Inge will not be forced to play catcher

Okay, so 15 hour car trips from Michigan to Florida really take it out of you. Fortunately, I have enough left in the tank to do a blog post tonight, even while I'm enjoying the rather balmy 70 degree weather.

So it looks like Brandon Inge will not be catching anymore for the Detroit Tigers. Inge, the Tigers' former starting third baseman was relegated to a utility role with the acquisition of Miguel Cabrera this offseason.

Inge was a great catcher when he came up to the big leagues. Unfortunately, he no longer wishes to fulfill that role. And personally, I cannot blame him. I still feel that Cabrera should be moved somewhere else. Inge's glove at third base is too important to sit on the bench.

What angers me more is the comments made on the ESPN story linked above. People are making it like Inge is whining and complaining, but all he wants to do is start somewhere. And, for those that argue that Inge should do his job must remember his contract was signed with the intent that his job would be the Tigers' everyday third baseman.

I really hope some miracle happens and Inge ends up back at third for Detroit. He is my favorite player in recent history and it would be terrible for his tenure in Motown to end like this.

Tigers acquire Cabrera, Willis

It’s a great day to be a Detroit Tigers fan.

As a lifelong fan, I’ve come to enjoy the past two years of success that the storied franchise has given us. And, apparently, the Tigers are looking to make it three successful seasons in a row, with the prospect of many more to come. Let’s just say Christmas came a little early to Detroit.

Not only did the Tigers get one of the most prized diamonds of the offseason in Miguel Cabrera, they also got a spectacular pitcher in Dontrelle Willis.

Cabrera’s numbers compare well to Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez, but he is only 24 years old. Dontrelle is 25 and is a very dominant pitcher when he’s at his best.

Sure, the Tigers give up quite a bit, including super prospects Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin. But, what GM Dave Dombromski did is pure genius. He traded raw talent for two proven all-stars. Maybe Miller or Maybin work out, they both did show flashes of brilliance last season. But, the odds aren’t that great that Miller becomes the next Willis, or that Maybin becomes the next Cabrera.

The only thing that I dislike about the trade is that it may mark the end of the Brandon Inge era in Detroit. However, I would rather see Cabrera play left field and Jacque Jones become a backup than to see Inge get shipped out.

Now, if only Matt Millen would take a page out of Dave Dombrowski’s book. Then maybe the Lions could actually win a game here or there.