Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Inge Performance Embarrassing, But Not A Disgrace

See the headline on my blog post for Monday? I was right on with that prediction, eh?
Suffice to say it didn't go well for Brandon Inge in the Home Run Derby Monday. It's one thing to not hit a home run. It's another to have trouble hitting the ball to the mid-range of the outfield. Inge might not have gone deep in Williamsport.
I was on the radio at the time of the home run contest. The first calls Dennis Fithian and I took after Inge's oh-for said it was "embarrassing" and a "disgrace."
Embarrassing? Yes. Disgrace? No. There is a difference. I give Inge credit for trying. A lot of players - too many - try to avoid such a glaring stage out of fear failure.
However, if Inge slumps the second half, please don't claim his performance in the Home Run Derby had anything to do with it. More likely, it will be a non-factor.

Random Thoughts

- Stan Bowman, Scotty's son, is going to be the new general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks. Wow, that'll be interesting. Will Stan or Scotty really be running the team? Wonder if Scotty would return to the bench to help his kid? I know Dale Tallon had an incident not getting contracts to the league on time recently, but his firing was nonethless surprising. He had taken the Blackhawks a long way in a relatively short period of time.

- Yeah, I could live without the celebrity softball game. Love the future's game, though.

- Allen Iverson and the Clippers = a perfect match.

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4 Comments:

Blogger Fred Brill said...

Pat,

Couldn't agree more more about Inge. Not a disgrace - but - yeah -really embarrassing. I do applaud him for the character he showed at the end though - head held high and smiling.

I would rather have the two taters he hit Sunday than two in the HR Derby.

I was watching it on the patio through MLB.com (I wish I could afford to always have the premium service - it's amazing) - and they stuck a twitter app on the side of the TV picture - and the comments across twitter (#hrderby) were not kind.

That foul ball he hit last was on a rope though - but foul balls don't count.

You asked me in yesterday's comments what I thought Inges average will end up being? I would guess around .255 or so - the extra "dying quail" you know.

But Inge may see it differently - after tonights game - like he got to the next level - that ellusive next level that every player strides for. Dillusional? - some may say so - but it's what he thinks that counts - and you don't know if he might stand at that plate in the second half with more confidence and surprise us all.

He is a good clutch hitter (save one little at bat in last inning of game 4 of the 2006 WS).

Who knows what this experience might do for Inge - it might inflate hime or deflate him. But he strikes me as more of an inflatable guy.

But I can't wait to see Granderson and Inge get on the field tonight -and Verlander and Jackson pitch - you never know - that home field advantage they win might be for us.

They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

They say that you know.

8:58 AM 
Anonymous Steve V. said...

Pat, with the tigers on pace to win 89 games do you think that is enough to wiin the central or a wild card?

If not at this point how many games do you think to win the central, How many to win the Wild Card.

I say 88-90 wins the central. And I belive you would need more to get a wild card 93-95. The wild card may not be in play for the central division.

12:27 PM 
Blogger Pat Caputo said...

Fred Brill,
Inge is a class act all the way. You have to admire him. It's just sometimes his performance gets overrated because he is so stellar in the way he goes about his business.
Caputo

4:11 AM 
Blogger Pat Caputo said...

Steve V,
Yes, I do believe if the Tigers win 89 games they will get in. That is number of games that won AL Central last season. It was the fewest by an A.L. division winner since 2000.
Caputo

4:13 AM 

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