Welcome to Philadelphia, Domonic Brown

by WholeCamels on Jul 28, 2010 5:09 PM EDT

Tonight marks the Major League debut of Phillies' super-prospect right fielder Domonic Brown. It's too bad that it took a fairly serious injury to the team's starting center fielder to necessitate the call-up, but those are the breaks.

The 22 year old Florida native's emergence as an elite prospect in many ways is a vindication of the Phillies' player evaluation and talent development departments. Drafted in the 20th round of the 2006 Amateur Draft out of high school, every other organization in baseball steered away from him, despite his talent, due to a commitment to play wide receiver at the University of Miami. But Mike Arbuckle and his staff did their homework, learned that Brown wanted to play baseball, and stole him late in the draft with early-round money.

The Phillies' drafting philosophy of this decade has been described as a "lottery ticket" approach -- pick a bunch of high-upside, low polish guys and figure that the one or two that put it together will be stars, justifying the process. So far Brown has been the first of these "lottery tickets" to pay off, but with others waiting in the wings (Jiwan James, Anthony Gose, Anthony Hewitt), another jackpot is possible.

We also have to give a lot of credit to Ruben Amaro, Jr. and his staff, who did not cave during the Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay trade negotiations (at least when it came to Brown). The common perception was that Amaro had to "choose" between offering Michael Taylor or Brown in last December's Halladay deal. Taylor has struggled to a .269/.346/.400 for the A's Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento, although to be fair, he has been injured. Still, it looks like Amaro made the right choice.

Good Luck, Mr. Brown!

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So Ruben Amaro did something right on that day of wheeling and dealing. So that’s something. :)

by David S. Cohen on Jul 28, 2010 5:13 PM EDT reply actions

Much like Ed Wade deserves some credit for not effing up and dealing Utley and Madson for Zito, and Howard for Josh Fogg…

http://www.thegoodphight.com

by WholeCamels on Jul 28, 2010 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Zach Duke?

Liberty Ballers / Ridiculous Upside / Twitter

The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Michael Bourn

by Michael Levin on Jul 28, 2010 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions

The otherwise odious John Finger had a good reminder about this recently.

OK, we don’t know if this is masterful foresight or just dumb luck, but Wade should get a ton of credit for not trading minor leaguers Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels when he has the chance and everyone pleaded with him to do so. Remember that? Of course you don’t because you don’t want to admit how dumb you were. Still, it’s hard to believe a few folks got all lathered up because Wade refused to make deadline deals involving Howard that would have brought back guys like Jeff Suppan or Kris Benson from Pittsburgh.

http://fingerfood.typepad.com/finger-food/2010/03/poll-numbers-strike-out.html

by taco pal on Jul 28, 2010 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh, that is a scary thought.

by Cormican on Jul 28, 2010 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions

by Wet Luzinski on Jul 28, 2010 5:25 PM EDT reply actions

so Phillies fans won’t boo Dom, we’ll MOO him.

by Wet Luzinski on Jul 28, 2010 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions

I was in costco the other day and noticed a whole bunch of new books under the dr seuss name.

It bothers me when dead people write books. Creepy

by SportingFanaticism on Jul 28, 2010 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions

And release more albums than when they were alive (I’m looking at you Mr. Shakur).

by Cormican on Jul 28, 2010 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I find that slightly less unnerving because it’s usually remixes or something.

But there’s a reason authors have unfinished books or crap in their drawers that never got more than 10 pages in to.

by SportingFanaticism on Jul 28, 2010 6:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Alot of times they’ll do it with a character like Sherlock Holmes as in the spirit of Doyle’s character but that doesn’t work with any of Seuss’s stuff.
So are these books that you’ve seen, are they works that Seuss didn’t finish that people took upon themselves to finish. If so, that’s fucking disrespectful and just tacky.

by j reed on Jul 28, 2010 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I couldn’t tell, they seemed more to be stealing the seuss tone and illustration but really, you can’t do that, it’d be like someone else trying to write shel silverstein poems.

If someone wants to screw with sherlock holmes, i don’t mind so much, the movie was a gas riot and the new bbc show looks interesting, but no one is out there publishing books with the name arthur conan doyle on it either (with the real authors name obscured by the more famous dead guys name)

Didn’t Tolkiens kid take advantage of his last name like that?

by SportingFanaticism on Jul 28, 2010 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t know about Tolkien’s kids, but I haven’t heard about the new bbc show . thanks. I was a Holmes junky. Yeah Seuss is so unique, trying to copy it is pretty lame. Besides there are so many books why bother.

by j reed on Jul 28, 2010 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions

If you’re a holmes jnky you might not like the new bbc show which takes place in modern england

by SportingFanaticism on Jul 29, 2010 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Tolkien’s son finished some incomplete works from partial manuscripts and notes, and also published a couple that were done but hadn’t been printed. I don’t think any of his stuff is completely original (i.e. not based on JRR’s manuscripts).

The other one that’s done that is Frank Herbert’s son, doing prequels to Dune. They don’t hold up to the originals.

Honor is no substitute for victory.

by The Dark on Jul 29, 2010 8:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Right, herbert’s son i might have gotten confused.

But that’s my exact point. These guys aren’t as good as their fathers, and half finished manuscripts, or story outlines shouldn’t be completed (in my opinion) because really they just don’t hold up.

I believe Adams salmon of doubt was a posthumous publication but no changes made to what they found?

by SportingFanaticism on Jul 29, 2010 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions

Salmon of Doubt was material from multiple drafts of the same manuscript blended together, but no additional material.

