Inge's critics have a serious argument
No one hits a nerve in Detroit's sports galaxy quite like Brandon Inge.
The critics are noisy. His defenders are loud.
In this corner, it's a toss-up as to who's right, and who's wrong. The problem with the latter group, which I identify as those voting on those fan polls on FSN's telecasts, is this:
Inge can go 0-for-4 with nothing but strikeouts, commit a glaring error, and still finish runner-up to Curtis Granderson as the day's top Tigers player.This, I suspect, is one of the reasons the anti-Inge camp goes nuts. They see him get cheered even as they're booing him. They're frustrated to the point of fury.
I understand. I understand it further when Inge is batting .228 with 163 strikeouts.
Here's what I don't yet know, and here's what determines everything as to the depth of prosecution, or defense, to which Inge is entitled:
How much are his sore knees to blame for his woeful second-half hitting?
If they are minimally involved in his strikeouts and tumbling batting average, the Tigers have a permanent problem with Inge's offense that make his superb fielding less of an overall gain for his team.
If they do factor in his lousy hitting -- and it's difficult to believe they don't -- then fans owe him 2010 to show that his first-half adjustments and progress will continue once his legs are operative.
No question, he has been hurting -- and playing. And there is little doubt, even after making a couple of bad errors in this weekend's White Sox series, that his defense has been integral to a team hanging onto first place.
But that hole in the batting order is tough to overcome, as the Tigers proved during a couple of bad losses to the White Sox. And that hole in the lineup could yet be costly heading into the final week's final games with a playoff spot hanging in the balance.
Inge needs to play better than flawless defense this week. And he might want to consider getting a bit hit or two, no matter how much the pain has been grinding at him. This is the big leagues. And hitting still counts.
A lot.
