Phillies Nation

Domonic Brown looks like he could become the Phillies full-time right fielder next year after trades of Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino have allowed him to be up with the big club for what looks to be a permanent stay.

However, it seems like Philadelphia is split on their opinions of him. Some say he stinks, some say he’s great, and others remain patient that he will reach his ceiling one day. Here are some of the opinions of the Phillies Nation staff on the Domonic Brown situation:

Pat Gallen: There’s no doubt he should play every single day, no matter the pitching he’s facing that night. If the Phillies want this guy to be an everyday corner outfielder, then it’s time to take the diapers off and lets him grow up. It means fighting through the inevitable highs and lows.

The way he’s been handled sucks. The Hunter Pence trade sticks out because it truly stunted his growth at the major league level. He lost his focus after that happened.

But that’s all in the past now and you can see Brown becoming acclimated with the majors nicely. I’ve been promoting patience to the fan base when it comes to Dom. Let him play every single day and around the middle of next season we’ll know who Dom Brown is as a player.

Ryan Dinger: At this point, I don’t think there’s any disagreement when suggesting that the Phillies haven’t provided Domonic Brown ideal playing conditions in his quest to develop into a big league ballplayer. This pattern of inconsistent at bats, coupled with his recent streak of injuries, has made it a rocky road to the majors for Brown.

But now that he’s relatively healthy, and the Phillies have nothing to compete for, there’s no one on the 40-man roster better suited to play everyday at one of the three outfield positions than Domonic Brown. You start him everyday to close out this season, and pencil his name in as one of the starting outfielders for 2013.

Eric Seidman: The entire situation is very frustrating. The Phillies were a great team before acquiring Hunter Pence, and the best half-season of his career made them an excellent regular season squad. But the trade had its drawbacks. For starters, the Phillies traded away two premium offensive prospects in Jonathan Singleton and Domingo Santana. Second, it meant that Domonic Brown wouldn’t get regular playing time at the major league level. Even if Brown struggled mightily for a month, the Phillies would have played well enough as a team to make the playoffs.

Brown is a very patient hitter, which is tougher to develop at the major league level. The power will come, but his ability to take walks, avoid swinging at slop, and post a .350+ OBP is very encouraging. Realistically, the silver lining to this mess of a season is that the team is now forced to play him everyday, without platooning him, demoting him, or messing with his game.

Ian Riccaboni: I think Domonic Brown is one of the most athletic, talented, and promising young players to arrive in Phillies pinstripes since Chase Utley. A lot of the criticisms that fans pinned on Utley early on in his career are similar to those that follow Brown: good-but-not-great plate discipline, bad defense, but not ready enough right now to contribute on a team that is ready to win now.

Yet, Brown has turned the corner in 2012. Brown is now fully-healthy for the first time since October 2010 and his improved plate discipline numbers are encouraging at worst and tantalizing at best. I am certainly excited that the best option to play every day finally is playing every day.

Amaro gets his guys. But at what cost? (Photo: SI.com)

Right now is a critical time in the Ruben Amaro Jr. era in Philadelphia. His team is underachieving and in last place, the injuries are piling up and the best player on the Phillies’ roster will be absent for the next 6-to-8 weeks.

When grading his time here as the Phillies GM, we made sure we didn’t fall into the trap of factoring in things that weren’t under his control and looked at the complete picture. So here’s how we at Phillies Nation grade Amaro:

Corey Seidman: I’d give Amaro a B-.

He’s done a lot, but he’s had a ton of resources that every GM would give a kidney to have. He’s put himself in a position where there just aren’t too many fixes to make. You have to hope Howard, Utley and Halladay all get through their current conditions and age relatively well. Its tough.

Amaro took risks and was aggressive. He built a team that had enormous success from 2007-11. I’ll let the others break down each move, but Amaro’s done mostly well with trades and not too well with contracts.

Pat Gallen: I won’t put a letter grade on Ruben Amaro’s tenure a GM of the Phillies, but I will say this – it has been a ride. He acquires the best pitcher in baseball (Roy Halladay) and gets his “white whale” but deals Cliff Lee in the process.

He gets Hunter Pence from Houston, but gives up a ton of minor league talent in the process.

Amaro also gave odd contracts to Joe Blanton, Ryan Howard, and Jonathan Papelbon. (Yes, I know Papelbon has been lights out, but that’s still a ton of money for a 3-out guy, no matter how you look at it).

Continue reading Writer’s Roundtable: Grading Ruben Amaro Jr.

Who picks Chooch to be an all-star? (MLB)

Let’s go out on a limb. With all of us out there together, it may snap. But it’ll be fun to see if any of our bold predictions pan out.

