Random Tiger's Thoughts from Megan: April in the D's First 2012 Game

Hi guys!

So, it's taken me a little while to get this post up, but I was able to go to CoPa for the first time this year, due to a birthday surprise from a couple friends.  Awesome I know. Overall, I was really happy with the tiger's performance. It was the second game of the double-header against the Rangers, so I got to see a Tiger's win, and it was just plain exciting to see JV face off against Feliz in a killer pitcher's duel.  The seats were great, we won the game, and I got to enjoy great company, but there was one thing I could not get over... the overall hatred Tiger's fans seem to have against Brandon Inge.

I understand completely that the guy sucks at baseball right now.  He came into Saturday's game hitting .071.  He'd have to be an anorexic 8th grade girl to even begin to be hitting his weight.  His defense at second base isn't so good that he can hit that poorly. And even though it's the beginning of the season, it is a disturbing trend.  I understand all of this, and I personally would rather have Danny Worth up here than Inge.

I'm not going to constantly heckle the poor guy throughout the entire game though!  One of the girls that went to the game with me was kind of disturbed by it.  She is a diehard Cards fan from St. Louis and felt really bad for Inge.  When other people's fans feel bad for a guy, you know the situation has gotten out of hand.  It's okay to boo him when he misplays an easy ball. If he strikes out for the third time in one day, groans of disappointment are acceptable.  But what's sad is that people were heckling him before he even started to play.  I guess that as a Tiger's fan that doesn't have the privilege to attend many games, I don't want to spend my time harassing my team.  I'd rather heckle the Rangers.  I don't see what real Tigers fans have to gain from bothering Brandon throughout the entire game. I doubt it's going to make him a better second-baseman.

The thing that shocks me most about this whole "We hate Brandon" trend is that he was one of the most beloved players one or two years ago.  There are those who have always hated him, but as loyal fans, I honestly don't think we should be kicking the guy while he's down.  I mean, he doesn't have to play for the Tigers, but Jim Leyland doesn't need a belligerent "YOU SUCK, BRANDON" to tell him that. Let Brandon play the game, and Leyland will decide whether or not Brandon plays at Comerica or  in triple A.

Other than that, I had a fabulous time! I was kind of obsessed with the new huge Tiger sign on top the new huge megatron-thing. It's really cool!

Rant over.  That was kind of a bad loss to the mariners, but I'm still optimistic about the season! Go Tigers!

Who's It Gonna Be?

With Spring Training winding down and Opening Day looming right around the corner, it's almost the time when the final cuts are made and the official 25-man roster is formed. So far some semi-interesting decisions have already been made (Jacob Turner and Quintin Berry are gone) but, as expected, the major question marks still linger. Will Brandon Inge or Ryan Raburn get the nod at second base? Will Inge be on the team at all? Will Miguel Cabrera really be ready for Opening Day? Will Andy Dirks or Clete Thomas get the fourth-outfielder spot? And, most intriguingly, which young gun will get the fifth starter job?

First things first. Brandon Inge has long been a topic of conversation on this little blog, not to mention all of Tiger Universe, so we know we're kind of beating a dead horse when we bring him up. We don't think he should start. Period. His fielding at the 2nd base position has been decent, but his hitting has been poor as usual, hitting a whopping .174 with very little power.

That's been the problem with Inge his whole career. His spectacular defense used to make up for his hitting, but that has diminished as he's gotten older. In our minds, there is no question that Raburn should  start at second, given his massive RBI production and power this Spring. The defense hasn't been horrific either, so that's a plus! The question that Leyland and the Tigers face now is to keep Inge on the team at all. Want to know our opinion? Bench player. But we'll see what the coaching staff thinks…

In good, happy news, it looks as if our poor Miguel Cabrera will be ready for Opening Day! He was cleared by the doctors this morning and his eye is de-puffed, and as usual he's hungry to get playing. We had to admit, the image of Miguel all bloodied and badass with his teammates and coaches frantically swarming him made us incredibly worried, but it seems like everything's all good. We'll meet you in Comerica, big fella!

But who else will we meet in Comerica? Clete Thomas or Andy Dirks? People (read: Jim Leyland) keep making this sound like an actual freaking debate, but we don't think it is. Andy Dirks all the way, baby. He's younger, faster, has a bigger learning curve, and is just plain better offensively. Andy is raking up the hits, while Clete is playing at his same lukewarm pace. Look. We love our selves some Clete Thomas (who doesn't?), but it would be absolutely ridiculous for him to be chosen over Andy "Forrest" Dirks.

The final, big, most interesting question of who should get the starting spot? We have no idea. Three young, attractive guys are neck and neck. No problems here. Sure, we think it would be great if Drew Smyly got a chance, since Andy Oliver is stumbling a little recently. But Duane Below, dark horse that he is, looks pretty decent too, though he might be better suited for the bullpen at this point. Smyly has that 1.13 ERA, after all. And there ain't nothin wrong with that.

This Spring Training isn't really that cut-and-dry. But that's what makes it so exciting. Whatever Leyland chooses to do with Inge, Dirks, Smyly and the rest, the 25 men we will have in Comerica Park in less than 10 days is going to be a great group.

Haters Gonna Hate

Trust In Them.
Photo Courtesy of the Detroit Free Press

At the Tigers' Spring Training this year there have been three big stories. The first is everything and anything that has to do with Prince Fielder. The second is Brandon Inge's supposed diva-like behavior, or lack thereof. The third and only really pertinent story (at least in our minds) is how well Miguel Cabrera can play third base.

