OT: Inge in the All-Star Game
So what are the chances of Inge making the All-Star game as a reserve?
.278, 17 HR, 49 RBI, .371 OBP
Several 3B have higher averages, but Inge leads all 3B in homers and is third in RBI. Assuming (pretty much a given) that Longoria wins the vote, here's Inge's main competition:
Scott Rolen: .332, 5 HR, 25 RBI
Chone Figgins: .323, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 22 SB
Michael Young: .315, 10 HR, 27 RBI
Mike Lowell: .286, 10 HR, 41 RBI
Right now, I think it's a pretty tough call. Rolen and Figgins have great averages, but Inge blows them out of the water with the power numbers. Young has decent all around numbers, but again, Inge almost doubles the power production. Lowell is a distant consideration - You have to think some of those RBIs are a product of the great offense around him.
If Inge can get the average to .290 in the next two weeks, I think there's a chance. I'm a huge Inge fan so maybe I'm a bit biased, but I would love to see it happen.
Another thing that may hurt him is that the Tigers will send 3 players for sure already - possibly four if Granderson really turns it on.
Inge is the best defensive 3B out of those by far. Too bad defense doesn't register in 99/100 people's heads.
Rolen is close if not better, and iirc has the gold gloves to prove it...
Michael Young isn't a sack of baseballs at 3rd defensively either.
Michael Young is the worst defensive 3rd Baseman in the AL this season with the worst Range Factor, worst Range Runs Above Average, and worst UZR rating of any third baseman in the AL.
The top 4 defensive 3rd baseman in the AL are Joe Crede, Inge, Longoria and Beltre. After that, there is a very big drop off. Rolen is in that next tier with Figgens and Mora.
1 year of defensive stats are = to 3 years of offense. We haven't even played 1/2 a year yet. Most players are likely to float towards their defensive mean. Rolen is likely to play more like himself in the future unless he truely has lost a step.
you might want to do some research before you stake a claim like that...
3rd most errors of any 3B in baseball and he's in the bottom five in the AL in fielding percentage at his position.
Does not have the largest Range Factor in the league nor the largest zone rating.
He makes a lot of flashy plays but he also boots more balls than anyone else.
Dude is NOT an elite 3B and doesn't deserve the All-Star game.
He's having an AMAZING year and I will give it up for him but...no ASG for him.
there are only 13 guys in the entire sport with worse fielding percentages than Inge (excluding pitchers).
And that list starts with Alfonso Soriano....
rank 3rd in MLB in ultimate zone rating. This includes a sightly below -0.2 runs below average on double play balls, 8.1 runs above on range factor runs, and 1.5 runs above on error runs. Washington and Minneosta are the only teams to demonstrate better 3b play so far ths year, as a whole.
He absolutely is elite defensively. He has the second best UZR rating of any 3B in the AL. That is a much more accurate stat than simply looking at errors and fielding percentage.
Inge has been solid this year, but I still can't get behind him. He continues to swing from his heals in late game situations when a single would tie the game. I have softened my dislike for him, but I'll never be a fan.
That being said, he has as good a chance as any of the above for an All Star slot. One thing to consider though is if his competition are on teams that don't have anyone else to send. You could argue that Figgens might fit that bill, as you have to assume Rolen (Halladay), Young (Kinsler), and Lowell (rest of the team) will already have team members there.
One thing to consider though is if his competition are on teams that don't have anyone else to send. You could argue that Figgens might fit that bill
Torii Hunter anyone? .311/.390/.591 with 16 homers and 52 stakes.
Forgot about him to be honest. Outfield is weird though in All Star games, you never know what they're going to do. Those are pretty solid numbers though.
Anyway, I still don't like Inge.
Inge is a better defender than all four of those guys. And without him, the Tigers would be boned. His turnaround after a horrendous '08 season (playing mostly at catcher) should get him Comeback Player of the Year.
