Brandon Inge Latest News Thread

Subject: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sun Mar 09, 2008 5:40 am

Saturday, March 8, 2008
Lynn Henning: Analysis
Pressure intensifies on Tigers to resolve Inge situation

LAKELAND, Fla. -- A few weeks ago I wrote that the Tigers' impasse with Brandon Inge is the most complex personnel situation I've seen with respect to any of Detroit's four professional sports teams. We're talking more than four decades of following and writing about sports in Detroit.

Some people wondered how the Inge issue could take on such landmark status.

Take your shoes off and sit back, because this explanation is going to take a while:

Today's update: Inge will be traded before the end of spring training. It could happen as early as this week now that Dodgers third baseman Andy LaRoche has torn up a thumb and the Dodgers are looking at Nomar Garciaparra as their lone option there.

Inge's status as a lame-duck Tiger has been the lone distraction during an otherwise solid spring camp for manager Jim Leyland's team. There are bullpen issues, but nothing has unsettled the team quite like Inge's presence on a club that is trying mightily to find him a new home.

Why the Tigers must trade him: Very simply, his heart is no longer in Detroit. Inge's world revolved around being able to play regularly at third base. When the Tigers traded for Miguel Cabrera, Inge was displaced for the second time in his Tigers career.

He does not care about the Tigers' world championship thoughts in 2008. He cares about playing regularly for a major-league team. That decision, ultimately personal in nature, has made it impossible for the Tigers to retain him, as much as they would like to have him in 2008 and as their likely catcher beginning in 2009.

This stubbornness, this resolve, on Inge's part is where one of the most polarizing players in recent Tigers history has lost much of his standing with the one-half of Detroit's fan base that always supported him.

Why don't the Tigers force him to honor his contract? Obviously, they could. Inge has a contract that runs through 2010. It pays him handsomely -- more than $6 million per season.

Theoretically, the team can tell him to abide by his contract and to play whatever position, on whatever day, Leyland decides he can be best utilized.

That's the legal version of Inge's obligations to the Tigers. There is another reality, however, which the Tigers have come to accept no matter how irked they privately are about Inge's stance.

A player who is miserable at the prospects of playing part-time, or in this case working fulltime as a catcher, will not be an asset to a team that must have its head and its heart in the right place.

The Tigers came to understand Inge's feelings were intractable. They decided at some point before spring training that there was no option but to trade him. He was incapable of buying into his new role. It became obvious to Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski, as well as to Leyland, that there was not only no choice but to trade Inge, it was necessary for the team's focus to part with a player who does not want to be in Detroit if he cannot play third base every day.

Why should the Tigers cave into Inge's feelings? Fans have a right to be indignant. The club, if it wanted to, could also make an open-and-shut case for Inge zipping his lip and playing. After all, he hit .236 in 2007. He hit almost half as many home runs as in 2006. He struck out 150 times. He had a bad year, offensively, at a position that calls for offense.

If he lost his job, scads of squawking fans are of the opinion he should have lost his job.

There is also the matter of money. Who would not want to be paid $6 million per year to put on a Tigers uniform and to do handstands if that's what the manager and the team needed?

Sympathy for Inge is sparse. At the same time, he has his points, which are as complicated as any other facet of the Inge saga.

Inge and the Tigers signed a good-faith contract in 2006: Given the tenor during spring camp, it is difficult to remember how elated the Tigers and Inge were 15 months ago when he signed his four-year contract extension.

The Tigers had reason to be pleased. They had tied up a 29-year-old, Gold Glove-grade third baseman who had just whacked 27 home runs. The Tigers also understood something about those contract negotiations that would forever endear them to Inge:

He took a discount to stay in Detroit. The Tigers knew that in one year, when Inge was set to became a free agent, he would stand to make at least $2 million more per season than he was getting from the Tigers. But, to Inge, the money wasn't as important as playing third base for a team he loved.

For Inge, squeezing the last dollar out of free agency wasn't as essential as being loyal to a team that, in his words, "had stuck with me when I was hitting a buck-80," which was a reference to his sub-.200 rookie year with the Tigers and to his ensuing struggles at the plate.

Amazing, and ironic, how a signing that appeared to be a selfless act on the part of a player could, months later, be an albatross that has all but shut down Dombrowski's bid to make a worthwhile trade.

Inge's mission is to achieve job fulfillment: This is where fans need to think seriously about their own lives and about their particular disposition if they were in Inge's situation. If you have a job you enjoy, is it because of money? Or, is it because you are able to blend your skills with your passion on a daily basis?

