Andre – On the mental effect of being subbed for defensively: I think it’s something any veteran takes in stride. Guillen and Cabrera certainly know the score already on how they stack up defensively. If I were one of them playing 3B, I might feel self-conscious about starting there over Inge to begin with.

It’s too bad the Tigers didn’t just start off with Joyce to begin with and skip the whole Jacque Jones thing. But there’s probably a reason. Right?

Your comments on the Cubs and Sox were hilarious (especially the aside on Cubs fans). I find the Cubs boring no matter how they’re doing. Maybe it’s their uniforms. I actually like the White Sox when the Tigers aren’t playing them. I wish the Tigers could have picked up Buehrle a couple years ago – what a burn that would have been. I can’t figure out the Tigers’s eternal inferiority complex vs. the Sox. Radio guys: Hughes is good, Santo is brutal. The other team’s broadcasters are painful to listen to and have been since forever. Yeah, Steve Stone rocks.

Sorry, everyone. Back to the Tigers.

I’m glad Leyland/DD didn’t wait with Jones like they did with Monroe last year. Perhaps this quick exit will send a message that either you get the job done or you are a Tiger no more. We probably haven’t seen the last of these kind of “drastic” changes. Stay tuned.

I suspect Inge will get his share of starts. For tonight Matt Joyce is replacing Jacque Jones in the lineup, I don’t expect that to be the regular replacement, more likely it’s Inge.

But as long as we’re willing to put Sheffield in left, why not put Inge at 3rd at rotate the DH among Guillen/Cabrera. Our 3rd base defense has been awful all year and it was a big part of costing the Tigers the game yesterday.

Thanks for doing your part in getting lots of my Tigers multi-position eligibility in my fantasy leagues! Just need a couple more starts at C for Inge now…

As Anne suggested, I think you can work around these issues in the end of the game and Guillen/Cabrera should be professionals and understand it gives the team the best chance to win. Leyland consistently, made defensive substitutions moving Guillen to 1B last year. Maybe he could do something similar taking Joyce out, putting Ordonez in right, Guillen at DH, and Inge in.

Also, if Guillen or someone else has just batted and won’t be up until late in the game, Leyland could straight sub Inge for one of them. I think Guillen will realize that his defense is hurting the team at 3rd (although understandable given the recent switch), so he will be subbed late in the game unless he improves (which we can always hope he does).

I understand your point, but I still hate the Sox and their fans (maybe they should have fewer of them running onto the field attacking umpires or coaches?). I do agree with you about Thome, and Beurhle and Konerko don’t bother me much either. Solid pros who do their job well and don’t cry when things don’t go their way. I’m OK with that.

Your point about Ozzie is right on, though. I think he’s overrated as a manager and pretty much just a loudmouth, but he’s right that the Cubs get favorable treatment in the media. I think he’s overstating is to some degree, it’s not like the Cubs are never criticized, but it is definitely not on a scale like with the Sox. I guess that’s what you get when the largest media company in town owns one of the teams. Should be interesting to see what happens when TribCo finally sells them off. Plus Riendsorf has some really negative image problems in Chicago, which I’m sure isn’t helping any. The Cubs spent years creating a brand by putting games on nationwide TV and having the fortune to play in the world’s largest beer garden. They are associated with the North Side of Chicago, which is a fantastic place to live, visit, eat, drink, etc. The Sox are from the South Side, which is notorious for organized crime and bad neighborhoods. It’s good fortune combined with smart marketing. The Sox just can’t compete.

What clinches it for me is the Sox announcers. I’m sorry, I know it’s petty, but these guys are just AWFUL. The Cubs guys I like, even going back to Chip and Stoney (who is still the best color guy around). Since that becomes the most familiar association with a team (for most people), hating the announcers is enough to push me over the edge.

Like you, I never root for the Sox either, unless they are playing a team I need to lose to better the Tigers’ position.

The problem with Guillen at 1B was that he was a collision waiting to happen with his footwork. Cabrera is a good fit there with his reach/hands. Guillen is headed for the DH sooner or later…might as well be now if Sheff is gonna play LF. If Joyce becomes more than a spot starter and Inge isn’t starting 3B soon, something is wrong. Of course if we’re winning in spite of all this I won’t complain.

Here’s hoping Guillen belts 3-4 rbi’s to make up for yesterday. You owe us, jerk

It doesn’t make me dislike Sox fans any less…but I can at least see how they got to be the way they are. My roommate at least has been a fan his entire life…but as a rule they just haven’t supported their team well at all. Ozzie went on a tirade (which i’m assuming you’ve already read) and, I really hate to agree with him, but in this case he’s right: people in Chicago love the Cubs and that team can do no wrong but they’ll totally dog on the Sox even though they’ve at least won recently. That being said, I’ll never root for the Sox unless its to beat a division rival for us. I think Ozzie (to use his favorite phrase) is a piece of …. and so is the team (the only one I can stand is Thome…he’s a class act).

What’s the cumulative mental effect on Guillen (or Cabrera) if, as John and other suggest (and I like as a middle ground if they aren’t going to start Inge), he’s always taken out of the game late in favor of Inge?

Suppose Inge gets hurt or traded and he and Cabrera are left to man 3B, knowing that the team doesn’t have confidence in their defensive abilities, does this impact their mentality?