Published: April 02, 2008 12:00 am      

Inge doesn't let upheaval affect his play

Brandon Inge didn't expect to be in Detroit on Monday, let alone in the lineup.

After the Tigers' blockbuster trade for third baseman Miguel Cabrera last December, Inge found himself without a job.

He'd declared himself a "Tiger for life" upon signing a contract extension after the 2006 season, so the Cabrera trade stunned him.

The Tigers tried to convince Inge to become the team's super-sub and hinted he might even be in line to become Detroit's starting catcher, possibly as soon as next season.

But Inge balked. He asked to be traded. Then he waited to see where he would end up.

As it turns out, Inge didn't wander far. He landed only a couple of hundred yards away from where he played last season, taking over in centerfield for injured Curtis Granderson.

And Inge played well there in Monday's 5-4 Opening Day loss to the Kansas City Royals. He went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a long fly out to deep centerfield against Gil Meche, a pitcher Inge said has always given him fits.

"I really feel good at the plate," Inge said. "The way I hit against against Meche -- that told me a lot."

Inge also made the defensive play of the game, charging a single by John Buck in the 11th inning and throwing out Mark Teahen at the plate to preserve a 4-4 tie.

"I just shut my eyes, let it rip and hoped it didn't end up in the stands," Inge joked. "Actually, I took time to gather myself and get a decent grip on the ball because I didn't want to rush it and have it tail away from Pudge (Rodriguez).

"I knew I had a pretty good receiver back there."

Actually, Rodriguez didn't have to do anything more than apply the tag. The throw was a perfect strike.

Inge tried to do it again when the next batter, Tony Pena Jr., blooped a single in front of him, but he couldn't barehand the ball cleanly and the game-winning run scored.

Inge's performance didn't surprise his manager or his teammates.

"Brandon made a great play (on the play at the plate). It was a great throw," said skipper Jim Leyland. "I'm not worried about him. He'll do well wherever we put him."

Relief pitcher Todd Jones said Inge can play any position on the field. And he means any position.

"He's so athletic," Jones said. "We just have to make sure he's never asked to pitch because he'd do that, too."

Inge said that after his unsettling winter, the rousing ovation he received from a record crowd of 44,934 during pregame introductions was appreciated.

"It felt great," he said. "I was touched. I wanted to go and shake everybody's hand, but that would have taken hours.

"I really appreciated it. It was one of the greatest feelings ever."

Inge said his winter of turmoil "has come and gone," and he is "happy to be here and play wherever they want me to play." Right now, that means centerfield.

"I'm just trying to focus on the job at hand and go hard after everything I can my hands on," Inge said, although he admits that old habits die hard.

"I don't know how many times a guy has squared to bunt and I've started to charge like I'm going to make a play," he said with a smile. "Then I look around to see if anyone noticed."

Everyone at Comerica Park noticed Inge on Monday. He made sure of that.