Like It Or Not - Brandon Inge Likely to Start at 2B

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

Brandon Inge didn't have a good 2011, but according to him was going to "stop being nice" in the future years and improve his hitting while manning his position at third base. That was before Mike Illich spend nearly a quarter of a billion dollars on a new first baseman. The addition of Prince Fielder posed a problem for the Tigers, who now had to find a place for American League batting champion, Miguel Cabrera.

That problem was fixed when Manager Jim Leyland and General Manager Dave Dombrowski agreed that moving Cabrera to third was the best choice for the team - that move may have been good for the Tigers but not so good for Inge. During the press conference to announce Fielder, the question came up about Inge and Leyland told the media crowd that Inge "was not a happy camper" in regards to being displaced from third.

As Spring Training approached Inge was trying to find a way that he could still contribute to the club and play every day - third base was occupied, as was short stop and catcher, first base was also out of the question which left one place, second base. Second base has been a problem for the Tigers for some time now, with Leyland being content to head into the season with a platoon of Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago.

When it became known that Inge was intending on competing for the second base job a good portion of Tiger-nation let out a groan. He was the last to arrive in Lakeland, Fla. for Spring Training but has been given his shot at the second base position and if you believe Dombrowski, Inge has been All-Star quality. MLB Radio talked to Dombrowski about Inge playing second base earlier this week.

During Spring Training, Inge has made one start at second in a game against the Atlanta Braves in which he made a couple solid defensive plays. But his defensive ability was never what made Tigers fans boo him during the season or groan when they heard his name announced to come to the plate during a rally - to say Inge struggle with the bat last season is an understatement.

Dombrowski has said that Inge has been very good offensively and he has been using the whole field when he hits. But he preferenced that statement by saying that they didn't want to get carried away but went on to say that if Inge keeps up his performance he could get "a lot" of playing time this season.

So like it or not, it appears as though Inge will work his magic once again and find his way back into the every day lineup - which could either be a very good thing defensively for the Tigers or very bad for the Tigers offensively. Only time will tell whether or not Inge will be the every day second baseman out of Spring Training.

Detroit Is a "Dream Come True" For Fielder

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier

He grew up in the Detroit clubhouse, being handed packs of hotdogs and stuffed into trash cans by various Tigers players. Prince Fielder said he loved being able to have that experience with his father and that he hoped he could give that to his own sons now that he is a Tiger. Things have progressed since Fielder signed his $214MM deal and he couldn't be happier.

"I'm having a blast," Fielder said. "I really like this team."

His enjoyment with the Tigers started before most of his teammates reached Lakeland, Fla.. Following an early batting practice Fielder made an effort to go out of the way to say hello and have a conversation with the Tigers locker room security guard.

While Fielder is enjoying his time with Detroit he admits that it is a dream come true for him, even if it was a dream that he had never allowed slip into his mind. The signing had all the elements of a Mike Illich move, the Tigers owner saw someone he wanted and he got them. Fielder's $214MM deal was one that came as a surprise to everyone involved - from General Manager Dave Dombrowski to Fielder himself.

Illich had wanted Fielder since he was a kid hitting homers in Tiger Stadium, but just missed the slugger in the MLB draft by one place and lost him to the Milwaukee Brewers. This move is a dream come true, not just for Fielder, but for Illich as well who has said that he would gladly "trade a few Red Wings rings for one Tigers ring."

Fielder went on to call the move by the Tigers to acquire him, "a blessing." He is able to follow in his father's footsteps while in the same line being able to blaze his own trail in familiar surroundings. Detroit fans may remember a young Fielder crush a home run out of Tiger Stadium for 611 ft.

This spring, while at Joker Marchant Stadium, Fielder connected with a pitch and drove it 25 feet up the light standard for a home run. Afterwards he said that he was merely getting warmed up -  something he eluded to in his press conference when he said that he "only know how to swing hard."

Fielder praised his teammates in spring training when he said, that he doesn't "feel like anybody doesn't like to work hard here, and that's rare to see. Everybody works hard and everybody gets it."