For all the lip-service baseball managers and coaches have paid to good defense over the years, by and large offensive production is what they’re looking for when they fill out the lineup cards. Take the case of the Tigers’ Brandon Inge.

He is regarded as one of the finest arms in the game. One of the things people raved about last year was his ability to almost single-handedly shut down the other team’s running game. And he steadily improved at handling a young pitching staff during a very rough season.

But his career batting average sat at .198. And the availability of Ivan Rodriguez meant Inge would no longer be catching that much. So the former collegiate shortstop had to find somewhere else to play. But he also had to figure out how to hit.

Now, hitting .286 in 140 at-bats (and then a game-tying home run in the ninth), it’s more difficult to keep him out of the lineup. He’s started games at four different positions, including nine in centerfield, where you don’t find too many backup catchers.

And hey, if he keeps hitting, they’ll keep finding somewhere to put him.

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