Each of our contributors makes one bold prediction for the 2012 season. It can be related to anything baseball, not just Phillies. This could get ugly.

Nick Staskin:  The Miami Marlins struggle after a Jose Reyes injury and are never within playoff contention despite opening the piggybank this offseason.  Hanley Ramirez and Ozzie Guillen have numerous altercations that Logan Morrison can’t help but tweet about.

Don McGettigan:  Everyone’s current favorite, the Detroit Tigers, will not make the playoffs this season.  The Tigers have a great lineup, but poor defense, and a starting rotation that leaves a lot to be desired after Justin Verlander. The AL East has four teams that can contend (Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, and Blue Jays), and the AL West has two (Rangers, Angels).  So the easily winnable AL Central seems to only have a spot for one playoff team- the division winner.  I wouldn’t be completely shocked if the Tigers fail to live up to their lofty expectations.

Continue reading Writer’s Roundtable: Phillies Nation’s Bold Predicitions

Three Phillies Nation Staff Members Anticipate Seeing This Celebration Again in October. Photo: AP

The regular season is rapidly approaching and what good would a baseball blog be without predictions and projections? Today begins part one of the Phillies Nation projections as our staff predicts who will reach the playoffs and win the World Series. Tomorrow, we will bring our 2012 Award Predictions and Tuesday we will provide our predictions for what appears to be a wild NL East.

Some statistics of our picks: All Phillies Nation staff picked the Phils to win the NL East but that doesn’t mean we didn’t like the other teams in the NL East. Of our picks, 6 writers picked the Marlins to advance to the postseason while 3 have the Braves and 2 have the Nats advancing. Another Phillies Nation favorite are the Tigers. Every Phillies Nation staff member picked the Motown Cats to easily win their division with win totals approaching and exceeding 100.

Six Phillies Nation writers picked the Phils to win the NL Pennant in 2012 with three saying they will win the World Series. The Tigers, Rangers, Marlins, and Rays were also popular picks to reach and/or win the World Series.

Continue reading Phillies Nation 2012 Playoff Projections

Vance Worley will look to repeat his rookie season. (AP)

The grass is getting greener, the birds are retreating back to the Northeast, and my allergies are flaring up; these are, of course, the telltale signs of baseball’s return. The comments on both the blog and our Facebook page have been heating up with both optimism for the 2012 season but also some legitimate concerns for the Fightins. The Phillies Nation crew got together and put together the top reasons to panic as well as the top reasons to have faith in the Phils, or press on. Feel free to take a look at ours and add in reasons of your own! Today, we press on!

The Reasons to Press On

The Big Piece is among Phillies Nation's biggest concerns.

The grass is getting greener, the birds are retreating back to the Northeast, and my allergies are flaring up; these are, of course, the telltale signs of baseball’s return. The comments on both the blog and our Facebook page have been heating up with both optimism for the 2012 season but also some legitimate concerns for the Fightins. The Phillies Nation crew got together and put together the top reasons to panic as well as the top reasons to have faith in the Phils, or press on. Feel free to take a look at ours and add in reasons of your own!

Today, we panic!

Time to Hit the Panic Button

Who will step up offensively? – Pat Gallen, Editor-in-Chief

It’s an honest, legitimate question – and I don’t know that there is an easy answer. No Chase Utley for the foreseeable future; no Ryan Howard ’til who knows when. Who will be asked to do more than usual?

Start at the top with Jimmy Rollins – he will need to be a superior table-setter every single day. There is really no choice. Shane Victorino cannot regress; he must continue to be one the Swiss Army Knife of this lineup. And Hunter Pence will have to put the offense on his back at times. But beyond that, it is anyone’s guess as to who will be the person to step up large. If they can’t find that person, then runs will be hard to come by and the pitching staff will have to be near perfect.

Continue reading Writer’s Roundtable, Part 1: Press Panic

Will Papelbon live up to the high standard of a $50 million deal?

In our latest Writer’s Roundtable, the Phillies Nation crew discuss our New Year’s Resolutions for the Phillies in 2012.

Nick “The Beerman” Staskin: For my New Year’s resolution, I’d like to see Charlie do a better job with his in game management.  Dontrelle Willis can be a weapon if used solely against lefties. However, theres a good chance Manuel wastes him like he did with JC Romero.  There’s no reason to let Halladay and Lee throw 120 pitches in blowouts. Save their arms for down the stretch.

I’d like to see the the team play the right players. Dom Brown got a raw deal last year, being sent down so that Raul Ibanez could decompose in left field. Brown showed some success getting on base last season and fans need to realize not all rookies start off like Ryan Braun did. Give the kid some time before we write him off.

