It’s a privilege anytime I get to interview one of these former tigers. I’m not going to call Inge an old-timey Tiger because that would make me feel incredibly old, and I’m sure he would feel the same about that sentiment, but despite his time in Detroit feeling like it was just a few days ago, a lot of time has passed. Time allows people to gain perspective, and I think Inge was always viewed as generally one of the more Well-rounded people in the Clubhouse when he played in Detroit. Jim Leyland always spoke highly of him, and it seemed he had a good relationship with his teammates, but age brings wisdom, and it was awesome to hear him share his perspective on his time in Detroit.
Inge is obviously remembered for being an All-Star in 2009 and being a part of the team in 2006, but I think it goes greatly overlooked just how important he was to the 2006 AL Pennant-winning team. When we think of that group, we think of Pudge Rodriguez, Kenny Rogers, and Carlos Guillen. And Guillen led the team in wins above replacement that year; Brandon Inge was right behind him. 2006 was his only five-war season, and even though 2009 will be considered to be his shining achievement because he made the All-Star team and participated in the home run Derby (we don’t need to recall what happened there), he was not just along for the ride in 2006. That team doesn’t get to the World Series without him.
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People sometimes ask me which Tiger in their prime I would like to take and put on the current team. Even though Brandon Inge wouldn’t be at the top of the list, I do find it ironic that his greatest quality, which was his dazzling defense at third base, would probably help the current Detroit Tigers a lot. Miguel Cabrera made up for it in 2012 and 2013 with his Gotti offensive numbers, but since Brandon was let go, the Tigers have yet to find a defender at that position that even comes close to rivaling what he was able to contribute. There were a few guys who were okay, like Jeimer Candelario. Still, you either had guys like Colt Keith or Nick Castellanos, who, simply put, were at third base because they had to be, or utility guys like Zach McKinstry and Andrew Romine, who you moved all over the diamond.
I didn’t mean to turn this into a piece criticizing the current state of the Tigers, but it’s important to note that Brandon Inge hasn’t played for Detroit since 2011, yet he remains the Tigers’ best defensive third baseman of my lifetime. If you want to check out this interview as well as any other interviews that we’ve done with former Tigers, you can subscribe to our YouTube page. I really appreciate Brandon coming on and sharing his wisdom.