Deconstructing Inge

 

With the offseason trade for Miguel Cabrera, Tigers 3B Brandon Inge finds himself in the prime years of his career without a spot in the lineup. After privately disclosing his displeasure with the deal, Inge requested a trade of his own. In the interim, he has refused to address the media about the situation, causing some writers to call him out. (Don’t we usually call out ball players for complaining publicly?) Much has been made about whether to keep or trade Inge, but it is a complex issue–one that requires historical context to address in a responsible manner.

Charles Brandon Inge was a phenomenal shortstop and relief pitcher at Virginia Commonwealth University, selected in the second round of the 1998 draft by the Detroit Tigers. To this day, as a 3B, Inge is known for his outstanding range defensively and cannon of an arm. After being drafted he was moved to catcher, a position he had never played.

Inge quickly moved through the Tigers’ farm system, debuting behind the plate on April 3, 2001. I was in attendance that day. My former girlfriend’s dad had season tickets behind home plate at Comerica Park. Mrs. Phil Garner’s tickets were immediately in front of us. Before the game started, she turned to us and explained how Phil thought Inge was going to be something special. (I digress.)

Over the course of the next six years the Tigers would return Inge to the field. In 2004, he played a little over half his games at 3B (due to the Pudge Rodriguez signing) before taking over full-time at 3B in 2005. He also played 28 games in the outfield in 2004, some at each position.

One has to wonder what sort of toll these changes took on Inge emotionally. He had never caught in his life, yet the Tigers drafted him and moved him immediately. Later when a superstar came on board, the Tigers dismissively moved him again. It is hard to know what could have been gained, especially offensively, from simply leaving Inge as a SS or 3B over the last ten years. A great deal of effort must be put in to learn a new position, especially catching, and especially at the major league level. In 2006, when Jim Leyland came on board, assurance was given that Inge would play nowhere but 3B. This promise has been kept to date, but appears in jeopardy as the 2008 season approaches.

Fact #1 The Tigers have been whimsically jerking Inge around for the past ten years. (Qualifier: some of this can be put at the feet of a change in management. I seriously doubt, however, this matters to Inge.)

Inge played in a little over half the games his first three years, but his career trend was already in its formative stages. From 2001-2003, Inge posted a batting average of .198 in 849 at bats, an OPS of roughly 50 (100 is the average for any player), and a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.87 to 1. He would improve slightly over the next three seasons as a regular, averaging an OPS around 100. (He began playing some 3B in 2004, which seemed to help.) In 2007, at the age of 30, his offensive statistics declined (OPS: 80).

To be fair, Inge’s FRAA statistics reveal he has played well above average as a defensive 3B, saving the Tigers numerous runs. This doesn’t discount…

Fact #2: Brandon Inge has never been much of a hitter.

Fact #3: His offensive decline as a corner player at the relatively young age of 30 is disconcerting.

Inge’s ugly 2007 became a bigger problem for the Tigers due to the backloaded 4-year, $24M contract they signed him to following their improbable 2006 run to the World Series. Offensively, Inge was trending upward as a 29 year-old and playing his trademark defense. The contract was not outlandish by the day’s market and, if trends held, may have turned out to be a bargain. The 2006-2007 free agent market was also ominously thin at 3B, containing the likes of Aaron Boone, Wes Helms, and Fernando Tatis. Inge benefited from this fact. From the Tigers’ perspective, it made no sense to go in another direction.

Fact #4: The Tigers offer to Inge was fair, no more no less, for the value provided.

As anyone who runs a business knows, complacency is a killer. Dombrowski had an opportunity to land a 24 year-old who is potentially the greatest hitter of his generation for prospects and took it. Even as the Tigers have emerged as a force in the American League, their one glaring weakness has always been lack of offensive production from the traditional power positions – 1B and 3B. Over the last two years, these positions have been manned by Inge, Sean Casey, Dmitri Young, and Marcus Thames. Thames is a fourth outfielder at best and Young went through drug and legal issues in 2006 that required the trade for Casey.

Although Inge’s well-being has consistently been an afterthought, the deal on the table was not one passed up by any GM in their right mind. (The Nationals, White Sox, Angels, Orioles, Dodgers, and Giants may have been able to screw this up.)

Fact#5: The Tiger organization cannot, in this instance, be held responsible for the ramifications to Inge’s career. The circumstances are unfortunate given historical information, but the Tigers are in the business of winning baseball games.

I think it is the totality of how Inge’s career has unfolded that has him peeved, more than the Cabrera issue in a vacuum. A few Inge considerations:

1) He has moved positions numerous times.

2) He had to play on the uber-disaster 2003 squad that went 43-119 and is the only remaining holdover from that group.

3) He has stayed long enough to see the pendulum swing all the way back in the opposite direction. (2 and 3 are both highly emotional. I have to think even more so when experienced by the same person in the same organization. My point: I’m sure Inge feels a bond with the club and the city, even if his career has only been smooth for about three years. He’d probably like to see some loyalty after going through thick and thin.)

4) Now that the Tigers have more potential than ever, he’s being asked to play a utility role.

I know I sound like an Inge apologist and I am. I feel for the guy. Nobody likes working for a boss that talks out of both sides of his mouth and especially not for ten years. Inge only gets one shot at a baseball career. What it might have been in a different organization will probably weigh on his mind for the rest of his life.

At the same time, there are plenty of arguments that cannot be made for Inge, such as:

1) He never got a shot to prove himself.

2) He never got to play for a winner.

3) He is not paid well.

These are the gripes of minor leaguers who never made it, veterans stuck in a bad organization, and everyone on the planet. It is the fact that he is paid well and coming off a bad year that has made trading him impossible so far. Inge is a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sometimes that happens to good people.

***

Brandon Inge is a fan favorite and definitely one of mine. I used to really dislike him as a player because he couldn’t hit. Once some better offensive weapons came on board, I cared a lot less. He’s a treat to watch in the field. As a whole, though, he is another average baseball player. He’s the victim of a change in management (Smith to Dombrowski), a change in philosophy (spend money), and a change in circumstances (once in a generation hitter). He’s gotten the short end of the stick in a lot of ways and I think this helps us lay people relate to him better. I haven’t heard a persuasive argument stating he should not be upset for what has happened this offseason. I would be, too. He should be commended for keeping his beef out of the media.

My selfish hope is that he gets to stick around and can find an everyday role by taking advantage of his ABs. The Tigers already have him catching again because Vance Wilson is a question mark and Pudge is a free agent next year. I wouldn’t mind seeing him play left field. I know he has a better arm the Jacque Jones, but Jones is a left-handed bat and will probably prevail. My prediction? Inge is around long enough for the Tigers to see the bullpen won’t hold up in October and dealt for a power arm. Again, abused for the Tigers’ short-term needs.

(Edit: If I could figure out how to make this blockquote go away, I would. I spent a half hour on it.)

 

 

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