably more important than getting my offense going. It will come around. It's just that it's going to be a process. It's getting better now."

The game-calling aspect starts with preparation. Beyond that, however, is Inge's ability to read and react to hitters behind the plate -- their obvious tendencies, any signs they give away on certain pitches, what their game plan is from one at-bat to the next.

The fact that he paid attention to those details as a third baseman is a big plus. The next step is to make decisions based off of those reads.

"Contrary to what people think, you go into the game having a game plan, but sometimes you have to make adjustments on the fly to see what a hitter's doing," Leyland said. "And I don't think it's fair to be asking him to do all those things just yet. But there's no question, he gets an A for effort. He's working with Chuck, trying to learn the pitchers, and I give him a whole lot of credit. And I think by the start of next season, he'll be fine."

The other key that Leyland will be looking for is how Inge handles the mental grind for an entire game, one day to the next, pitch after sometimes excruciating pitch to execute the plan and set up hitters and still be able to react defensively and produce offensively.

That kind of endurance is one area where Leyland sees room for improvement.

"He's going to throw good. He's going to catch good. He's quick back there," Leyland said. "I think the No. 1 thing he has to do is be able to retain his concentration pitch to pitch. If he does that, I think he'll be fine. He's got good quickness with a great arm."

For what it's worth, opponents have batted .274 off Tigers pitching with Inge behind the plate this season compared with .263 with Rodriguez, according to research on baseball-reference.com. That includes Inge's games as a backup. Detroit's pitching stats have faded since the All-Star break while Pudge was still a Tiger and have continued since. For all the preparation, the catcher can't control how a pitch is executed in the end.

Once the fundamentals are down, the scouting work will pick up going into next year. Leyland is already brainstorming a plan to spend part of Spring Training doing scouting sessions with Inge to learn hitters around the American League Central, one team at a time, and how to approach them.

By then, the Tigers think that Inge will be a veteran catcher again. After all, he was the Tigers' regular backstop from 2001 through most of 2003 before Rodriguez arrived, and it's hard to call a 31-year-old a youngster at any position. If all goes well, it won't be an issue.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sat Sep 06, 2008 5:38 am

Holy

! I knew Inge was a bad hitter, but...

4/30 - 9/5: 71 games - .199 AVG - .294 OBP - .370 SLG

Only 43 hits in 216 AB! Double Puke

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Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sat Sep 06, 2008 12:04 pm

And he isn't even a good catcher! He has lots of passed balls lately!

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sun Sep 07, 2008 10:16 am

Further analysis...

Inge is hitting .371 (13/35) against Cleveland, the most hits he has against one team. He's only hitting .168 (49/291) against everyone else. Double Puke

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Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sat Sep 13, 2008 1:55 pm

09/13/2008 6:00 PM ET
Inge may miss Sunday twin bill
Catcher to attend funeral, expected to rejoin Tigers in Texas
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

CHICAGO -- Brandon Inge has more uncertainty in his schedule than just the Tigers' series against the White Sox.

Inge is mourning the loss of his grandfather, Sam Inge, who passed away on Thursday. Services are scheduled for Sunday in Lynchburg, Va., and Inge is trying to get himself and his family there. The shifting of the Tigers' series this weekend and the flooding rains that have fallen in Chicago, causing the rainouts, have put that up in the air.

Sam Inge was the "main man" in the Inge family, Brandon said, and was a big-time sports fan. He encouraged Inge's father to play the game, and later attended Brandon's games growing up.

"He was big on my baseball influence," Brandon said.

Before Saturday's doubleheader was postponed, Brandon said that he would try to fly out with his wife and two children on Sunday morning and rejoin the team Monday or Tuesday in Texas. With Dusty Ryan and Dane Sardinha both on the expanded September roster, the Tigers have enough catchers to get through a doubleheader.

Heavy rains in the area have had an impact on travel. At one point on Saturday, O'Hare International Airport was inaccessible by car or train from the city because of road flooding. Flight delays were averaging an hour and a half or more, according to reports.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sat Sep 13, 2008 2:22 pm

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Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sat Sep 13, 2008 2:26 pm

Grandparents passing was the first sign that I felt getting older....
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Last time Inge had 3 hits in one game... 9/6/2007 _________________

Last time Inge had 3 hits in one game...

9/6/2007
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Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Thu Sep 25, 2008 4:30 am

Anyone noticed that Inge still has not a single error this season? And he had to play C (59G), 3B (46G), CF (12G) and LF (2G).
Now that's what i call versatile!
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"I'm on a mission. Mark my words: I'll be back, and I'll be able to do what I've been doing." Joel Zumaya