“It’s the first time he’s hit something in two years,” McLain said, to more laughter.

That's an excellent line.

Denny McLain has done a lot of good lines. (He said, to more laughter.)

McLain is back out on the streets?

I said boo hoo in regards to Inge; but if I was Inge, I'd simply come back with "I'm not taking any advice from a convicted felon, thanks".

I'm kind of shocked Madonna (a Catholic university) would invite McLain (a number of ties to organized crime, the embezzlement conviction, Rush Limbaugh-level of pissing people off on his radio program) to speak. Yea, forgiveness is a big thing in the church, but McLain's never apoligized (and to be forgiven, you have to ask for it).

I'm kind of shocked Madonna (a Catholic university)

For a second I assumed it had been renamed for the Michigan-born pop singer. :)

...McLain held the Inge photo up and tossed it to the floor.

That's classy.

Dear Denny,

Please go away. And stay away.

Signed,
Tiger Fans Everywhere

McCLLLLAAAAAAAIIINNNN!!!

What is the proper response when you totally agree with something said by a total #########?

McCLLLLAAAAAAAIIINNNN!!!

Just another American who saw too many movies as a child? Another orphan of a bankrupt culture who thinks he's John Wayne?

What is the proper response when you totally agree with something said by a total #########?

I don't know, but I demand that any name for it should honor Isaac Newton.

I don't see what Inge has done that is so terrible yet. Apparently he is not happy about losing his job and wants to be a regular. This is a terrible thing? He hasn't gone into Operation Shutdown or demanded a trade or anything like that (at least I haven't seen it). So far his crime is he wants to play regularly? This is a bad thing?

This is a bad thing?

As far as I can tell, it's a bad thing if you're not very good (or overrated). See Young, Michael.

Jose - If this is the first time he has expressed unhappiness with an obviously good move for the club, I might agree. This is a guy who ####### when he was replaced at catcher - by Pudge. (He was, at the time, a 27-year old with negative career WAR.) Last year, he popped off about fans not being "real" if they boo him - I'm sure you're familiar with his work last year. Now, we as Tiger fans are supposed to view the Prince signing through the lens of "Oh, no! This might upset the right-handed half of our inadequate 3b platoon!"

Don't go away mad, Brandon. Just go away.

For what it's worth, Brandon Inge hasn't actually spoken publicly about the Fielder signing. Whatever unhappiness he's expressed was related by the Tigers to the media.

For what it's worth, Brandon Inge hasn't actually spoken publicly about the Fielder signing. Whatever unhappiness he's expressed was related by the Tigers to the media.

Ah.

So they are following the Red Sox playbook for "How To Trade/Release a Veteran", I guess.

Inge was just demoted ont he depth chart.

Who would be happy about that? I doubt he is saying to bench Cabrera to play him.

McLain is being a dick.

Just another American who saw too many movies as a child? Another orphan of a bankrupt culture who thinks he's John Wayne?

He was always partial to Roy Rogers.

McLain is being a dick.

Denny being Denny

Remember, being unhappy about losing playing time means that you're a whiner, not a team player, and a distraction. But sitting a week due to an injury that Joe Sportswriter, M.D., remembers ol'-what's-his-name gritting his way through--because he'd be damned if he missed any playing time--means that you're that you're a whiner, not a team player, and a distraction.

Remember, being unhappy about losing playing time means that you're a whiner, not a team player, and a distraction.

Unless you are Michael Young.

I don't see what Inge has done that is so terrible yet. Apparently he is not happy about losing his job and wants to be a regular. This is a terrible thing? He hasn't gone into Operation Shutdown or demanded a trade or anything like that (at least I haven't seen it). So far his crime is he wants to play regularly? This is a bad thing?

A large segment of Tigers fans are obsessed with hatred of Brandon Inge. Most will say it's because Inge has a small portion of supporters in the fan base that seem to always have his back. The Inge-haters hate all the Inge love. I think they are mostly imagining it. Whenever I'm at a game, or listening to the radio, or looking at what people say on Facebook, the ratio of Inge dislike to Inge sympathy is quite high. The amount of coverage devoted to Inge by fans and media is pretty remarkable for such an unremarkable player.

I guess part of it is that such a mediocre-now-bad player has gotten so many at bats with a team. Probably doesn't happen all that often for such an extended period of time. Also, the things Inge used to do that helped the team (power, defense) weren't as noticeable as the things he did that hurt the team (strike out all the time).

I bet this ended with Lucius Sweet declaring, "This parole hearing is OVER!"

I also think a lot of the annoyance with Inge on this subject is due to accumulation.

He complained when they Signed Pudge.
He complained when they traded for Cabrera.
He complained when the Tigers wanted to platoon him.
Now, he allgedly is complaining about Cabrera being moved back to third.