If the latter point applies, then money becomes a lesser issue, particularly if your income is relative to others in your profession. Inge is a professional athlete. He derives his job satisfaction from competing every day at the position he loves, third base.

The money is nice, but in the world of professional sports it is relative.

And that is why he wants out. It is why Leyland said last week that he thought a trade would "be good for Brandon Inge. It will not be good for our team."

Fans, of course, counter that if money is no big thing, then Inge should tear up his contract and seek his freedom.

Inge could always petition the players' association to allow him to void his contract and to sign a new one with the Tigers that was more affordable to other interested clubs. It could also rain bowling balls tomorrow, but that probably won't happen.

In fact, Inge's contract and its effects on efforts to trade him are the price the Tigers have paid for bringing on their prized slugger, Cabrera. The Tigers have now twice dislocated Inge from starting positions to which he had become accustomed, the first time being 2004 when Pudge Rodriguez was signed.

In the mainstream job world, this is known as "being jerked around." Just because a guy plays big-league baseball does not eliminate the human element there. The Tigers had their obligations to get better, but if the spirit of their 2006 contract extension was broken, then Inge has a reasonable basis for requesting a trade.

Inge deserved to be benched: Fans can argue that the Tigers were duty-bound to replace Inge after his lousy 2007 season, but that ignores reality. The Tigers were all set to bring Inge back in 2008, in part because his contract status left them with no practical option. They were also of the opinion that he would make the adjustments necessary to regain his 2007 form, which, not surprisingly, has been the case through three weeks of spring camp. Inge has changed his approach and has been smashing the ball.

But return for a moment to December's winter meetings at Nashville. Tigers assistant general manager Al Avila tossed out a casual question about Cabrera's availability during a brief conversation with the Marlins. Next thing you know, the improbable happened, and the baseball galaxy is still quivering from December's huge Tigers-Marlins trade.

The Tigers came away with a superstar they never dreamed would be available. Cabrera, in fact, was not obtained to replace Inge, per se. He was acquired because he is a hitter so talented he would have dislocated, or relocated, just about any player in Detroit's lineup. Inge just happened to be the guy who was out of a job.

The Tigers are over a barrel: The very reason Dombrowski had no intention of trading Inge during the offseason is apparent as the Tigers hold out for a deal that is not exactly coming together smoothly.

The "break" they were looking for may have occurred this weekend when LaRoche's torn thumb ligament put the Dodgers into a semi-desperate state. Inge could be a splendid answer to L.A.'s needs. The Dodgers are also the kind of club that can somewhat more easily absorb Inge's contract.

What the Tigers have been looking at otherwise is a tough market in which to trade a third baseman with $19.1 million in paydays remaining a season after he hit .236. Dombrowski has been holding out for the best possible deal. No one outside of baseball's GM offices seems to know how good, or how bad, the offers thus far have been.

But it is safe to say the Tigers will not reap the kind of return one would expect for an everyday player whose athleticism and age (30) are pluses.

It is personal speculation that the Tigers could end up eating some of Inge's contract to make a reasonable deal more palatable for another club. It seems unlikely that they could in any other way come up with an adequate package in return.

The need to trade him will likely intensify: It has been instructive, in a sad way, to see how the atmosphere has changed in Detroit's clubhouse. Inge was always one of the zestier guys around. His teammates liked him because he has a sense of humor and because he can lay a barb or a zinger on you in a heartbeat.

Now the culture has changed. Unless I'm mistaken, his teammates, apart from best friend Vance Wilson, appear to have begun a distancing process with respect to Inge. They understand he will be traded. Knowing the inevitability of his departure, the normal intimacy and bonds that players share aren't in free and easy motion here.

This is one more reason a trade must be made. The Tigers need to get on with their lives, as does Inge. It is all the more imperative that a deal be finalized because of the extraordinary focus Leyland, Dombrowski and the front office have placed upon the 2008 season.

They understand these Tigers have a unique opportunity to be winners right out of the gate. They see, barring injury, that this is a potential World Series team. Therefore, the extent to which they can control all matters relating to the team, to avoid even the potential for a bump in the road, is an ongoing exercise.

The Inge issue has been hanging over a club so dazzled by the arrivals of Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis, and Edgar Renteria. Inge's status is the lone sore spot on a team that is sensing how special this season can be.

To their credit, Leyland and Inge handled things deftly during a joint press conference on the opening day of spring camp. Leyland had hoped the session would help to control ongoing questions and tensions that were bound to be part of Inge's remaining days in Detroit.

The discussion and interviews provided, as much as possible, clarity on a matter so tangled.

