Brandon Inge
From BR Bullpen
Charles Brandon Inge
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 185 lb.
- School Virginia Commonwealth University
- Debut April 3, 2001
- Born May 19, 1977 in Lynchburg, VA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Brandon Inge started as an infielder, and was converted to catcher in the minor leagues. Because of his very strong throwing arm, the move was considered a success at first: Andy Etchebarren referred to Inge as perhaps the finest defensive catcher in the American League. However, while this allowed Inge to reach the majors, it affected his hitting very negatively. He was moved back to third base when the Detroit Tigers signed Ivan Rodriguez before the 2004 season and his play improved significantly after the move. He did however return to the backstop periodically after moving away from there, in order to find playing time when other positions were being occupied by other players.
Inge made headlines in 2008 when he went on the disabled list for pushing a pillow. He was trying to position the pillow beneath the head of his son, who slept in the same bed as Mr. and Mrs. Inge; in so doing, he repopped a muscle.
Inge had a career year as the Tigers' third baseman in 2009, making the All-Star team while hitting 27 homers and driving in 84 runs. Less than two years later, the Tigers had him designated for assignment after a woeful first half to the 2011 season. He was hitting .177 with one homer in 70 games when the Tigers let him go on July 20th, on the day they acquired Wilson Betemit from the Kansas City Royals to play 3B. He accepted an assignment to the AAA Toledo Mud Hens, however, and exactly one month after his career almost ended, he was back in the first-place Tigers' line-up on August 20th, celebrating by hitting a homer off David Huff in his first at-bat, and hitting a 400-foot RBI double in his second as the Tigers cruised to a 10-1 win over the Cleveland Indians.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- AL All-Star (2009)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 2 (2006 & 2009)
