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Inside the Phillies: Displaying glimmers of brilliance

Brown still needs to mature.

Despite a strong showing, Domonic Brown is likely headed back to the minors. ( David M Warren / Staff Photographer )
Despite a strong showing, Domonic Brown is likely headed back to the minors. ( David M Warren / Staff Photographer )Read more

If not for Ross Gload's unfortunate groin-popping trip into second base after he delivered an RBI double Wednesday night against Los Angeles, Domonic Brown's first exposure to the big leagues would be over.

The Phillies said they would rather have Brown getting consistent at-bats with triple-A Lehigh Valley than observing the trio of Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, and Jayson Werth roaming the outfield, but the rookie's stay got extended because of the injury to Gload.

As soon as either Gload or Ryan Howard is healthy enough to play again, Brown will be an IronPig once again, which won't be nearly as thrilling as it was when he landed in Allentown earlier this summer. The good news for Brown is that he'll get a chance to make another impression as soon as the rosters expand Sept. 1.

Based on his first two-plus weeks in the big leagues, it's impossible to know exactly what the future holds for Brown, but there are some interesting observations that can be made.

Manager Charlie Manuel may have had the most accurate one when he said Brown was not yet a finished product. That's what has been so tantalizing about watching the 22-year-old outfielder with the hands-in-the-air batting stance during his big-league indoctrination.

One moment we see his potential brilliance and the next we see an ill-advised mistake caused by youthful exuberance and inexperience.

It was thrilling to watch Brown come through with two hits and two RBIs in his major-league debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Even opposing pitcher Edwin Jackson was impressed.

After Brown delivered an RBI double off the wall in his first big-league at-bat, Jackson said the rookie made an adjustment during his second at-bat to get to an inside fastball that he had missed his first time to the plate.

Jackson said Brown immediately reminded him of Atlanta rookie Jason Heyward, which is high praise.

Brown also showed off his left arm at a game in Florida when he threw a one-hop strike to catcher Carlos Ruiz, nailing the Marlins' Gaby Sanchez at home plate. It was one of those "wow" plays that make you believe that Brown is special.

We also saw youthful mistakes in both that first game and the game in Florida. Being so young and talented, Brown sometimes thinks he can make every catch and throw out every baserunner. He's a lot like a teenager pressing the accelerator of a car without any clue of the potential negative consequences.

Brown's failed attempt at a diving catch in his debut cost Roy Halladay a chance for a shutout. There have also been numerous occasions where he has missed the cutoff man and gift-wrapped an extra base for the opposing team.

In his first 44 plate appearances, Brown walked just once, which is why he had a .227 on-base percentage through Friday's game against the New York Mets. But Brown's eye is a good one. He had eight walks and a .390 on-base percentage at Lehigh Valley and 29 walks and a .391 on-base percentage at double-A Reading. He also has had his fair share of at-bats in which he has fouled off a series of two-strike pitches.

Brown also has struck out 13 times, pushing his season total at three different professional levels to 87 this season. He isn't going to strike out as often as Ryan Howard, but he probably will whiff at least 100 times a season, especially early in his career.

Manuel has repeated several times that he believes Brown, Heyward and Florida's Mike Stanton are all of similar caliber. Mets first baseman Ike Davis should probably be included in that group.

In short, they are the future of the National League East.

Of the four, only Heyward had more RBIs than Brown's 11 through 12 career games. It should be fun to see who emerges as the biggest star in the future.

Even though Brown has not been so good that he made it impossible for the Phillies to send him back to the minors, his speed, power and arm definitely will allow him to contribute to the Phillies' September stretch run even if only as an extra man. It will also be interesting to see if the team includes him on the postseason roster should the Phillies make the playoffs for a fourth straight year.

The big question will come in the off-season: Can the Phillies remain a contender if they let Werth walk as a free agent and make Brown their starting rightfielder next season?

When leftfielder Raul Ibanez was batting .237 in early July the answer would have been definitely not. Ibanez, however, has turned his season around since then and it seems likely that Werth will sign elsewhere, leaving Brown in right, Ibanez in left, and Ben Francisco with more playing time in a platoon role.

Based on the first impressions from Brown, there is no guarantee that the Phillies will immediately be as good or better if that's the route they elect to go. Based on those same first impressions, there is reason to believe that at some point in the future, Werth - like Aaron Rowand and Pat Burrell before him - will not be missed at all.

Inside the Phillies:

Read the Inquirer's Phillies blog, The Phillies Zone, by Bob Brookover and Matt Gelb, at www.philly.com/phillies.

Blog response of the week

Subject: Should the Phillies skip Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick's turn in the rotation whenever possible?

Response from TerryW at 3:44 p.m. Friday:

"Skipping them in the rotation would then tax the arms of our top 3. We need them strong for any type of October run. The real issue is the bullpen."