Inge to play third, Guillen left field next season

Saturday, September 27, 2008
Tigers: Notebook
Inge to play third, Guillen left field next season
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- The Tigers are moving Brandon Inge back to third base for next season and Carlos Guillen to left field.

Confirming the switch, but not elaborating on the reasons why, manager Jim Leyland said, "I'm not going to go into any detail, but this is the best thing for the team."

Leyland already has gone on the record as saying he didn't want any indecision about positions heading into next spring. He called it "hanky panky" - and said that he was going to tell players ahead of next spring what their position, if changing, was going to be.

With this one, however, he's taken care of it way ahead of spring training.

"I've said all along that it's my favorite position," Inge said about third base. "I beamed like a kid when he told me."

Inge was the Tigers' starting catcher Saturday night for the first time since Sept. 15 but made his first error of the season at any of his positions by missing a pop-up in the eighth after moving to third in the Tigers' 4-3 victory over Tampa Bay.

Since his last start behind the plate, he had made eight starts at third in the meantime -- so it wasn't as if the confirmation that he's going to move back there full time was a total surprise.

For Guillen, the move to left is his third positional switch since the end of last season -- to first, to third and now to the outfield. He's played in only two major-league games as an outfielder, both of them this year.

What that does to the combination of players who've played in left this season -- Marcus Thames in particular -- is uncertain, but if he stays healthy, Guillen will get the bulk of the playing time there next season.

Moving Inge to third creates an opening for a starting catcher, but the Tigers have no plans to re-sign Pudge Rodriguez, despite the fact he'll be a free agent.

It's already been speculated in the Dallas Morning News that the Texas Rangers' Gerald Laird could interest the Tigers, if the Rangers choose to make him available in a trade.

Around the horn

The Tigers gave Todd Jones, their retiring closer, a nice sendoff on Saturday night with an on-field ceremony during the game. They presented Jones, who had his family on hand, with a painting that commemorated the high points of Jones' career.

He retires with 319 career saves, 14th on the all-time list, but also as the Tigers' career leader in saves with 235. He also was on the mound for the final out at Tiger Stadium...

Placido Polanco definitely will miss Sunday's home finale at Comerica Park, because of a sprained left ankle. He's not yet been ruled out for Monday's makeup game in Chicago, if the Tigers have to play it...

With his batting average up to .273 for Saturday night's game, Jeff Larish came in for some praise.

"He's been the most observant player we've had the last few weeks," said Leyland. "It's paying off for him. Plus he has talent. I like what I see. I like guys who are smart."

09/28/2008 12:09 AM ET
Inge to be Tigers' third baseman in '09
Guillen to be moved to left field to improve club's defense
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- The Tigers went into this season trying to figure out what to do with Brandon Inge after displacing him as their third baseman. They've ended the season by putting him back at the hot corner.

What began as a way to fill in for the injured Carlos Guillen will be a full-time move next year. Inge will head into next season as the everyday third baseman, according to manager Jim Leyland. Guillen, who played third base for much of the season before missing the final month with a lower back injury, will become the regular left fielder.

It's a move that the Tigers believe addresses both the team's struggling infield defense from this year and Guillen's long-term health. While Guillen improved markedly at third base as the summer went along, he wasn't going to compare with Inge, whose range and athleticism gave Leyland the argument to rank him among the best third basemen in the American League.

"It's the best thing for Inge -- it's the best thing for the team," Leyland said.

Two months ago, the Tigers traded Ivan Rodriguez to the Yankees with the idea that Inge would be their full-time catcher going into next season. While Rodriguez is a free agent at season's end, Inge has two more years remaining on the four-year, $24 million contract he signed after the 2006 season. Catching provided a return to the position he played for the first few years of his Major League career until the Rodriguez signing in 2004 made Inge an infielder.

Instead of this late-season stint preparing Inge for next season, the Tigers decided to move in a new direction. By mid-September, with Guillen still out, Inge was playing regularly at third, while prospect Dusty Ryan has received the bulk of the starts behind the plate since being called up from Triple-A Toledo on Sept. 2. Inge caught on Saturday for the first time since Sept. 15.

What the Tigers will do at catcher next year isn't clear. They've taken a good look at Ryan and have been impressed, but his limited experience above Double-A could be a factor. The Tigers could decide to platoon Ryan with a veteran addition, give Ryan the bulk of the duty starting out or give him more seasoning in the Minors while someone else holds down the job in Detroit for a while.

Guillen, meanwhile, will reprise the outfield experiment the Tigers briefly tried in June to get Inge -- then a utility player -- more playing time at third. An injury to Inge quickly ended the need for the move, but Guillen's recurring back issues -- inflammation from a pinched nerve -- cost him the entire month of September. He is expected to be fine next season.

"One thing I like about it," Leyland said, "is that Carlos will be in a comfort zone, because he's been out there before in his career."

Guillen began his professional career as an outfielder in the Houston Astros' farm system more than a decade ago. He was later converted to shortstop before starting his big league career in Seattle.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

This ought to be fun...

NOW YA KNOW WHY THEY HAVE A MERRY GO ROUND at CoPa! Round and round they go, where they stop, nobody knows!

