Raise up! Brown going "back to what got me here"
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Raise up! Brown going "back to what got me here"
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
Whenever Domonic Brown gets back into the batters box -- and right now, the prognosis is three-to-six weeks -- he will look a lot more like the hitter who tore up the minor leagues last season.
Brown said today that he is abandoning the stance he had been using since the start of spring training, one that featured a lower position for his hands.
Brown actually made the change on Saturday, raising his hands back above his helmet during his first at-bat. He fouled a pitch off, then singled up the middle.
Unfortunately for him, he broke the hamate bone on his right hand on the foul ball. He left the game, and on Tuesday underwent surgery to repair the fracture.
"I just said forget it," Brown said. "I'm going to go back to what got me here. I got my hands back up, was feeling comfortable, got the hit, but obviously I was in a lot of pain. Things happen. That's part of the game."
The Phillies thought that a lower hand position for Brown would help with his balance at the plate. But he started the spring 0-for-15 with nine strikeouts and quickly realized now was not the time for change.
"That's the key for me," he said. "We see the other thing did not work. The hands down, that's going to take time. And I don't really have time to spare, especially coming from winter ball and not having time to prepare myself with the lower hands."
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Don't know why he changed in the first place. He was playing on random days after his callup and never got a chance to get settled.- FightinPhil is correct. As usual and characteristic of past Phillies organizations, they NEVER seem to be patient with a highly touted rookie but show tons of patience with lesser, mediocre rookies. Yes, give Brown a chance! He was called up with hardly any time in AAA ball then put smack in the middle of the national spotlight with the darn play offs and everything. Come on, in most cases, that is just too much for any rookie much less one that didn't even get a full year in at the AAA level. Any baseball players knows that if your natural stance and hand grip works, than you stay with it and only modify what can enhance your natural position instead of radically altering it. Mickey Mantle came up as a rookie phenom expected to fill the shoes of Joe DiMaggio and after the first season, the pressure was so intense, he caved and had a miserable second season. Did the Yankees insist that he change his batting position, or stance, no! Did they send him back down for a year in AAA, no! The rest is history. I am not saying that Brown will be Mantle or Mays but when he was promoted to AAA which is a big step where the pitching is much closer to major league level (and is in many cases) he tore up the league with average and power. The mistake was bringing him up in a super pressurized situation, without consistent play and then once his confidence was shaken, a common phenomenon in all sports, he fell apart. Lets allow the guy to find his groove again. I am still convinced he is the future of the Phils franchise especially with Utley's nagging injuries and the rest of the core getting long of tooth. They have to be smart and nurture Brown not whip him.— daystrum
- Actually Mantle did get sent back to the minors.
http://www.mrnussbaum.com/readingcomp/mantlecomp.htm
Maybe Brown should change his number this year.— muddy14 - So the Phillies aren't patient? Didn't everyone complain when Utley and Howard were 25 and sitting in AAA? That sounds pretty patient to me! — logicandreason
- That's not as much "patience" as it is good ol' E-Dubs thinking Placido Polanco and David Bell could make up 1/2 of a championship-caliber infield. — mikemimbs
- Daystrum, will your nuture approach include a blankie and a pillow pet ?— NewMick314
- can't-miss prospects rarely get a close to a full year in AAA. the best players go straight from AA to the majors. re his hands....doesn't matter if they're up, down, or in his pockets....if he gets them into the "hitting position" before the pitcher is delivering the ball he'll be ok. i think they wanted him to bring his hands down because he was often too late in getting to the "hitting position".
- he will be a bust...— lanzascat
- Daystrum, the Yankees didn't send Mantle back down to the minors because they had already done it the year before. He almost quit baseball forever before his dad started packing all his stuff up. Not sure what your argument was about, but your facts are a little off.— Setdawgy
- Yes, Mantle was sent back down to the minors in 1951, his rookie year, but never again. The odd consequence of his being sent down was that his number changed. He was originally #6, because the Yankees felt he would be the successor to Ruth (#3), Gehrig (#4), and DiMaggio (#5). But while Mantle was in the minors, #6 was given away, and so when he came back up, he was #7, which of course he stayed for the rest of his career.
I grew up as a kid in NYC, and a big Mantle fan. He had an HOF career, but he never fulfilled his full potential, in part due to his knees.— camdenlawprof 
i'm not sold on brown being this mega-star. i, like all phillies fans, hope he turns out but i'm not holding my breath.— kdub13- The time you work on, or change, a hitters stance is low A ball. I don't understand how Charlie bought into this at Brown's current age. They brought him up because of his success in the minors, then sat him and then tried to do a makeover. Who's in charge here? Ruben?— Cameiros
Comment removed.- He's been "GavinFloyded" by the organization and now it may take years and/or a different organization to straighten him out.....b-bye Dom....— Mark1npt
- Wow ! I was in Brown's corner since he made an appearance, but boys and girls, Brown needs time to develop. He can't hit major league pitching, hasn't shown improvement in any areas. He can run, he has a strong, but not accurate arm. He also needs more experience fielding .
The Phillies are not keeping a spot warm for him. He'll have to earn it, as it should be.
Don't feel that he's untouchable, he's not ! The Phillies may have to compromise, and he could be included in a big trade to fill their immediate needs.
— phineas
