Domonic Brown says he is looking for that "sink or swim" opportunity
Domonic Brown wants to show what he can do over a full season as a regular.
Domonic Brown says he is looking for that "sink or swim" opportunity
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
Domonic Brown was mostly the Domonic Brown that you have heard over the last three years. Soft spoken, politically correct, deferential. But the former top prospect does sound like he is anxious to be judged over the course of a full major league season, which is an opportunity he has yet to receive from the Phillies.
"You know what, I've been waiting for that for a long time," Brown told reporters on Thursday morning. "When I get that opportunity, when they give me that sink or swim opportunity like they did last year at the end of the year, see what I'm capable of for four, five hundred at bats, then if I fail. . ."
He didn't really complete the thought. He didn't need to. While Brown has seen time in the majors in each of the last three seasons, he has yet to make an Opening Day roster, and he has yet to play in more than 56 games in a year. You can make all the judgments you want on his 492 major league plate appearances (he has a slash line of .236/.315/.388 with 12 home runs), but you can also argue that if the Phillies really want to put him in the best position to succeed, they need to put him in the lineup at the start of the season and tell him not to worry about looking over his shoulder.
That does not look like it is going to happen this year, at least not in his natural position of right field, where the Phillies plan on using Delmon Young, a poor defender who is not a natural right fielder and whose numbers over the last couple of years are not much more impressive than Brown's.
Not to editorialize or anything.
Brown said he did not expect the Phillies to talk to him after they signed Young, nor should they have felt the need to talk to him. He said he does not know what position he will be working out at, or what the team's plan is for him.
"I guess we'll see here shortly," he said. "Whatever I need to do to help the team, I'm willing to do."
The Phillies have often mentioned Brown's health when talking about the past three seasons. A knee injury hampered him last year. In 2011, he broke the hamate bone in his thumb, an injury that is common in baseball and cannot really be prevented.
Brown said he is healthy.
"I'm ready to go," he said.
Now, he just needs an opportunity.
"If I get four, five hundred at bats, I think I can show what I'm really capable of doing," Brown said.
Brown has one option left. If the Phillies use it this year, then starting next year they would have to expose him to waivers before sending him to the minors, which would likely mean the end of his PHillies career.
Does Brown view this as a make-or-break year?
"I don't know. We'll leave that up to Ruben," he said. "He makes the decisions. I've still got one more option. We'll see what happens."
Love all the negative comments about the DYoung signing. Lets be real here, its a no brainer that costs almost nothing (in baseball dollars that is). You can't simply "give" Dom Brown the right field job w/o having a back up plan. DYoung will start the season on the DL. Brown will most likely start in RF and be given every chance to succeed (its in the Phillies best interest that he succeeds). Darin Ruf will also be given every chance to win the LF job. Again, its in the team's best interest to have a right handed power bat in the line up to compliment Howard/Utley (remember Jayson Werth's bat in this line up). DYoung is an inexpensive insurance policy "just in case" Brown doesn't hit MLB pitching effectively. It just is. If Dom Brown hits well, don't be shocked to see Rule V pick have some "unknown" chronic injury all season, while Nix too has another bout of issues with is calf muscle.— drhoffman- I don't see how Inciarte (the Rule 5 guy) stands a chance at all unless there's some combination of DL time, traded/waived position players or an extended period carrying only 11 pitchers. Most of those still result in Galvis or Ruf going to AAA. No one carries 7 outfielders on their 25 man roster. — s
- Some of you guys seem to worry more about the Phillies spending than the Phillies' brass! Isn't anyone tired of the last two off season's "low risk, high reward" fiascos? What's wrong with a team with a window that started closing a few years ago extending that window by PROPERLY replacing aging and no longer elite players with QUALITY instead of low cost risks? It's not like the Phillies are a small market team with no money to spend. In fact, after the mega TV deal they will sign in 2014, they will be awash in funds. I want to see guys like Ruf and Brown given a FAIR (read: extended) chance to succeed before they are platooned with second rate ball players or optioned once again just because they have options left. The leadership of this team is too content to rest on the laurels of 2008. Well, that team has about 5 or 6 players left from that team, and not all elite players either. They are either injury prone, aging, or inconsistent. When Amaro had the chance the last two off seasons to get a REAL difference maker at 3rd base and another REAL difference maker or two in the outfield, he went "low risk, high reward". When he had the chance to bolster the bullpen with quality, he opted to go the "cheap" route with rule fivers like Herndon and Mini Mart, and other junk like Baez, Herndon, Qualls, and Willis. The only rule fiver that panned out was Victorino, and that signing wasn't on Amaro's watch. And, I don't need to remind you of that ridiculous first Cliff Lee trade. If we had kept him when we picked up Doc, it would almost be a foregone conclusion that we would have had back to back WS wins.
