Postseason preview: Could the Phillies keep Dom Brown for the NLDS?
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Postseason preview: Could the Phillies keep Dom Brown for the NLDS?
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
UPDATED, 6:!1 p.m. -- Changing it back. Manuel sounded pretty confident in Kendrick as a reliever after today's game.
UPDATED, 2:52 p.m. -- Made a change to the pitching projections after looking at some numbers. David Herndon has held righties to a .206/.241/.294 line with 24 strikeouts and three walks this season. If the postseason started tomorrow, I think Herndon would be on the roster and Kendrick would be out until the NLCS.
Well, we've got nine days to kill. Any ideas?
As evidenced by the lineup for Game 1 of today's doubleheader against the Nationals -- Victorino, Valdez, Mayberry, Pence, Francisco, Kratz, Orr, Martinez, Kendrick -- the final nine days of the regular season are officially meaningless for the Phillies. They locked up homefield advantage throughout the postseason last night, courtesy of a Brewers loss that assured them a tie for the best record in the NL (the Phillies own the tiebreaker).
Which leaves us with nine days to pore through every postseason angle. It's going to be great, like a baker's Hannukah, without the gifts and the candles and the visiting relatives meddling into your personal life.
So, without further ado, let's take our first question. It comes from the guy staring mournfully at the computer screen in his cubicle who is slowly reaching the conclusion that this afternoon's game might be less interesting than actually doing his job.
Does Domonic Brown have any chance at making the NLDS roster?
Sure. I don't know how big of a chance. But when you start to examine the Phillies' personnel situation, you realize that the possibility has to be discussed. Charlie Manuel said yesterday that he anticipates taking 10 pitchers, which would leave him with seven bench players to go with his eight regulars, which is the set-up they took into last year's NLDS.
Here's how an early projection of the roster looks:
Regulars (8): Jimmy Rollins SS, Shane Victorino CF, Chase Utley 2B, Ryan Howard 1B, Hunter Pence RF, Raul Ibanez LF, Placido Polanco 3B, Carlos Ruiz C
Starters (4): Roy Halladay RHP, Cliff Lee LHP, Cole Hamels LHP, Roy Oswalt RHP
RH Relievers (5): Ryan Madson, Brad Lidge, Mike Stutes, Vance Worley, Kyle Kendrick
LH Relievers (1): Antonio Bastardo
RH Bench (3): OF John Mayberry Jr., OF Ben Francisco, INF Wilson Valdez
LH Bench (3): OF/1B Ross Gload, C Brian Schneider, INF Pete Orr
SH Bench (1): INF Michael Martinez
Anything jump out at you? How about the lack of left-handed power on the bench?
In the current projection, the Phillies biggest lefty power bat would be switch-hitting utility man Michael Martinez, who has nine extra base hits in 155 at-bats from the left side of the plate this season. Three of those extra base hits are home runs.
Ross Gload would be the top left-handed pinch-hitting option. He has battled a hip injury all season, but has eight hits in his last 22 at-bats, two of them doubles. He is also 18-for-72 with five doubles as a pinch-hitter on the season.
Orr, meanwhile, has three extra base hits in 89 at-bats.
Schneider has six extra base hits in 117 at-bats.
The Phillies traded for John Bowker just before the Aug. 31 waiver trade deadline in an attempt to add another option, but his 0-for-8 with six strikeouts since joining the team. Recent call-up Brandon Moss has one at-bat, which ended in a strikeout.
Which brings us to Brown.
Yes, he struggled mightily after being sent down to Triple-A. Yes, Ruben Amaro Jr. has said publicly he thinks his young outfielder could need a "mental break" after the toughest season of his pro career.
But. . .
Brown did hit five home runs, 10 doubles and one triple in 183 major league at-bats this season.
Brown does have more raw ability than any of the bench lefties listed above.
Brown is 5-for-20 with a double and a home run as a pinch-hitter in his brief time as a major leaguer.
