Brown optioned to triple-A
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Brown optioned to triple-A
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
The addition of Hunter Pence means a new team and position for top prospect Domonic Brown.
Brown is a Lehigh Valley IronPig, having been optioned by the Phillies to make space for Pence. He's also now a left fielder, the place where his immediate future in this organization lies.
Ruben Amaro Jr. said he views Pence as a right fielder, meaning Brown must switch sides of the field in preparation for 2012. Raul Ibanez is a free agent. The Phillies outfield will be Brown, Shane Victorino and Pence -- barring injury, of course.
It will be among the top outfields in the National League, if everything goes according to plan. That plan involves Brown improving his defensive abilities.
Offensively, Brown's .782 OPS is superior to Ibanez's numbers. But it's clear Charlie Manuel has little confidence currently in his 23-year-old outfielder.
It's not that Brown cannot be a good defender because numerous talent evaluators think he has enough athleticism and desire to improve. Learning on the job during a pennant race for a team with championship aspirations was not perferable. More than a few Phillies people were most disappointed at Brown's tentativeness in the field. The only thing to cure that is success, and the hope is that happens in the minors.
The International League season ends Sept. 5 and the IronPigs have a shot at postseason play. Brown will be back once rosters expand in September, with the hopes that a month of regular at-bats in the minors has restored confidence.
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This is the best thing for him. Though he may be athletic enough to play right field, he doesn't seem to have the instincts to play it. Left field seems a much better fit. Besides, he doesn't need to be Garry Maddox, he just needs to be competent. He's a top prospect because of his upside as a hitter not because of fielding. Guys who can play good outfield are pretty easy to find. Hopefully he gets enough seasoning so he can take over for Ibanez next year.— Hemingway- Lets not forget that DB, who is being sent down to learn to field and work on base-running also had his batting stance overhauled entering spring training. I'm guessing they don't even want to touch his goofy looking, arms flailing throwing motion or else that would be on the training agenda as well. Exactly what was he taught all those years in the Phillies minor league system?? He clearly is not ready for the show with significant holes in his game that may have been masked by superior athleticism. I think the failure here is with the Phils minor league instruction for position players.— gtbuckson
- Dom, now is the time to spruce up and sharpen up your "five tools"; see ya in September...— M60tanker
- Brown is not a baseball player yet. He always stabs at the fly balls a recipe for disaster in the cold windy month of October. I don't see his baseball instincts as very good. He just seems to me as someone who has gotten by on pure athletic ability to this point. I hope I am wrong but usually these guys never become great players. They usually do just enough to be okay.— PhillyJimi
- I think Brown will come back strong next spring and be a real contributor to this team.— JimSeitz
- Phils did DB a disservice by rushing him and not addressing the outfield in the offseason.— Steve Jeltz
- Bury Brown in the low minors and forget where he is. He will NEVER be a competent outfielder. He is too DUMB.— JoMomma
- Domonic Brown continues to show how much class he has. He gave everything he had and there is no shame in being demoted for a better player. He will handle this with dignity without complaining or pouting unlike Kolb.— Astro Jones
- Yes now the shipped is righted. Dom to AAA where he belongs, who knows maybe some day he'll be a player in the bigs...doubtful. So glad they kept Mayberry up I think he looks better than Brown...f*** potential Mayberry looks great in the field and seems more comfortable at the plate. Now let's keep our fingers crossed that HP brings it at the plate. Good Phils WC 2011!!!— ziggy26
- byzeil: You made my point exactly. None of us know what the pros know. All we know is what we are fed by the media. I hope Brown comes back with a vengeance in a year or two. He will STILL only be 26. Maybe by the time pence gets too expensive for the Phillies (we can only hope) Brown will be a terror to the rest of the league! My point simply is that he is not ready now and the rest of baseball seems to agree. Worley is another story. Again, I hope he is lights out for the Phils for his career. None of us know, but we can all hope...opinions be damned!— billroc35
- Can you say Wes Chamberlain.....and boy I've not seen another Phillie rookie more overrated than this guy.......he needs to learn a lot!!— boasocal
Comment removed.- Emotions play a big part of the comments on these boards. I want to add some sanity here. Dominic Brown was dealth a bad deal when he was brought up prematurely last season only to sit on the bench for two months. His development was stiffled. He should not have been brought up this year either. He needed/needs to play EVERY day and learn from his mistakes (which are many at this point in time). If Dominic Brown is ever going to live up to his potential, he needs to work on his swing and his defense full time. That is what AAA is all about. He will be fine (most of you posters forget Ryan Howard wasn't brought up until he was 25). John Mabyerry Jr. is a perfect 4th outfielder and may continue to improve. Ben Francisco is gone next season.— drhoffman
- @Unclestosh...what an ignorant comment...tell Red Sox fans that Bill Buckner didn't have to play defense at first.— bearsfriend
- Mayberry is a better defensive outfielder than Brown and can play all three outfield positions well. There is definitely a place for him on the main squad. He is a better pinch hitter than anyone else right now with left-handed pitchers. Don't fret, he'll be an important part of the team next season.— Tomme