Inge: OPS .906 EQA .296 WARP3 5.9
Rolen: OPS .881 EQA .309 WARP3 3.7
Figgins: OPS .815 EQA .293 WARP3 5.1
Young: OPS .874 EQA .295 WARP3 3.2
Lowell: OPS .801 EQA .276 WARP3 1.6
So, as you can see, Inge really is as good or better than everyone else in pretty much every major statistic (only Rolen has a higher EQA). So, he IS the better 3rd baseman offensivly then those. (Evan Longoria smacks him around though.)
Defensively it's not even close.
So should he be? Yes. Will he be? I think so many people are infactuated with someones average as the correct indicator of how good they are offensively that it will hold him back. On the other hand, a lot people also look at RBIs/HRs as an inidcator of how good someone is offensivly so he might get on on that count.
I doubt he'll make it. While he may be one of the best defensive 3B in baseball, he's not a big enough name.
Doesn't have the name to get in.
FWIW: The AL managers who will be selecting the team are: Joe Madden (Tampa), Trey Hillman (KC), Don Wakamatsu (SEA)
Plus fan voting is typically dominated by NY and BOS, so unless Tigers fans start stuffing the ballot box it's not too good for him.
Fans only select the starters. As noted above, reserves are selected by Joe Maddon (and two other managers).
I would think that those guys would know what they are looking at when they compared numbers. Most managers aren't stupid enough to see batting average as the only useful stat for a hitter.
" Most managers aren't stupid enough to see batting average as the only useful stat for a hitter."
I bet you would be shocked to find out just how many really do.
Plus he's still a very polarizing player. People either love him or hate him, so the negative opinions will drag him down.
I don't know. I would think that the offensive statistical leader on a first-place team would have more than a 50/50 shot at the All-Star Game, but justice never wins when it comes to All-Star votes.
Inge limped as he returned to the dugout after his homer. “My left knee has been acting up a little,” said Inge, who aggravated it when he charged a ball midgame. “Both of my knees have been hurting a little. I think it’s from catching last year, and it’s catching up to me a little bit. It’s nothing I haven’t been dealing with all year.”
In case you didn't know, he was a team player and did himself harm last year by catching. In case you forgot... blurg.
And asked to be traded.
What do you do for a living? Doesn't matter. You do A. Do you hate to do B? Well too bad. If you want a job, you have to do B.
Should we complain about you being upset that you're being forced from a job that you like and are good at to a job you hate? Probably not.
What I have a problem with is this image that he's such a team guy he played a position he didn't like. He complained and asked to be traded, so you can't say he handled the move well, and outside of tha he was only playing because if he refused to play c he wouldn't get paid.
oh, then i'm not voting for him.
The Tigers will already get 2-3 pitchers on the team so my guess is they won't take any other Tigers to make sure they have enough room to get every team represented. Plus if they do take another Tiger it will probably be Cabrera even though first base is crowded as heck.
Cabrera is almost a given, as are Verlander and Jackson. Who is the third pitcher you speak of?
Youkilis, Morneau and Tex are all more deserving than Cabrera. He won't make the team. Verlander and Jackson will. Inge should. Granderson has an outside shot.
Cabrera: .329, 14 HR, 44 RBI
Youkilis: .318, 12 HR, 42 RBI
Morneau: .322, 16 HR, 57 RBI
Texiera: .282, 20 HR, 56 RBI
IMO, those are all comparable numbers. I don't really think any is drastically more deserving than the other (although I admit I didn't realize the relative lower power numbers Cabrera has put up).
Morneau is looking pretty good, Texiera's numbers are good but with so many other 1B's hitting for power AND average, he's not that impressive. And Youkilis is very good in each category, but not overwhelming in any.
Don't forget Martinez either.
But, you're right, Cabrera is not at all a lock. He leads AL 1B in average, though, and has to be considered a candidate.
He lags behind in just about every offensive stat. Oh, but he's a red sock...Fuck boston...
Youkilis: 1.031 OPS (with a very high .445 OBP) .336 EQA and a 5.8 WARP3
Cabrera: .942 OPS .310 EQA and a 5.2 WARP3
I have no idea where you're getting your info that he lags behind cabrera in every offensive stat.
Youkilis isn't getting some props for being a Red Sock... he's getting props for having a very very good year.
