OAKLAND, Calif. -- Brandon Inge will line up to play against the Detroit Tigers tonight for the first time in his career.

During his lengthy tenure with the Tigers, fans said all sorts of things about him. Let's look at some of those statements and try to clear them up.

Fact or fiction:

Brandon Inge contributed next to nothing offensively during his time with the Tigers.

Answer:

Fiction.

Inge never hit for a high average. But Inge haters who give him no credit at all for his offensive contributions over the years are selling him short.

During a span of seven seasons, from 2004 to 2010, Inge averaged 17 home runs and 70 RBIs while hitting in the bottom third of the batting order. That's pretty good production for a No. 8 or 9 hitter.

Inge has averaged 16 home runs and 68 RBIs for every 162 games played throughout his entire career. For comparison sake, Ramon Santiago averages six home runs and 40 RBIs per 162 games played.

Of course, Santiago is not noted for his offensive ability either. But those who were clamoring for Santiago to be the everyday second baseman over Inge at the start of this season might not have noticed that Inge has a better career slugging percentage (.387 to .339) and OPS (.691 to .653) than Santiago even though he hits for a slightly lower average (.234 to .247).

Now, does that mean the Tigers should have kept Inge around? Absolutely not. The time had come to cut ties. But pummeling Inge for not contributing in 2011 and 2012 is different than acting as if he never contributed at all.

Fact or fiction:

Brandon Inge is an excellent defensive player.

Answer:

Fact, but more so in the past.

During Inge's prime, he was an excellent defensive third baseman. Knee troubles slowed him for some time, but he is still very good. He played excellent defense at second base during spring training before struggling a bit in a short tryout there in the regular season. Expect him to be a solid defender for Oakland now that he is back home at third.

Fact or fiction:

Media members in Detroit wrote about Brandon Inge more than they should have because they liked him.

Answer:

Fiction.

There are a few reasons why media members wrote about Inge quite often:

1. He seemed to be a big story quite often. Maybe it was because he found a way to stay in the starting lineup despite an extremely low average. Or because he hit a dramatic home run after not hitting one in weeks or months. Or because he was designated for assignment, then accepted the assignment, then returned to his team and hit a home run in his first game back. Or because he seemed to switch positions a lot. He always seemed to be part of the story.

2. I know how many people click on each Tigers story we post on MLive.com. As a great Detroit athlete once said, "ball don't lie." Stories about Inge are always well read. Think writers focused too much on Inge? Then you should have stopped reading stories about him.

3. Inge is a great quote. And by saying he is "a great quote," I mean that he sometimes says things that sound crazy. No one with almost 1,200 strikeouts and a .234 average should say

no matter what point he is trying to make. But Inge did. No one should say he is

when his average is .184. But Inge did. No one coming off a .197 season should imply that his early arrival at spring training

. But Inge did. Sometimes, there is a valid point behind what Inge says. Often it is impossible to see that point based on the way Inge says things. Really, one lesson Inge has never learned is that it's sometimes OK to not say what you're thinking.

Fact or fiction:

Media members in Detroit spoke to Brandon Inge more than they should have because they liked him.

Answer:

Fiction, for the most part.

Did I enjoy speaking with Inge? Yes, because I enjoy talking to nice people, and Inge always treated me well. He was always open to being interviewed and was always available after games. Media members like athletes like that.

But Inge became less valid as a spokesman for the team in the past couple of years as his contribution to the team went down, so I spoke to him less often after games than I had in the past. I still stopped by and chatted with him on occasion before games, but I spoke with him after games less often. So did other media members, for the most part.

Fact or fiction:

Jim Leyland was being ordered by Mike Ilitch to play Brandon Inge this season.

Answer:

Fiction. Jim Leyland plays everyone on his roster. If he has a utility infielder who hits right-handed, he is going to play him quite often against left-handers. Love him or hate Leyland for it -- and many of you hate him for it -- that is the way he manages. Always has been. Always will be.

Besides, Mike Ilitch is a hands-off owner who doesn't get involved in his team's everyday affairs. I don't believe this one for a second.

Fact or fiction:

Brandon Inge was the best athlete on the Tigers.

Answer:

Sounds factual to me. Inge wasn't the best baseball player on the team, but he was -- and still is -- a bit of a freak athletically.

Fact or fiction:

Brandon Inge was never the same after participating in the home run derby at the 2009 All-Star game.

Answer:

Fiction. Inge had a great first half and a poor second half in 2009. But his numbers in 2010 were not that different than they were in 2008 or 2007. It seems a bit silly to believe that swinging for the fences for a few minutes in the home run derby sent his career into some sort of tailspin.

Fact or fiction:

Brandon Inge is a good guy.

Answer:

Fact. (But read on for a bit of a disclaimer.)

Any writer can tell you who his or her favorite -- and least favorite -- athletes are based on how those athletes treat him or her. We spend enough time in the clubhouse to gauge, for the most part, whether or not an athlete is an overall good guy.

But we see them in one environment. We don't spend time with them and their friends or at home with them or their families. We don't know what truly makes them tick.

I don't know Inge beyond our professional dealings. But he certainly appears to be one of the good guys. His charitable contributions are well documented and should be appreciated by even those who believe he contributed nothing on the field.

I remember one incident that I think gets to the core of Inge. In 2009, he chose bullpen catcher Scott Pickens to go with him to pitch to him in the home run derby. During the course of an interview for a story prior to the event, I asked Inge if he and Pickens were friends.

"Yeah," Inge said with a look that bordered on befuddlement. "I'm friends with everyone."

He said it sincerely. He said it in a way that made me think he had no ill will toward anyone even though many Tigers fans had -- and still have -- plenty for him.