OMG didnt we try this this season?

mrsrabelo wrote:

OMG didnt we try this this season?

they should have kept Mike!

Tom Gage said it on his blog too...
http://info.detnews.com/redesign/blogs/tigersblog/index.cfm

Now I just have to dig my nails into my palms and wait it out to see if Magglio gets traded....*ouch*

I dont think this is a bad idea, now Los and Inge can both play, and Inge seems to perform better at third. So all in all, this could work out.

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

mrsrabelo wrote:

OMG didnt we try this this season?

they should have kept Mike!

The Tigers should really listen to you!

I may still put in a resume to the Tigers for Team counseling coach!

I predicted back in May that would be the full time LF in '09. But I can't remember where...

The only problem now is :joyce: doesn't have a position. But the Tigers have holes now at SS and C, so if I'm Joyce...

crap, Joyce will be the carrot in some trade...

gdennis59 wrote:

I dont think this is a bad idea, now Los and Inge can both play, and Inge seems to perform better at third. So all in all, this could work out.

Better than he does at catcher? That's not saying much - he can barely hit .200 as a catcher.

Tell you what, I'll do better DHing than catching (.000 vs. .001). Can I play, too?

Me too!

09/28/2008 3:32 PM ET
Inge glad to return to third in 2009
Veteran hopes to put rough 2008 campaign behind him
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Brandon Inge ended his 2008 season back in the same position where he closed out his '07 season. It's the journey in between that has made it such a long year for him.

"This is the worst season I've ever been a part of, personally, in my entire life," Inge said.

From an individual standpoint, it was the frustration of not being able to play regularly for about half the season. Inge's second half, meanwhile, has seen him start regularly at catcher, then third base, and even get a rare start in center field.

With the Tigers' decision to move him back to third base full-time for next year, however, Inge has some closure, some direction that he lacked for much of the year.

"It's like a little light at the end of a season that was not very good for me," Inge said, "wondering what was going to happen, if I was even going to be here, if I was going to be traded. Now, knowing that the position that I love more than any is going to be mine next year, that makes me very happy."

Up until recently, Inge's position seemed to be catcher. He was the heir apparent to Ivan Rodriguez upon Pudge's trade to the Yankees in July, and the Tigers played him there every day in an effort to evaluate him and prepare him for next year.

It was a shift back to Inge's original position in the pros, but it was also a strenuous change -- more so than he might've anticipated -- and one that he's still feeling up there after catching regularly for more than a month and a half.

"It's funny," Inge said. "I played half the season, maybe, and I'm more tired right now than I've probably ever been. I'm trying to beat out ground balls these days, and it feels like I'm taking eight seconds [to run] down to first base."

That's the impact of catching. He won't have that wear and tear at third base, where it'll be more a test of athleticism and reactions than endurance for him.

By learning of the change now rather than in the offseason, Inge can gear his training plan around playing at third again. He can also devote more attention to his offense, which the Tigers suspect suffered with all the uncertainty -- from irregular playing time to the demands of not only catching, but learning to catch again.

Inge entered Sunday batting .203 with 11 home runs and 50 RBIs. The run production was encouraging, manager Jim Leyland said, but the hitting in general will obviously be a point of emphasis.

"It helps me to prepare," Inge said. "I can work on third base instead of catching. I mean, no matter what, I was going to [work on] my offense anyways. I'm just looking forward to it. It's a light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm excited to be able to just even have a direction. I haven't had a direction."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

NOW YA KNOW WHY THEY HAVE A MERRY GO ROUND at CoPa! Round and round they go, where they stop, nobody knows!

iluvpudge7 wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

NOW YA KNOW WHY THEY HAVE A MERRY GO ROUND at CoPa! Round and round they go, where they stop, nobody knows!

It's true!

I'm happy, yes guys i'm happy. Inge at 3B! That's the best i heard for months! His offensive power will come back. Clutch hitting at it's best in 2009!

Did i just hear someone booing?? :nahnah:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

iluvpudge7 wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

NOW YA KNOW WHY THEY HAVE A MERRY GO ROUND at CoPa! Round and round they go, where they stop, nobody knows!

It's true!

I never noticed this before, but there is a HUGE white lightbulb on top of the merry go round made to look a baseball. Yikes! hope that thing doesn't fall off!

swiss_tiger wrote:

I'm happy, yes guys i'm happy. Inge at 3B! That's the best i heard for months! His offensive power will come back. Clutch hitting at it's best in 2009!

Did i just hear someone booing?? :nahnah:

Im quite surprised that Inge is not in your Favorite Tigers Section

gdennis59 wrote:

swiss_tiger wrote:

I'm happy, yes guys i'm happy. Inge at 3B! That's the best i heard for months! His offensive power will come back. Clutch hitting at it's best in 2009!

Did i just hear someone booing?? :nahnah:

Im quite surprised that Inge is not in your Favorite Tigers Section

He isn't?? Who said that?? Of course he is!

I see.

Now I see.

I forgot to do that. But you will be stunned seeing my new avatar. Count the days.

Erm. Im waitin on it. Cant complain though, as it took me some time to get a pic of the headrest up.

bobrob2004 wrote:

I predicted back in May that would be the full time LF in '09. But I can't remember where...

Actually, it was April. And I got my proof now!

Click.