But that was more than three weeks ago. Nothing has changed. Nothing is likely to change until a trade is finally announced

You can reach Lynn Henning at lynn.henning@detnews.com

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Sun Mar 09, 2008 5:43 am

AND NOW FOR THE OPPOSITE VIEW...

DREW SHARP
Public enemy? Inge doesn't deserve wrath of fans

March 9, 2008

There's never any public compassion for a professional athlete's disappointment and frustration. All anybody sees are the dollar signs, justifying fan contempt for a guy making millions complaining about any aspect of his life.

Brandon Inge is quickly becoming a public villain.

And it's not fair to him.

Anybody who competes at anything doesn't want to be told he's been sacrificed or diminished for somebody better.

Try forgetting for one second that he's making $6 million a year. Try putting the loss of his job as the Tigers' third baseman within the context of any average person who works hard at his job only to be told he has been demoted. Pride conflicts with reality and the adjustment takes some time.

Inge deserves a little slack. Contrary to popular opinion, athletes are human. He's a professional and he'll conduct himself accordingly.

The five stages of dealing with a job demotion are similar to the five stages of coping with grief -- denial, anger, bargaining, depression and then finally acceptance.

Inge initially didn't think that acquiring Miguel Cabrera would cost him a spot in the Tigers' lineup. No, seriously, he rationalized that Cabrera could be the new starting leftfielder. Then, he got ticked off when it was obvious he was getting replaced at third. After that, he sought a trade for a starting position elsewhere. And then earlier this week, he brooded about how catching would negatively affect his hitting.

Inge will inevitably accept his new role, and he'll shine as that uber-utility player managers covet. He'll inevitably understand that it is in his career's long-term best interests to become Pudge Rodriguez's successor behind the plate, coming perhaps as early as 2009.

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:58 am

_________________
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 Mar 10, 2008 5:34 am

Posted by Lynn Henning on Sun, Mar 9, 2008 at 6:33 PM
Closing in on a deal?

There are scouts paying close attention to the Tigers these days, no question. It is always that way when a player is being offered for trade.

Brandon Inge is that player. It is hard to fathom any scout sitting in the sun at Marchant Stadium Sunday not writing a dandy report on Inge.

He had a double and a vicious line-drive sacrifice fly to left. He had five assists at third base. He made two terrific plays, one on a neat back-hand and long throw behind the bag at third.

In other words, if you need a third baseman -- and the Los Angeles Dodgers do -- then Inge may well be your choice.

I have a gut feeling the Inge deal will get done this week. His market value will likely be no greater during the final week of spring camp than it is now. The Tigers are in a hurry to get this long, lingering issue behind them. It seems likely that something will happen in the next few days.

Inge, of course, wants to sign on with any team that will offer him a regular job at third base. My feeling, very firm, is that he will end up having a plus year for whatever club grabs him.

It's all because he has changed his approach at the plate (he should have made the same alterations last season, especially when coaches were on him to do just that) and is tattooing the ball the way Inge was always capable of doing.

He is a .241 career hitter who likely will never hit for a big average. But there is no reason he can't bat .260-.270 with 20-plus home runs.

When you play third base the way Inge can, that's satisfactory offense, especially for a guy who runs well and does the other things that can help a team win.

I'm as weary of writing about this situation as some people are of reading about it. But that ignores reality. This has been the single biggest unresolved personnel issue in the Tigers' spring camp.

A personal feeling is that the soap opera is about to end. If it doesn't happen this week, I'd be amazed.

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon Mar 10, 2008 5:45 am

i would love to see him get traded to a team, that does not play him the way he thinks he should be.

really, who would you want at bat? Nomar, or Inge?

and the Dodgers dont even have close to a lineup of 06 or 07 tigers. so no one can really say that his fielding would make up his bat.

this is going to be funny to watch.

austin
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Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon Mar 10, 2008 5:53 am

who needs reality shows? Here's one right here..... Big Smile

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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 Mar 10, 2008 6:46 am

Red Sox were interested in Inge

Nothing came of it, but during the winter meetings the Red Sox inquired about Inge. Here's a clip from an article...

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:18 am

We'll call it Brandon, O Brandon"!
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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 Mar 10, 2008 8:30 am

I hope he goes to the Dodgers...and sits there LMAO

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Coming soon: A better signature!

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:33 am

If I get to see him play will definitely take pics...he might not be with us next week!
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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 Mar 10, 2008 3:52 pm

Here's an interview with Brandon on ESPN's Baseball Today podcast:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/player?context=podcast&id=3285843#

It's about 2/3 of the way in.
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"I love what I do. If I had my time over again, I'd probably do it for nothing."--Ernie Harwell

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:33 pm

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:38 pm

Inge sounds sort of like he wants to stay with Detroit now?!?