That a player so terrible has such a feeling of entitlement is just sort of annoying. Don Kelly's reaction to the Prince signing was much more professional, though it impacts Kelly just as much as it impacts Inge.

I was always shocked by the hatred of Inge by Tigers fans as well. I (obviously) appreciate what he has done for the Tigers, while at the same time know that he is replaceable. I rather hate on a guy like Gerald Laird or the Tigers version of Aubrey Huff.

For what it's worth, Brandon Inge hasn't actually spoken publicly about the Fielder signing. Whatever unhappiness he's expressed was related by the Tigers to the media.

I was wondering about that; I hadn't heard anything at all from Inge, only a quote from Leyland in which he basically said he was sorry Brandon found out through the media and that Brandon wasn't happy. Now, that can be interpreted two ways: 1) Inge isn't happy with the demotion or 2) Inge isn't happy he found out through the media instead of from the team.

As far as Tigers fans' Inge hate, I'm surprised to hear this. As a fan of another AL Central team, all I hear is how Inge is a fan favorite, largely because of his allover scrapitude.

As far as Tigers fans' Inge hate, I'm surprised to hear this. As a fan of another AL Central team, all I hear is how Inge is a fan favorite, largely because of his allover scrapitude.

I think that's probably because he is a media favorite. Been around a while, and not afraid to sound like a red-ass, which sells newspapers or generates hits or something.

Smitty hit on it with the cumulative effect of his whining and the entitlement attitude. How dare they improve the club by bringing in a demonstrably better player?!? This is about me, understand? Selfish players are supposed to be good.

Smitty hit on it with the cumulative effect of his whining and the entitlement attitude. How dare they improve the club by bringing in a demonstrably better player?!? This is about me, understand? Selfish players are supposed to be good.

And all of that would be a reasonable response, if Inge actually said anything publicly about the acquisition of Fielder. But all we have is Leyland's vague description of his reaction in a private conversation.

And all of that would be a reasonable response, if Inge actually said anything publicly about the acquisition of Fielder. But all we have is Leyland's vague description of his reaction in a private conversation.

Fair. However, this whole thing comes on the heels of him publicly sharing his disgust at platooning for the good of the team.

It may not be fair to him, but there's a context here that is exacerbating the reaction. He JUST got done getting raked over the coals about the platoon comments.

As far as Tigers fans' Inge hate, I'm surprised to hear this. As a fan of another AL Central team, all I hear is how Inge is a fan favorite, largely because of his allover scrapitude.

There are those that like him. He definitely has more fans than most guys of his stature. He also has a lot of haters, for lack of a better word. I find the haters more vocal.

A large segment of Tigers fans are obsessed with hatred of Brandon Inge. Most will say it's because Inge has a small portion of supporters in the fan base that seem to always have his back. The Inge-haters hate all the Inge love. I think they are mostly imagining it. Whenever I'm at a game, or listening to the radio, or looking at what people say on Facebook, the ratio of Inge dislike to Inge sympathy is quite high. The amount of coverage devoted to Inge by fans and media is pretty remarkable for such an unremarkable player.

You know, it's similar to what happens with Tim Tebow. Now, he's nowhere near as popular, or hated, or headline-making, as Tebow. But it's a similar phenomenon-- people in Detroit who love him, and the just as many who hate him for no other reason than his popularity, which causes people to defend him more than is justified, and criticize him more, etc. Related to this, in Detroit, I suspect your feeling toward Inge is used as a "test" of your baseball intellect and thus a way for fans to feel superior to each other.

I don't think it says much of anything about these athletes; I'd like to know what it is that causes us to hate something so much simply because we think it's overrated. Maybe one of the hipster primates who thinks U2 sucks can explain :)

Does Denny McLain have a gaggle of reporters following him around waiting for him to say something demonstrating that he lacks even the slightest hint of basic human decency?

I can't imagine it's ever been much of a wait.

Where I come from (rural mid-Michigan), Brandon Inge is very popular, at least when he's keeping his average over .200. Part of this might be casual racism (Brandon's the only white non-Hispanic who's been a lineup fixture for the Tigers over the past half-decade), but my impression of him is that he's a very likable guy -- very different from the guy McLain is describing. He doesn't seem like a whiner or a selfish player.

If you watch him play and ignore the stats, you think you're seeing a "ballplayer" -- the way he wears his uniform, the way he carries himself, the way he plays in the field. When I was overseas and just knew Inge from his numbers in the box score and Baseball Reference, I hated him because he was clearly awful. But when I was back home for parts of the 2007 through 2011 seasons and watched him (on TV and live), I understood why people liked him. He plays the way you wish your son would play.

So I'm actually surprised that there is so much Brandon Inge hatred among Tiger fans, because it's not apparent in my neck of the woods. Heck, it was even a running joke that Brandon Inge always finished in the top three in the "player of the game" fan voting on Fox Sports telecasts, even if he went 0-for-4 with an error. (This stopped in 2011.)

