The Phillies Should Keep Domonic Brown In The Minors
We here in Philly have never been the most patient fans in the world. We've got a lot of great qualities here, but I wouldn't list "patience" in the top 5.
With the Phillies season still stuck in an abyss of bad timing and worse hitting, we've waited long enough for a change.
For some, that change should be calling prospect Domonic Brown up from Lehigh Valley, where he's currently hitting up a storm.
The Phillies need hitting, Domonic Brown is hitting, seems like an easy decision to make. Not so fast.
Click MORE to read 3 reasons why the Phillies should keep Domonic Brown in Triple A this season.
3. He'll get more at bats in the minors. The Phillies outfield is full, with Werth in right, Victorino in center and Ibanez in left. If Dom Brown comes up, he's at best a platoon player. If the future of the franchise is partly in Brown's hands, I want him getting all the at bats he can. He can't do that up here. Not right now.
2. I'd still put my money on Werth. If your solution is to trade Jayson Werth (a rumor that has gained a lot of steam in the last 24 hours) to get pitching and create room for Brown and you still have a hope of making the playoffs this year, I think you're making a mistake. No matter how good Domonic Brown WILL be, if you're playing for this year, I'll take the guy who has done it. Slump aside, Werth is still that guy. In addition, Brown is another left handed bat, and you probably need to keep Werth's right handed bat in there for balance.
1. You're setting Brown up for failure. You might not agree with everything Andy Reid says, but one of his regular quotes is that he needs to put the players "in a position to win." If you bring Domonic Brown up with the offense failing, like or not, he'll be seen as the answer by fans. If after a month he's hitting .206 with 1 home run and 6 RBI's, chances are, fans will see him as a bust, whether he is or not. He doesn't need that as a player, and the Phillies don't need it as an organization. Not to say he shouldn't be able to handle pressure, but this pressure isn't fair or helpful. This isn't putting Dom Brown in a position to win.
If this season is going to turn around, it's got to turn around with the guys that are in the lineup. Let's not ruin 2011 and 2012 by making a hasty decision in 2010.