I had forgot youkilis missed time earlier with an injury. I still think cabrera is the better player though, and was blinded by my hatred of the red sox...
First, props for admitting you were blinded by your hatred of the red sox.
I agree that Cabrera is the overall better player (even by a decent amount) but Youkilis is having the better season so far. I think by the end of the season Cabrera will have the better numbers though.
doesn't youkilis have a gold glove? I think that makes HIM the better overall player.
Although I agree Cabrera's power numbers should take off and leave Youkilis in the dust.
I love me some miggy but if Youk has a Gold glove there is no conversation with comparable numbers this year and much better defensively...
Sorry, but the gold glove award is a complete joke. If you're basing how good some is defensive on that then you really don't have a strong argument. When Derek Jeter is a three time gold glove winner, and he is as average (and now below average) defensively as they come. But hey, once in awhile he makes an impressive play when going to his right, jumping and firing the ball to first, so he gets a gold glove. Ignore the fact that he has horrible range and a truly good defensive short stop wouldn't have needed to make it so tough to begin with. (Hit a little tangent there)
That being said, I don't disagree that Youk is a better defenseman, and I also agreed that this year Youkilis is having the better season (he is). But overall, Cabrera is simply the better play in the long run.
Youk, for the most part, has seemingly reached most of his potential. Nobody is expecting him to blow up in future years. Cabrera, on the other hand, is in a very different situation. Many believe he still has a ways to go before he reaches his potential, and if that's true holy geeze that's scary.
He probably won't make it, but he deserves it IMO
Inge is the man.
He should be a lock. He has the second highest WAR for 3rd baseman in all of MLB. And, only Joe Crede has probably been better than him defensively at 3B. Will he? Tough to say. He should be a lock, though. Only Longoria has had a better season at 3B in the AL.
Inge is amazing
No.
Next question....
So what other reserve 3B is going to selected by Maddon and co.? Inge has the best overall offensive numbers, IMO. And he is the best defensive guy at the hot corner. He has more errors than most because he gets to more balls than anyone other third baseman.
Despite a couple of instances of late innings heroics from Inge over the last few days, he really hasn't been swinging the bat all that great since the first month of the season. I remember hearing something on the radio last week that he's only hitting around .240 since the beginning of May. My guess is that he would have to go on a hot streak again and get that average up to around .290 before Joe Maddon would consider lobbying for him to be put on the team. Barring a collapse from Verlander and Jackson over the next couple of weeks, they will almost assuredly be chosen as the Tigers representatives for the All Star game. It would be pretty tough for the Tigers to get a third player on the team.
I'm not ready to anoint Inge as the best fielding third baseman in baseball. He has more errors because he is erratic with his throws from time to time.
Inges errors are him misplaying hops at third, which he does a lot. They have nothing to do with how many balls he gets to, and even then, his fielding percentage is hardly great, which is a measure of how many balls he gets to against his errors. Inge is a good fielding 3b who shows flashes of great, but isn't consistent in the field. and I guarantee tigers fans will not be happy with him later in the year. Water will find its level, and inge will suck.
That is the worst analysis I have ever seen.
Among other things, we've been happy with Inge in the hot corner for years now, and every single fan was upset they even tried to move him from there. Nobody else they stuck there last year was even close defensively.
Not "every single fan" was upset that they actually tried to upgrade the 3rd base position after the '07 season when Inge was a human windmill at the plate that led the league in strikeouts and was amongst the league leaders in errors for a 3rd baseman. The Tigers tried desperately to trade Inge after they acquired Migggy and couldn't find any team that was willing to pay his salary. Chances are, Inge's offensive production will plummet in the second half of the season, just as it always has.
The fact is inge misplays a ton of balls, and for 90% of his career has been a pathetic excuse for an mlb hitter. I'm not saying anything untrue, and I'm baffled as to why so many people think he is a good player. He's serviceable player who has a little pop, but over the course of his career is one of the worst offensive 3b in the league and is a defender who will make almost enough great plays to make up for his boneheaded ones in the field. Those are facts, and a couple hot months doesng make them go away.