Charles Brandon Inge ( ; born May 19, 1977) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and catcher and currently a volunteer assistant coach for the Michigan Wolverines baseball team. He played 12 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, one with the Oakland Athletics and one with the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He bats and throws right-handed. Sportswriter Jayson Stark described Inge as a "super-utility dervish." In 2006, his diving stop and subsequent throw from his knees to put out Gary Bennett in an interleague game, on June 25 against the St. Louis Cardinals earned him the ESPN defensive play of the year for a third baseman. Early life Inge played baseball at Brookville High School in Lynchburg, Virginia, also playing American Legion Baseball. He was named Legion Baseball's 2010 Graduate of the Year. Brookville retired Inge's uniform number (7). He then attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where he played on the baseball team as a shortstop and relief pitcher. In 1997 he played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Bourne Braves where he was named a league all-star. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 2nd round in the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft. Career Detroit Tigers Inge began his professional career with the Jamestown Jammers, of the Single–A New York–Penn League. In 51 games, Inge batted .230. His 8 homers, 10 doubles, and 29 RBI were all team–high totals. Previously a shortstop, Inge became a catcher. Inge was promoted to the West Michigan Whitecaps for the 1999 season, making 100 appearances. In June, Inge put together a hitting streak that lasted for 12 games. For the season, he batted .244, with 9 homers and 46 runs batted in. He also stole 15 bases, the highest single–season total for his entire baseball career. Inge split the 2000 season between the Double–A Jacksonville Suns and the Triple–A Toledo Mud Hens. In 78 games with Jacksonville, he hit 6 homers, drove in 53 runs, and compiled a .258 batting average. Inge saw action in 55 games with the Mud Hens, tallying 5 homers and 20 RBI, but only hitting for a .221 average. Inge began 2001 in the majors, debuting as Detroit's starting catcher on opening day and throwing out a pair of Minnesota Twins baserunners in the game. On April 6, he got his first MLB base hit, a double against