Continue reading Writer’s Roundtable: Phillies New Year’s Resolutions

It’s been a hot topic of conversation and mirrors the Jayson Werth situation of a year ago. Will Jimmy Rollins return to the Phillies next season and into the future? He plainly stated that he wants a five-year contract, but that the Phillies are clearly first on his list of teams to play for. However, he is not limiting himself to just the Phillies and is not afraid to leave.

So, we asked all of our writers to chime in on this subject.

Q: Will Jimmy Rollins be a Phillie in 2012?

Pat Gallen: Can I cop out and say I really don’t know? Last year, Jayson Werth was not coming back and I think most people knew that. But both sides in this negotiation are in their own predicaments. The Phillies need a shortstop and have backed themselves into a corner because there are not many available. Jimmy is saying he wants five years, but has been prone to injury lately and may be pushing too hard for something he can’t get from many teams.

If you’re putting a gun to my head, and I’d rather you not, I’m leaning toward Jimmy coming back. But I give it a 55% chance. A guesstimate on a contract (wherever he goes) would be three years with an option for a fourth year that would be reached by incentives for about $38 million. Just don’t see anyone going five for J-Roll.

Amanda Orr: Yes. I think he will settle for less to stay in Philly. He says he wants 5 years, but that is smart of him. He wants the offers to say five years, but I think if he gets a reasonable offer to stay, he will take it. Plus, I can’t see Amaro not trying to re-sign him. He won’t let him go easily.

The only other teams I can see really trying to get Rollins are Boston and San Francisco. Boston hasn’t really had a big name shortstop in a while, and they would be a team to throw out the money. Being from the West Coast, a contract from San Fran could be tempting for JRoll.

Continue reading Writer’s Roundtable: Will Rollins Return?

Should Domonic Brown be on the postseason roster? (PHOTO: Lehigh Valley Live)

With the stretch run of the season coming to a close, we’ll look into a playoff-related question, and one that zeroes in on a talented Phillies player that has fallen on hard times. Today’s Writer’s Roundtable is:

QUESTION: Should Domonic Brown be on the postseason roster?

Jon Nisula: Yes, without a doubt. Brown has a ton of talent and can handle the bat well. The only thing he needs to figure out is the mental side of things. Having him on the playoff roster will not only be an asset to the Phillies as a team, but it will boost his confidence as well. He’d take it all in, feel like he deserves to be there, and who knows, he might even have a big hit or two.If anything, he deserves it way more than anyone on the current roster.

Look at the bench options they have going into the postseason: Bowker, Michael Martinez, Wilson Valdez, Brian Schneider, Ben Francisco, Ross Gload, and of course Brown.Schneider is a given–they can’t play without a backup catcher. But after that, I’d say Brown should be the #1 option out of those listed. In a late game situation with a righty on the mound, I don’t want Gload, Schneider, Martinez, or Bowker at the plate, I want Brown.

Don M.: I don’t think that Domonic Brown should be on the postseason roster.  There are faster players, there are better contact hitters, and better defenders that could be on the roster instead.

Continue reading Writer’s Roundtable: Domonic Brown on Playoff Roster?

Jair Jurrjens and the Braves will give the Phillies a run for their money...right? (PHOTO: KFFL.com)

The whole crew got together to discuss the Phillies’ top National League challenger. There were conflicting viewpoints as to who poses the biggest threat this Fall…

Michael Baumann: The biggest worry is the Braves, for two reasons: first, because the Braves, being in the same division, are in the most direct position to knock the Phillies out of playoff contention. The second reason is that they’re the next-best team in the National League. The Braves, like the Phillies, are constructed around a couple of great hitters and a phenomenal starting rotation, which also sets them up well for the playoffs, where a single great start by Tommy Hanson or Jair Jurrjens (never mind Roy Halladay or Cole Hamels) can swing a team’s fortunes.

It’s interesting to note that both leagues are shaping up the same way: two clear frontrunners in the East, a single good team pulling away in the West, and a cesspool of mediocrity in the Central, where three or four teams are vying for the privilege of being swept out of the first round of the playoffs. Simply put, the Phillies are clear frontrunners, and are setting themselves up for an exhilarating–if low-scoring–NLCS with Atlanta.

Jay Floyd: The Brewers. Milwaukee entered the season as a favorite in the NL Central division. While they’re currently battling in the standings with the upstart Pirates, that won’t last, as Pittsburgh doesn’t have the talent to stay hot through September. Milwaukee is primed to run away with the division, especially if the Reds can’t pull their season together.

With the trio of Rickie Weeks, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder leading the team in virtually all offensive categories and the group of Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and Yovani Gallardo leading the team on the pitching side, it’s clear where the majority of the talent lies on this club.

Continue reading Writers Roundtable: The Top Threat Is _______