The Curious Case Of Brandon Inge
By: Eric Thomas
I was lying on my couch in the supine position. I shuttered the windows an hour earlier because darkness brought cold, but my apartment was still fresh with the 70 degree breeze that had wafted through most of the day. My television was on, and I was drifting in and out of sleep but my ears registered every syllable of the game that unfolded lazily in front of me. I stirred a bit and pressed a shoulder into the couch when a man with tattooed forearms walked slowly to the plate. His name was called, and but I was only semi-conscious.
But my eyes popped open when my ears heard the shot heard round Detroit.
OK, I am being really sarcastic here, but the fact remains when Brand-o went yard my phone vibrated off the coffee table. Twitter went ballistic, and I don't have many followers. My Facebook rolled like a crawl on a cable channel. People were texting me a combination of disdain and disbelief. Social media has not exploded like this since the Tigers signed Prince Fielder.
But the tone of the posts was the weirdest part. "WHY WON'T HE GO AWAY" and "OH NO" and "THIS WILL NOW NEVER END" burned into the screen on my phone and scrolled, only to be immediately replaced by another measure of disdain. Really? The guy knocks in the winning run and this is the response? I totally understand when he hits into a double play or he gets K'd with the bases loaded but tonight?
I was totally a 'cut Inge' guy to start the season, but I can't root against the guy. I am a Tigers fan, so I can't hate it when the guy gets me a win. For me, it's a double win. I get plate production from a guy who I was expecting to be a waste. It's akin to liking the Christmas gift that you hated when you pulled off the wrap. A win-win situation.
But that is the most curious thing about Inge. Tigers fans seem like they would rather lose the game than have Inge win it with his bat. Is that true? You would rather have Ramon Santiago bounce into a double play or Ryan Rayburn strike out than have #15 go yard for the win? It makes no sense to me.
I really can't think of another instance of this. The Inge situation is completely unique. I have never heard of a fan base that actively roots against a player who is on their team. Have you really gotten that spoiled? A scant few years ago, Tigers fans were praying for any wins. Now you only want wins if certain players get them for you?
Not only did Inge hit in the winning run, but he got JV his first win of the season. The ace wanted that win bad, and you could see it on his face in the 9th. I don't know if it was tugging on him mentally, the lack of wins before the game, but it certainly seemed like it was. JV can point to the sky and thank who he needs to thank, and but he has to give the assist to Inge.
So Inge won a game with his bat. Seriously, has the fan base become so callous and spoiled that it must stiff arm a guy that got it done for you?
