High School grading logic...

Back when I was in high school, if I a had D+ or D- average on my report card, I'd be benched until I got that average up. I would have been humiliated, angry, and made to improve. Today Brandon Inge and Ryan Raburn earned those marks. I say we implement the high school rules and get the team back on track.

Its been an up and down and sometimes dismal first half. I remember when Don Kelly was playing full time at 3B while Inge was on the DL. Things seemed smoother in the lineup. Instead of having a gaping hole at the bottom of the lineup, there was just one small tear. Now it seems like the Tigers get something going, and its gone in seconds.

I get the concept of letting a guy play through his slump, and I'm on board with that concept. The problem is, when do you call it a slump, and when do you call it old fashion lack of production? Raburn has spent the better part of the season trying to get out of his, and if you ask me, the way he's holding the bat, he's never going to come out of it. The same case can be made for Inge.

Inge's value has never been behind the plate. He also streaks between .210 and .225. The difference this season is that he's committing errors like their going out of style, and he's not producing HRs and RBIs. He's simply playing bad baseball.

So what would my old high school coach say if I was given a D- or D+? He'd bench me, and replace me. There would be no discussion. It would just be so. Perhaps the Tigers' management will find a replacement for the two holds before the July 31 trade deadline. I'm personally not going to hold my breath.