The Detroit Tiger's Brandon Inge: An Everyman's Baseball Player

Detroit Tigers baseball player Brandon Inge has been with the Tigers through their highest of highs and lowest of lows. When the Tigers were good, they were great, making it all the way to the 2006 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. When they were bad they were horrible, with the 43 win and 119 loss 2003 season.

Brandon isn't a household name baseball player like Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter, but he is a hard working baseball player which shows in every game he plays at third base.

Brandon Inge has spent his entire professional baseball career with the Detroit Tigers organization, and this year he leads the team with 19 home runs as of July 6th, 2009. For a player who hasn't always gotten things his way he has always come to work and done his job. During the 2008 season Brandon was bounced around from catcher, outfielder, and third base, depending where he was needed on any given day. It was well known and widely discussed on sports talk radio in Detroit that Brandon wasn't happy not having a permanent position. Even though he wasn't happy he still came to work each day to play baseball.

A person's happiness and enjoyment of their job comes through in how well they do it. Brandon's unhappiness at not being the Tigers third baseman in 2008 was evident when he didn't have the spark that he has this year. Brandon is a baseball player who takes chances to make spectacular catches and awesome throws. I'm not saying that he didn't have any great plays during 2008, I'm just saying that they weren't as prevalent as they are this year.

Brandon has the chance to be a member of the American League All Star team. An honor he truly deserves for his wonderful defensive plays at third base, as well as for his offensive team leading 19 home runs. While he may or may not make the team Brandon Inge is an all around great baseball player. He's a player who is a good catcher and outfielder, though he is his happiest and at his best when playing third base.

At halfway through the season Brandon Inge is the standout player for the Tigers in terms of offense, even with players like Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez on the team, who haven't performed as well this year as they have in the past. With the second half of the season approaching the entire team still has time to improve and keep their first place standing in the American League Central.

Let's hope that after Brandon's outstanding 2009 season he remains a Tiger for life and sees the Tigers through many more highs.