Like I said, it's a possibility that the Phillies have to at least consider. In the end, they might decide it makes more sense to go with the extra utility infielder, or with Bowker, particularly since the Phillies could end up adding a pitcher if they reach the Best-of-Seven National League Championship Series, which would eliminate that last bench spot.
It isn't the most pressing of issues. But we've got nine days to kill.
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Cliff Lee is a better option of the bench than Brown at this point. At this rate why not keep Savery on the playoff roster? You can use him out of the pen to face tough lefty is Bastardo isn't available or as a LH bat off the bench!— dankil13- Savery, thanks for the laugh!!! — PhilliefaninAZ
- The biggest reason for Brown to make the roster is his speed. Imagine if you will, Phils are down 2-1 in the 9th, Gload leads off with a pinch hit single. Having a guy that can steal a base and get you into scoring position to eliminate the DP and give you 3 shots at a single scoring the tying run is BADLY needed by this team. Every team they may face in the playoffs seems to have the automatic steal on their bench or in the lineup. Not that Brown is an automatic steal but at this point, He's faster than anyone on the team not named Sugar Shane. (Yes that includes Rollins).— brokerguy
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To keep Brown out of the lineup is just plain spiteful. I know there are a lot of Domonic detractors (mostly the Ryan Howard haters), but he should be in LF Tuesday afternoon rather than Ben Fran. Charlie only cares about L-R match-ups without taking into consideration the fact that BF hits lefties at .230 while DB comes in at .281 with a much better OBP.
No, Ruben isn't done spanking Dom. Noodle arm will play in left and the spastic Astro will never get a day off in right.— LenDyk4- The Domonic detractors and Howard haters are almost as bad as the Blanton booers, Jimmy jeerers, and Utley underevaluators combined.— syxtoez
- If the best reason to have Dom on the post-season roster is "SPEED", then the Phils are in desperate shape. Nothing Brown did in his prior efforts with the Phils showed any semblance of speed. It's probably an attitude thing but the playoffs and World Series aren't the time or place to deal with attitude. Reuben's right...he needs a break.— charliel
- He has power and speed. Speed kills, and to have him as a pinch runner would be critical....Besides, there is still time, but Bowker hasn't shown me anything at all yet... — PhilliefaninAZ
- He has power and speed. Speed kills, and to have him as a pinch runner would be critical....Besides, there is still time, but Bowker hasn't shown me anything at all yet... — PhilliefaninAZ
- Who in the front office does Bowker have pictures of? Total waste of space and I'd take Brown over him in a heartbeat.— jimmymack
- Speeed? Is this the same Dom Brown I'm thinking of?— Mr. Underhill
- Just sat through 3 of the 4 home games of the IronPigs playoffs in Allentown. In the entire 7 games of the two series of the playoffs Brownie went 1 for 18. In the final elimination game Friday night Sandberg did not even put Domonic in the lineup and had him coaching first base with a stop watch for a couple of innings. That said it all!— Dull
- Agreed, the guy's confidence is shot and it showed in his play. But for a man who is doubting his future for the first time ever, a chance at redemption can trigger a powerful surge of hope. One playoff pinch-hit AB would do that. I'm not saying you have to add Brown, but it comes down to what Brown might offer in a short series (the possibility of an extra-base hit, some speed on the bases) versus what Pete Orr offers -- which we're arguably already receiving from Valdez and Martinez. — PhilaLogic
- Brown should start in front of Pence.— joedig22
- My opinion: Why do you need Martinez, Orr and Valdez. One should go. If 2 of these guys have to play on any one day we are in trouble already. Valdez has earned his spot over the last two years with his defense, experience and timely hitting. Martinez plays alot of positions but nobody needs a rest during the playoffs. Orr has the speed to pinch run and can play 2nd and 3rd in a pinch. To me Martinez should not be on postseason roster. To me this leaves Bowker, Brown, and Brandon Moss for the lefty pop they need off the bench. I am not thrilled with any of these but Brown may be the best option available. Boy Thome or Giambi would have been nice!— PhillyinBaltimore
- How many hits has Bowker had since coming over?
— chetsheets