This has been a hotly debated subject since the arrival of Prince to our team. At first, we didn't really care, because we got Prince freakin' Fielder. But now that we have had a month to calm ourselves down, it's probably best that we take a moment to wonder if this whole Miggy-at-First thing will really work.

The common consensus among NON-Tiger fans is that it can't, won't, will-not work. Cabrera is too big, to slow, too poor defensively, and hasn't played third in four years. Valid arguments. Except Cabrera has lost a lot of weight. He's been training since the end of last season to play third, and it's not like we have a Hanley Ramirez on our hands who isn't willing to move. Miggy wants to play third more than anyone.

Plus, people are making him out to be an atrocious defender. Sure, he's not exactly Gold Glove material, but he's not bad. He made thirteen errors last year at first. That's not good, but it's not consistently bad. He's not going to make vintage Brandon Inge-like acrobatic plays, but we really don't think he's going to be bad.

We also must not forget the man who is playing to Cabrera's left: the much ignored, unfairly maligned Juh-honny Peralta. He proved last year that, while he might not be on Asdrubal's level defensively, he is still pretty damn good. We think he will be more than ready to take on a bigger role defensively now that Inge isn't playing third.

Our defense isn't going to be good. It will be mediocre at best, which will not result in good things for Rick Porcello's ERA. But with our very, very good offense and our very, very good pitching staff (don't let anyone tell you otherwise) we should be alright. We should learn to trust more in our coaching staff and front office--in the span of a year they have brought us nothing but good things.

The doubters? Some have they're reasons, but others are just jealous haters. And haters gonna hate.

A Message to Brandon Inge

Can you guys believe its been a week since we signed Prince Fielder? We can't. We fluctuate between offhandedly feeling like life has always been this good ("I mean, we know we're going win the AL Central, if not the whole thing. No one can touch us") to actually stopping and thinking about what God himself Mike Illitch did for us and squealing in joy. Everyone in Tiger Nation is overjoyed.

Well. Not everyone.

You either love him or you hate him, and the signing of Prince Fielder will determine where Tigers fan's loyalties lie. Brandon Inge, who is undoubtedly a great person, husband, dad, citizen, yada yada yada, is not the best ballplayer anymore. Nor is he vital to the success of our team. The educated Tigers fan--heck, anyone who isn't an Inge fangirl--knows this.

The question is: does Brandon know this?

He said during the Tigers Caravan that he doesn't want to platoon, he wants to start. Hear that, Don Kelly? Brandon Inge says suck it, because the hot corner is all his. Fast forward to just a few days later and the scenario is Fielder at first and Miguel Cabrera at third. No Brandon Inge in sight, and according to Jim Leyland, he is not a "happy camper."

Oooookay. We know Brandon's reaction to the trade come by just word of mouth, but seriously. For a guy who was designated last year, has seen his defensive range decrease substantially over the past few years, and had a whopping .190 batting average in the 2011 season, a spot on the team at all should be a blessing. Inge should be happy that Fielder has arrived, as it gives his team a chance to be better, not be bitching and moaning because he's not going to start.

Think that's a little harsh? Think we're being mean to poor, sweet, fan-favorite Brandon Inge? We could be meaner. Look at what all-around douchelord Denny McClain had to say about Brandon this past weekend. After putting him on blast for whining, McClain tossed Inge's photo to the floor and said "That's he first time he's hit something in two years." Is Denny McClain a huge jerk? Yes. Was that unnecessarily mean of him? Yes. But, layered under mean-spiritedness and irony, McClain's statement was very true. Inge is past his prime, and he needs to get over it.

Look, Brandon. We love you, you know we do. We appreciate all you have done for Detroit in your many, many years here. But it is simply not cool to think that you're going to have a prayer of starting this year, let alone be complaining about it. This isn't 2006 anymore. At 34 years old, the only way a player survives much longer is if he can slug. You can't. That's not the reason we loved you. So swallow your pride, wipe your tears, and play out your last season in the D as a defensive replacement.

No one wants to be That Guy. The Guy who thinks he's a lot cooler, smarter, hotter, or better than he actually is. Remember who you are, Brandon. Please don't be That Guy.

Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful...

As the Michigan representative of April in the D, I have some news to report. You probably all know this by now, but Brandon Inge was in a multi-car crash today! It is because Michigan is mean and temperamental, and we already have snow everywhere. Actually, it's way worse than snow because it's just warm enough so that the snow melts during the day and then freezes at night, and now we have a dangerous ice slick. You would think that Brandon would know how to drive in Michigan by now, but apparently he does not.

Now before you all get your panties in a twist, I am glad to report that there were no injuries involved.  So not only is Brandon Inge not hurt, but he's probably not facing any lawsuits either.  We do have to admit that we were still really scared when we heard about it, but we sure are glad that everything is okay!

We've had enough problems with Tigers and cars, and we don't want anymore!

-Megan

Brandon Inge, Je T'aime

DISCLAIMER: Yes, we know we spelled Je T'aime wrong in the title earlier...we fixed it now. We're emotional, okay?! Two out of three of us took high school French. We should know better.

So. We all know the news. We all surely have our own reactions about it. And ours was a mixture of, "It's about damn time" followed immediately by a feeling akin to the death of a lifelong pet who annoyed us often, but was loved most of the time.

Okay, that was overdramatic. But that was how we felt!




Jump with us as we walk down memory lane with Brandon...