- The fact that Dom Brown hasn't had a 500 AB season - is that the Phils fault or Dom Brown's fault? It seems that Dom Brown comes down with an injury every spring training - i.e. hamstring, wrist, knees. At least Utley didn't break down until his twilight years.
What you've seen with Brown in the past - is what you'll see from Brown in the future.
I expect Brown will get injured sometime during 2013's Spring Training like he always does!
I'm more optimistic that Darin Ruf will seize the "job opportunity" than Dom Brown will.
— johnpaulcpa 
2 guys to really look at this spring: Roy's return to health or a possible ? for his future. And ditto for D Brown. I liked his plate discipline in a lineup filled of K's last season. My worthless fan's advice would be to avoid the stupid dives in the outfield, maintain that batting eye and discipline and let the power come to you with the pitch. I like his attitude so far but as RAJ has said, the time has come for DB to become what he and all of us thought. As a fan, I hope and wish for the best. He does well, we celebrate.- Delmon Young was not the first or second option: Those were BJ Upton and Ichiro. After he found the market for them too pricey (because he wanted to sign Adams), and guys like Wells and Hairston wouldn't add much, Amaro signed D Young to a very low salary, plus incentives.
That puts pressure this spring on every outfielder but Revere and, probably, Nix: D Young, Brown, Ruf, Mayberry. Mayberry's best token used to be he can back up Howard at first, but now M. Young (and Nix) can too. Mayberry is probably our only option behind Revere in center.
— therealeman - I desperately want to see Dom go into Spring Training and just rip the RF job away from Delmon Young. If he's truly healthy, it's his last chance to prove if he really can live up to all the hype that was laid on him a few years back.— Dave14
- So do I. I actually think Brown is probably the better defender of the two, and I know that's not saying much. One thing is for certain -- Dom can certainly get out of his own way, whereas Young probably couldn't run to first base without getting winded. Dom's problem is confidence. Manuel took that away from him the way he jacked him around a couple of years ago. But, don't get me started on Manuel and his propensity toward coddling veterans.
- Brown and Mayberry should demand to be traded. Time is being wasted. The Phillies are not going to give them the chance to succeed. The outfield moves the Phillies made during the off-season was a slap across their faces.— Ron
- Both Brown and Mayberry KNOW they did not play up to their potential, so I disagree. Besides, if they had any value, Amaro would have been able to dangle them as trade bait. Of course, I'm assuming that Amaro would have the ability to get quality for quality. His trading buddy (Wade) now works for him in Philly, so that conduit no longer exists.
- This guy hasn't earned the right to be an everyday starter!
— wordsword - Brown's at-bats have improved tremendously. For someone still quite young, with a pretty big swing, he shows unsually good plate discipline. This really tells you all you need to know. He will hit if given the at-bats. He may hit even if he doesn't get the at-bats. I'd be very surprised if he doesn't start the season in right field. But stick with the guy. There will be many ups and downs.— JayW
- So don't editorialize. Phils don't owe Brown anything at this point. There's been this unfortunate matter of injury, he hasn't produced much when he has played and his defense has been generally offensive. They haven't gifted anything to D. Young; everybody's new saviour Ruf and/or Brown can win spots and put D. Young on the bench. Where he might just belong, anyway. Jobs will be won and this OF could still easily be the worst in baseball this year. Where have you gone, Raul? We couldn't wait to see him go but the 2010 Raul would look pretty good right about now.— PhillySubsMac
- The Phillies, in my opinion, owe Brown a FAIR and consistent chance to prove his mettle. They shouldn't crown him the successor at any of the outfield positions, but they should mentor him defensively and give him plenty of rope to perform or fail, not jack him around like Manuel did a couple of years ago. All that did was to break his spirit and injure his confidence, causing him to play under pressure. That's not how you develop young talent at the major league level, but Manuel is too stubborn and set in his ways to change or properly develop young talent. That's why I say he's not the right man for the job for this team right now.
- Platoons can and have worked in Philly before. The Jim Eismreich/Pete Incaviglia one is the best example. Both of then hiy very well, together they put the kind of numbers up that an elite outfielder does. I am not sure if Brown or Ruf can break out, or if Mayberry, D. Young or Nix can step up, but if I was Manuel, I would not promise any of them anything. make them earn PT with performance.— Paul SoTX