The Tolkien stuff I’m also OK with, because JRR’s manuscripts were incredibly thorough. His idea of “notes” was incredibly rich stuff. The Silmarillion was just notes put together so he could keep his own mythology straight, that ended up being published as a book.

Honor is no substitute for victory.

by The Dark on Jul 30, 2010 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Kafka’s whole body of work was published after he died, pretty much.

by taco pal on Jul 28, 2010 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Well he wanted them all destroyed. Max Brod made the right call thank god but I don’t think anyone tried to finish them. There are exceptions to the rule. Alot artists and writers will say no work is ever done. Some painters and sculptors however often left alot of work ( while living) to be done by apprentices, Ruebens for one. So I could see a large history painting, a portrait or public comission being completed by artsists who trained under the artist but it’d be weird for someone to take it upon themselves to finish a Degas or a personal work like a portrait of a lover, small landscape, etc.

by j reed on Jul 28, 2010 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions

What he said.

My problem is new material written by a writer after they are dead and attributed to the writer

by SportingFanaticism on Jul 29, 2010 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions

Tupac aint dead

by philiafan14364 on Jul 28, 2010 9:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Taco Pal is dead.

"F#$% [player]!" --FuquaManuel

by FuquaManuel on Jul 28, 2010 5:31 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Did you play a recording of Harry Kallas signing High Hopes backwards?

by Cormican on Jul 28, 2010 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey, what the?

Am I like that Bruce Willis character right now?

by taco pal on Jul 28, 2010 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions

“I see toolsy players”

Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.

by doubleh on Jul 28, 2010 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions

In the end we find out TP was a tool the whole time.

by Cormican on Jul 28, 2010 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions

@well that was uncalled for

by philiafan14364 on Jul 28, 2010 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Most of my work here is.

by Cormican on Jul 28, 2010 9:54 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m not sure how to think about this, as a Phillz fan I would have rather our OF stayed healthy and brought him up at the end of the AAA season have him PH or play to give someone a day off. By bringing him up you halfto play him otherwise you’re costing him valuable ABs. Now the question comes up what if this kid flops and has somthing like 6-45 with only 1 double and hits into a few DPs, is he still starting in RF next year? or the reverse what if he comes up and hits somthing like .330? I’m glad Halladay is on the mound for his first start to help take some of the pressure off the offense as a whole.

Hey Dez, it's 2am do you know where your mother is?

by sowhatifitisasportste on Jul 28, 2010 5:33 PM EDT reply actions

wait – if he hits .330, he’s in town to stay…

by shova on Jul 28, 2010 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions

This comment started so promisingly.

"F#$% [player]!" --FuquaManuel

by FuquaManuel on Jul 28, 2010 5:41 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

right up to that z

by SportingFanaticism on Jul 28, 2010 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Why are you alawys pissin in my corn flakes?

Hey Dez, it's 2am do you know where your mother is?

by sowhatifitisasportste on Jul 28, 2010 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Corn Flakes?

Don’t you mean korone phlaques?

Seriously, dude, you’re over-examining this. Brown is coming up to fill in for Vic. The logical move is Werth to CF and Brown/Francisco to RF, until Brown proves himself, at least. There’s nothing wrong with this move.

by Phrozen on Jul 28, 2010 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions

except for Franciso thinking he doesn’t need to hit the cut-off man to gun down a man running to 3rd.

by j reed on Jul 28, 2010 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions

dude, you’re spinning out of control!

Breathe. Now simplify.

The Philies have from all accounts a pretty talented young AAA player who’s filling in for a capable starter while he’s hurt.

For longteethe’d fans such as myself, we are used to fairly crappy old AAAA players who are filling in for replacement-level starters when they’re hurt. So, what happens with catchers – that used to happen all the time, at every position. (It pretty much happened all this year too, until today.)

So rejoice and moo the young man. The night is his.

by Wet Luzinski on Jul 28, 2010 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Any idea of what number he will be wearing. Because when I decided to buy a customized shirt a couple of weeks ago I go Brown on the back with the number 3. I realized Gload wears 3 but I am still holding out hope that he could wear 3.

"Everybody wants me to be a leader, until I make a decision they don't like." -- Jack Shephard

by gingerredboy on Jul 28, 2010 6:17 PM EDT reply actions

9. So buy 2 more jerseys and wear all 3 at the same time.

by Cormican on Jul 28, 2010 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions

or square three

by j reed on Jul 28, 2010 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions

That would be much cooler, both literally and figuratively.

by Cormican on Jul 28, 2010 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions

When Gload leaves the team in a year or two, Brown could very well switch to 3, unless he gets superstitious about 9 in the meantime.

by taco pal on Jul 28, 2010 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I think the last notable Phillie to wear 9 was Von Hayes, wasn’t it? Has there been anyone since then?

by taco pal on Jul 28, 2010 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions

It's been worn since then, but recently by...lesser players

2009: Miguel Cairo
2008: Tadahito Iguchi
2007: Michael Bourn
2006: Michael Bourn
2005: Tomas Perez
2004: Tomas Perez
2003: Tomas Perez
2002: Tomas Perez
2001: David Newhan, Tomas Perez
GAP
1996: Pete Incaviglia
GAP
1992: Tom Marsh
1991: Von Hayes

Honor is no substitute for victory.

by The Dark on Jul 29, 2010 8:10 AM EDT up reply actions

That’s funny. It’s like nobody wanted to touch the cursed number for a decade.

by taco pal on Jul 29, 2010 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions

Anyone know if todays game is suddenly on ESPN or MLB Network for the arrival of the heralded rookie – or does that only work if he plays for atlanta or washington?

by SportingFanaticism on Jul 28, 2010 6:55 PM EDT reply actions