FROM CRINGE TO INGE
By JAYRC • Jun 29th, 2009 • Category: 2009 Season, Brandon IngeAbout a week ago I officially let reliever Brandon Lyon out of the dog house. Perhaps it’s time I take a deep breath, swallow my pride, and do the same for Brandon Inge. I have spent most of his career hating on him, and rightfully so for the most part. His pathetic .239 career average and inability to deliver clutch plays have hindered the Detroit Tigers for many seasons.
This year during spring training I personally launched an Anti-Inge Campaign. Given my unruly behavior anyone sitting near me must have thought I was Randy Quaid from Major League 2. Enough was enough though, I was seriously over Brandon Inge, or as I called him Brandon Cringe. I was unable to comprehend how little Brandon was put on a pedistool every season like he was George Kell or Chas Gehringer. No team in baseball had a player at the hot corner with less impressive offensive career numbers than our Tigers. He rarely got on base, his glove was over hyped and something about him just made me cringe.
So far this season though Cringe has done a great job of making me look like a jackass. Sundays two run home run came with two outs in the ninth inning off Astros closer Jose Valverde. It appeared as if the Astros were going to sweep us before Cringe delivered that shot. It was his eighteenth of the season which ties Curtis Granderson for the team lead. While often even I have debated that his home runs have been meaningless, that shot was definitely anything but. This season Cringe is hitting a respectable .274 with with 51runs batted in. While it is often a dangerous thing to do its only natural to look at numbers and project what they “could be” at seasons end. It now seems quite possible that he could hit 35 home runs and drive in 100. I am pretty sure this offensive outburst is a direct and personal attack at me to silence me for my unruly behavior towards Mr. Cringe. Is that all it took Brandon? I would have snapped years ago? Either way sir, I’m quite pleased with your recent productivity.
Don’t get it twisted, you are far from my favorite Tiger Brandon Cringe. However, it now seems only fitting to give credit where credit is do. I will now delete the (CR) before your last name as I no longer cringe when I see you at the dish Mr. Inge. You command respect, so i will give you your due. Congrats, thank you, and by the way you too are out of my dog house. While I refuse to jump on the bandwagon, I must be a man and at least admit that you have made a fool of me so far this young season. Keep it up sir, as we need you to produce in order to continue our winning ways.
Share
JAYRC is
Email this author | All posts by JAYRC
I was wondering last week if you’d say anything when Inge hit the 2 run shot against Zambrano to give the Tigers the lead. Then they lost it on poor pitch selection by Zumaya, and Raburn rightly took the spot light on his walk-off. So I understood, but still was curious…
Then his 2 run shot yesterday - and here it is. Well, all I have to say is, I sure hope he doesn’t suck now that he’s off your s@#t list.
But congrats on swallowing your pride after two pretty pivotal homers. It’s a tough thing to do.
He will always be CRINGE to me!
However I must admit you are correct that his bat is helping us this year. With the absence of Maggs and Guillen, Inge must continue to produce
Funny article, I think we all have a tiger we LOVE to hate
Inge will always be mine
Its becoming a hard to hate on the guy after his performance thus far. Hate is a strong word, and I know you never hated the guy, just years of frustration, like many of us, wondering if this guy was ever going ot come around. We all enjoy his diving this way and that way, coming up and making a great play. its his wild throws on routine plays that still having us call him Cringe. I must give him the credit he is due. In the past you could count his career clutch hits on one hand. Maybe the hitting coach is actually instructing players. The news states he has been working with Lloyd. Maybe the move back to his favorite position helped. He is a much better hitter this year than in the past. Lets hope for the Tigers he continues, and for him as well.
Excellent article. Keep it up.
Great post. It expresses my feelings exactly. I still will never understand why so many fans LOVE him in Detroit, but I, too, must give him some credit this year for coming through in the clutch and posting some respectable numbers.
I hope this doesn’t jinx Mr. (CR) Inge.