Fangraphs publishes a stat called “Clutch” and using win probability it looks at a players performance in high leverage situation relative to the same player’s performance in all other situations. A positive number means said player raises his game with more on the line and a negative number means a player performs worse. A high clutch number doesn’t indicate a good player, just one who does much better in high leverage situations.

Inge is second on the team at .78 (and 11th in the AL). This is partly because of the stat that Coleman stated with all the go ahead hits. It’s also partly because of Inge’s overall numbers which Stephen cites that Inge doesn’t hit very good giving him a lower baseline overall.

Inge is an average major league 3rd baseman when accounting for offense and defense combined — nothing more, nothing less.

Go-Ahead Hits: (hits where the team went from tied or behind to ahead)

Brandon Inge – 16
Miguel Cabrera – 13
Curtis Granderson – 11
Placido Polanco – 10
Clete Thomas – 9
Ryan Raburn – 9

And the person at the top of the list is the team’s worst hitter, would the team have won more or fewer games without that player in the lineup?

So are you saying he is a great defensive 3rd baseman if you can bat him 9th—but not otherwise? That would seem to be a strange logic, judging his defense based on his batting…yet the gold glove voters seem to do something similar (although that itself is often referred to as illogical). Of course your statement isn’t exclusive–so just because you say he is a great defensive 3rd baseman if you can bat him 9th doesn’t mean you are saying he is NOT a great defensive 3rd baseman if you bat him somewhere else.

At any rate, no need to worry. I have done a lot of research, looked at rules, procedures, contracts, the whole bit, and it turns out that in fact they CAN bat him 9th, they just haven’t chosen yet to do so. So problem solved.

Yes, he could have brought in Ni, Seay, Lyon or Rodney. But what he knew, though he wouldn’t, couldn’t ever say it, was that the Tigers were extremely unlikely to score again. They had scored in two separate innings already. The odds of them scoring in a 3rd would have to be considered infinitesimal. If he brings in those other pitchers and they are all successful for one inning each (no guarantee there by the way, but play along), guess what? You still get to Miner in the 13th. So you burn four pitchers for what would, inevitably, be the same result.

So in his mind, the game was already lost. Why not bring Miner in and get it over with? He knows that he has a 5 inning pitcher going the next day and he will need the bullpen in what may end up a winnable game. Leyland knew that the Tigers couldn’t win last night. What he was trying to do was not lose today’s game at the same time. Yes, it sets him up for criticism, but it was the right thing to do from a longer term perspective.

If Brandon Inge bats .237 over the course of a decade-long career and then bats .238 in 2009 including .222 since May 1 and is on track to become the Tigers all-time strikeout king in August of 2010, how many times will he be named an all-star?
Please show work for full credit!

Sorry, he is a great defensive 3rd baseman IF you can bat him 9th.