That a player so terrible

This is a guy with 18 career WAR. He was not terrible. He was an above-average player as recently as 2010 and has been clearly above-replacement level every year until last year. Look at the Sickels thread -- he's been the 8th most valuable player from the 98 draft. OK, half of that WAR is defense but that's also consistent with how his own team has viewed and used him. But, heck, dock him to 9 WAR and he's probably still in the top 20 of players from that draft.

He might very well be terrible now but he wasn't when he was "whining" those other times.

McLain held the Inge photo up and tossed it to the floor

And if anybody should know about falling flat on his face, figuratively and literally, it's McLain.

And no, he wasn't Brooks. But he mainly played 3B from ages 28-34 and looking at Rfield (600 min games at 3B; some Rfield could be from other positions) for those age ranges:

Brooks 125
Nettles 99
Bell 89
Ventura 86
Feliz 84
Inge 82
Rolen 81
Lowell 60
Schmidt 58
Cirillo 56

You'd have had a hard time finding a better Brooks impersonator it seems.

(and to be forgiven, you have to ask for it).

I have never understood this point of view.

#17 Sometimes you just have remember Jim Bouton's words. "Consider the source"

(and to be forgiven, you have to ask for it).

I have never understood this point of view.

Yeah, it's like when people talk about someone else not deserving or needing to earn mercy: it's not "mercy" if the other person deserves it.
It's about the generosity in our own hearts, not what anybody else does or says.

He might very well be terrible now but he wasn't when he was "whining" those other times.

When he ####### about Pudge he had negative career WAR - and was 27.

Related to this, in Detroit, I suspect your feeling toward Inge is used as a "test" of your baseball intellect and thus a way for fans to feel superior to each other.

These workplace discussions have turned over the years. For along time - while he was having his useful seasons - I spent a lot of time defending him. He didn't hit .300 and he made some whopper errors, but he was a good player. He had seven years of being a more-than-a-win player. Some of those seasons were excellent. Even now, I think he can be a non-awful short half of a platoon.

However, talking about not wanting to be platooned at this point in his career was delusional and annoying. He is helpless - absolutely helpless - against RHP. Playing him full-time would be insane, total bat-sh!t nuts. Still, we have to hear the call-in idiots who talk about how good he could be if he just learned to lay off the breaking ball. He's 30-f-ing-5 years old! He's not going to suddenly develop pitch recognition or plate discipline. He's not. I'm tired of hearing about his feelings. I think he has $5.5 million reasons to feel lucky as hell to be a backup third baseman.

If the Lions suddenly pulled off a trade for Adrian Peterson, nobody would give two craps what Kevin Smith thought about it. Why is this any different?

You know, it's similar to what happens with Tim Tebow. Now, he's nowhere near as popular, or hated, or headline-making, as Tebow. But it's a similar phenomenon-- people in Detroit who love him, and the just as many who hate him for no other reason than his popularity, which causes people to defend him more than is justified, and criticize him more, etc. Related to this, in Detroit, I suspect your feeling toward Inge is used as a "test" of your baseball intellect and thus a way for fans to feel superior to each other.

I don't think it says much of anything about these athletes; I'd like to know what it is that causes us to hate something so much simply because we think it's overrated. Maybe one of the hipster primates who thinks U2 sucks can explain :)

I agree with this as an explanation for Inge's prominence in the Detroit media and with Detroit fans, especially the part about being superior to other fans.

Just another example, because I feel like beating a dead horse:

http://www.freep.com/article/20120131/SPORTS18/120130078

Again, I find the people mad that people like Brandon Inge FAR more vocal than those that do like Brandon Inge. I'm sure this guy just wrote this blog post to get page views, and I'm sure he'll be successful in that regard.

(and to be forgiven, you have to ask for it).

I have never understood this point of view.
Yeah, it's like when people talk about someone else not deserving or needing to earn mercy: it's not "mercy" if the other person deserves it.
It's about the generosity in our own hearts, not what anybody else does or says.

Forgiveness is completely different from mercy.

I can only forgive you if you're sorry (why would you need forgiven if you haven't done anything wrong?); forgiveness is a two-street.

Mercy is giving you (or seeking) a lighter punishment than you deserve. My level of forgiveness doesn't necessarily match my level of mercy, and it certainly doesn't need to match your level of sorrow.

I leave a $10 bill laying on my front porch, and you steal it. I can show you mercy by not calling the cops, but I can't forgive you if you don't think there's anything wrong with what you did.

EDIT: Whoops - I think just responded to an argument no one was making. Carry on.

Fun fact: Inge's 139 HR is tied for 22nd all-time in a Detroit uniform, tied with...Rocky Colavito and Miguel Cabrera.

Ever funner fact: Cecil Fielder hit 245 HR as a Tiger, fifth on the list...and had a 15.2 WAR, less than Inge's 18.