It’s good to see that Brandon Inge is still acting as official spokesperson for the team, lack of performance or playing time be damned. Check out his recent comments in USA Today.
“We used to pride ourselves on beating those high-dollar teams. We wanted it more. We played hard. We hustled. We ran everything out. We fought for nine innings.
“Now we’re that team we used to beat. I don’t want to get into it, but it’s just different now.”
It’s great to see that he has his teammate’s backs. I’m sure those comments have nothing to do with a bitterness from losing his job. Very constructive. Maybe he should think about shutting up and doing what he’s asked to do. Oh, and maybe hit a little better than .220.
Carlos Guillen chimed in too, “we never said we were going to win 100 games, all we said was that we have a good team with good players. That was the (sports) media and fans doing the talking.
“That wasn’t fair to us.”
Carlos is right, this is clearly the media’s fault. Especially when his throwing error’s cost us games. Damn you media.
I would like to personally apologize the Carlos Guillen for my high expectations. He shouldn’t fear anymore. I now expect them to be mediocre for the remainder of the year. My bad attitude toward them should make him happy.
And as far as Inge goes, don’t hate the man for speaking the truth. Hate him for speaking the truth without playing the game.
To quote my Gramps again: “Don’t hate the player, hate the game. And if the player isn’t playing the game, feel free to hate both, because the player really isn’t a player anymore.”
A confused genius, he was.
It’s not Inge’s fault that he is not playing. Maybe his average would be better if he was playing every day. What about Granderson? His average is not much better. At least someone is trying to take leadership on the Tigers. Look at Mags, one of the two players who did not wear his pants up the game after they showed unity and won.
It is not Inge’s fault he has been with the team the longest and has the most pride for the team. Look at fat boy (cabrera), you think he has any pride for the old english ‘D’, or do you think all the thinks about is the Benjamin’s Detroit was foolish to pay him.
How many games do you think would have been different if either fat boy or guillen did not cause errors at 3B? I can remember a few at least. Look at the picture as a whole and remember how lovable the Tigers were in 2006. Where has the fun gone? Look at the Red Sox in 2004, they were the idiots and no one expected them to win. They had fun and won. Tigers lose their fun and now they have lost part of the season.
How many positions did Inge play the other night? 3! How many other players do you know that their manager has enough trust in them to play 3 positions in the same night. Just wait, when pudge is gone, guillen is DH’n, everyone is going to love Inge again.
Good input Jamie. I was at the game yesterday, and Inge certainly looked good.
Can i ask how you found this site?
Thanks.
I saw someone dissing on Inge in the USA Today comments and they listed this site. What really got me was talking about why is Brandon Inge still the spokesman for the team. There are many clear answers as to why. He’s one of the few people left on the team that still speaks fluent English. He is the longest tenured Tiger (They even let Inge raise the banner from 2006). He is not one of the Tigers that came here for the money. You can tell he has pride in the Old English ‘D’. Honestly, do you think 90% of the latino players have pride? Most of them admittedly grew up as Yankees or Dodgers fans.
Inge knows what it was like to go from last to first. How many other players on the team can say that?
Right now they are talking about Pudge leaving as they probably will not be able to pay him. If he had pride in the team, he would take a pay cut or keep the same.
One thing about Inge, you never heard him about holding it, if people thinks he is overpaid (and he might be), it is not his fault. It is management. I bet he would have stayed for less, but they gave him the money.
I do not see most of the newer Tigers donating as much money or doing as much for the community as Inge. Google him someday and find out how much he has given to the U of M hospital.
don’t get me wrong, i’m rooting for Inge as much as anybody. and as long as he’s checking his ego and doing what he’s asked of, i’m cool with him. yes, his flexibility is a big plus, and he’s a great asset to have around.
that said, i think his selfish attitude during spring training has a lot to do with this team’s bad start. detnews was writing about the inge situation nearly every day this spring. it was the focus of camp. you can’t convince me that it was not distracting. he did put himself in front of the team, and that is never a good thing.
That is the one thing I have to disagree on though, did Inge put himself as the focus or did the detnews make him the focus? The media knows that controversy sells and you can’t tell me they were not stirring the pot to get under his skin. I heard he blew up a few times, but wouldn’t you if you were just trying to do your best and you were hounded by reporters all the time.
Think about it, Inge goes all these years without much of a peep, they bring someone in to “replace” him for a SECOND time, but this time with someone who should have never been a 3b, and I think his passion might have gotten the best of him. Of course, papers trying to sell controversy and tension are going to reflect the negative.
Really, all these people giving Inge a hard time needs to think of ALL the years he’s been here. First replaced by Pudge and has to learn 3b. Finally gets to the point were he’s a premiere 3b, even better than A-Rod and would have won a gold glove if the gold glove was based on defense only, and he gets replaced for a second time and is told he’s probably going to have to catch where he was replaced once.
I think the only reason you heard so much about Inge again, is you cannot understand anyone else on the team. They show Renteria on Fox and he’s speaking Spanish with subtitles. Strange if you ask me.
Preach on, Jamie.
I think y’all know my stance on this matter.