Inside the Phillies: Brown's celebrations rub some the wrong way

Domonic Brown's 17th home run of the season Monday night against the Miami Marlins drew a little more reaction than usual.

The crowd at Citizens Bank Park was thrilled that the hottest hitter in baseball had connected for his ninth homer in 10 games, turning a one-run lead into a three-run cushion.

The response among baseball's scouts and executives in attendance was a little different. Many of them did not like the way Brown flipped his bat, then took a turn so wide it looked as if he had entered a Jersey jughandle before making a left at first base.

Equally disturbing to some is the leftfielder's routine after he crosses home plate. He has a ritual handshake with teammate Ryan Howard when the Phillies' cleanup hitter scores in front of him, and he also has a martial arts-type salute in which he puts his hands together.

"Brown better watch it with that weak act he's pulling after his home runs," one scout said. "He's going to tick off the wrong pitcher and wind up wearing it. There are a lot of people watching who hope it changes soon. It's very unprofessional."

Apparently they weren't too happy in the Marlins' dugout either.

"We won't forget," one person in the Marlins' clubhouse told the Palm Beach Post before Tuesday's game.

Some would argue that this is a new school vs. old school argument, but bat flips date at least to the early 1970s. If you want to see some of the best ever, go to YouTube and search for Reggie Jackson.

Brown, of course, does not have Reggie Jackson's credentials. His life as a power hitter is just over two weeks old, so maybe that's why some people have taken offense to his antics.

Not everyone has, however.

"It might have been a little bit over the top," Phillies broadcaster Gary Matthews said. "However, in saying that, I would much rather see him do that than to walk back and put the bat in the rack after a strikeout. For me, to show enthusiasm, that's what it is all about, and it's about time to see some of that."

Howard noted that as recently as last week, Boston's David Ortiz flipped his bat after admiring a long home run at Citizens Bank Park.

"But I love watching him play, and I think fans can also get a kick out of watching that," Howard said. "There is a flair aspect and a showmanship aspect to the game. You get pitchers that strike a guy out in a situation and it's a celebration. If you do it and you do it in good taste and you're not trying to show somebody up, it's OK. If a pitcher strikes me out and he's fist-pumping and I get him the next time up, that's the game."

Howard makes an excellent point about pitchers, and it's especially true of closers. Washington's Rafael Soriano does a striptease act after he records a save, and Detroit's Jose Valverde behaves as if he just won the World Series. Even the Phillies' Jonathan Papelbon has a violent fist pump that could be viewed as offensive.

"Now, it's kind of like closers have that signature move after they save a game," Howard said. "For hitters, [the home run] is your one way to do it. It's OK to do it a little bit, but you don't want to go crazy with it."

If you do, Howard said, you should expect to be hit by a pitch.

Manager Charlie Manuel said he'll speak to Brown if he believes he crosses the line.

"I think . . . people are going to talk to him, and it might take care of itself," Manuel said. "It doesn't matter if I have to do it, I'll do it, but at the same time I see guys do it every day. I see guys, especially righthanded hitters, they'll stop and look until the ball lands. Hitters do a lot of things. And you see guys on the mound shoot bows and arrows in the sky."

When Brown was told some people fear he may be drilled for his antics, he was not concerned.

"If I get drilled, then I'm on first, right?" he said.

That's right, but there's a risk of injury involved, too.