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:38 pm

_________________
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 Mar 10, 2008 7:43 pm

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:43 pm

Like I say, I'll flip ya for it! Heads he stays...tails he's gone!
_________________
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 Mar 10, 2008 7:47 pm

FINALLY they get to Inge. That was a long show to sit through for a short interview. Inge sounded like he's always sounded so I don't really know what else to say.

Go Tigers!
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Coming soon: A better signature!

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:49 pm

Bring back Curtis on ESPN!
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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 Mar 10, 2008 8:08 pm

Keep

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:40 am

One way or the other!
_________________
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 Mar 11, 2008 2:39 am

If you click on the progress bar at the 2/3 point, you go to that part of the show. You don't have to listen to the whole thing.
_________________
"I love what I do. If I had my time over again, I'd probably do it for nothing."--Ernie Harwell

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:24 am

I disagree with that guy's article about "people only see the dollar signs" or whatever and not the athlete's disappointment. HELLOOOOOOOO we are all disappointed in life at certain times but most of us DON'T HAVE MILLIONS TO FALL BACK ON!!!!! Inge could quit playing and go start his own dream business or do whatever he wants. Where as some of us bust our Moon

going to school and STILL can't get a job or get laid-off and don't have health benefits, etc. Now THAT'S DISAPPOINTMENT!!!!!

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:46 am

well said iluvfudge7.

people with talent that can hit the ball seem to forget this. wait.. are we talking about inge here?

if you taken off a job you like at work and put on a job you hate. you either do it, quit, or get fired. not sports or actors, they get their ass tickled with a feather the whole time while collecting a big pay check.

i like it when they think that real world people are going to back crap like this up.

like the guy or not, believe in a job or not. it should all come down to this. make that ass watch all his at-bats for the 07 season like we did, and then let him tell us a sad story.

austin
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Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:10 am

Most professional athletes have no clue what true disappointment and need is.
Tell the recently laid-off father of 4 young children that a guy making nearly $20 million is "disappointed" that he can't play a game the way he wants to....Geez!!

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:56 am

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Thu Mar 13, 2008 5:31 am

Giants after Inge?

The Giants are looking for an upgrade over Rich Aurilia , who at the moment is their starting third baseman. Their search apparently includes Brandon Inge .

Giants scouts have been among the sleuths observing Inge during recent games. Although the Giants have a barren farm system, they also have a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher in Merkin Valdez , who could be of interest to the Tigers.

Valdez, 26, a 6-foot-5, 220-pounder, has looked strong in camp but is coming off Tommy John surgery and could be on the bubble when it comes to final cuts. He's out of minor league options, which could make him an easier target in trade talks.
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bow

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:29 pm

He played briefly today. He caught and then played LF for one inning, then left! At least he is still getting applause when he leaves the field! No boos!
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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 Mar 17, 2008 5:04 am

Is Brandon Inge staying good news for Ryan Raburn?

It remains entirely possible that Brandon Inge will begin the season as the Tigers' No. 2 catcher. With Inge as the No. 2 catcher, the Tigers would have room on the 25-man roster for infielder-outfielder Ryan Raburn. Vance Wilson is still coming back from elbow surgery and won't be ready by Opening Day to resume duty as the No. 2 catcher. ...

If the Tigers sign third baseman Miguel Cabrera to a multiyear contract by Opening Day, one benefit will be that Cabrera can't get turned off by the cold early-season weather in Detroit. If the unsigned Cabrera found Detroit too chilly, he could seek a warm-weather home when he's due for free agency in the fall of 2009. Until this year, Cabrera had played his entire big-league career with the Florida Marlins in Miami. ...

The Tigers lost a pair of split-squad games Sunday. In St. Petersburg, they lost, 7-2, to Tampa Bay. Marcus Thames hit a solo homer in his return after he missed a week with a sore pectoral muscle. Former Tigers pitcher Troy Percival, signed by Tampa Bay in the off-season, allowed one run in his one inning. He was saved a worse inning when Edgar Renteria was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. ...

In Port St. Lucie, Fla., bullpen candidate Yorman Bazardo started and allowed one run in each of his three innings. The Mets scored three in the eighth off right-hander Freddy Dolsi for a 7-4 win. ...

Leyland expressed anew his long-held disdain of "clubhouse chemistry." Leyland said: "All that is so far overrated. The worst word ever used is 'chemistry.' That's something you take in school. That's a class you take."
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bow

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:17 am

Subject: Re: Brandon Inge Latest News Thread Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:22 am

it will keep the infield nice and sunny! Smile

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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