One of the reasons that I love baseball is because you might see something that you have never seen before. It’s a game of infinite possibility – 9 innings for 162 games for the rest of our lives.
On any given night, you might see a triple play, a three pitch inning, someone hitting for the cycle, a grand slam, back-to-back homers, a 14 strikeout performance, a walk off hit, a bloop double, a no hitter, a home-run robbing catch, an eight run inning, a curtain call, or a perfect game – this list is endless.
And if you were in Philadalphia or near a television on Wednesday night, you witnessed something special when Domonic Brown roped an RBI double off the top of the right field wall, narrowly missing a home run, in the first at-bat of his big league career.
It was one of those rare moments of whimsy that not everyone will have the pleasure of experiencing in their baseball lifetime. After all, can’t-miss rookies with perfectly justifiable hype come along only so often, and when they step into the box that first time, something almost magical happens. People rise to their feet, they applaud and cheer. They give the type of ovation for game winning homers or dominant pitching performances to a 22-year-old kid that’s never played above AAA.
Joyous.
It was fitting, then, that the lifelong journey for Dom Brown came to a head on the same night that Ken Burns threw out the first pitch before the game. Burns, an award winning filmmaker, is best known among baseball fans as the man responsible for his nine-part series “Baseball,” which is part history lesson, part love letter about America’s Pastime.
I first saw “Baseball” when I was about 13 or 14, back when I was young enough to still want to make a living on the diamond, but not old enough to realize that it wasn’t for me. And that’s why Dom’s at bat resonated so much with a lot of us. For a moment, it was less about the team winning or losing, and more about identifying with a kid who gets to realize that dream that many of us had to give up.
When he steps onto the field, it’s like we are stepping onto the field. He makes a catch, and it’s us that are making the catch. And to be in his cleats, walking onto the field at Citizens Bank Park for the first time, experiencing the kind of moment that very few will have the opportunity to experience, for some, and for Brown, it was a dream come true.
Serendipitous.
As a fan, there is something about watching a player step into the box for the first time, especially if he’s your guy, when you feel like you have invested something after watching his at-bats in the minor leagues and checking the box score every morning and driving two hours to see him play for the double-A team, just for the chance that you can get a glimpse of the future simply by watching that sweet swing.
Rarely is that sort of dedication rewarded. Look no further than the first round of the last 10 MLB drafts and count just how many players have actually have an impact on The Big Club.
But when that one player can make an impact and bring the kind of buzz that a Domonic Brown or a Buster Posey or a Stephen Strasburg can bring, you have to keep your eyes open, because it might not happen again for a while.
Momentous.
Around 7:30 PM eastern time on July 28th, 2010, Dom Brown stepped into the batter’s box for the first time as a Major Leaguer. The ovation was more than most players will get in their lifetime. But most players don’t play for the Phillies, whose fans are two-parts tough and two-parts tough. We are as rowdy and raucous as anyone else, but damn it all if another fan base can match our intensity, for better or for worse.
And with a runner on second base, Brown dropped the head on a 1-1 slider that was low and inside, showing off that swing for the first time, to drive a ball to deep right field.
Will it? Can it? Could it be?
As CSNPhilly.com’s Sarah Baicker from Comcast wrote, “Even in the press box, there were gasps.”
The liner hung up, but not quite long enough, as it careened off the top of the right-field wall, missing a home run by a mere few feet. Instead, he busted into second base for an RBI double, plating the first run of the game and officially become a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.
A few batters later, he crossed the plate on an RBI groundout from Wilson Valdez, and was greeted by his teammates in the dugout. Hugs, handshakes, high fives from guys who probably had a passing thought about their own debut, and what it meant to them and the home town crowd.
All told, Brown went 2 for 3 with a single, a double, and a pair of runs and RBIs. Not bad for a kid who, a week ago, undoubtedly feeling pressure to be the savior of the team.
For now, he’ll settle for being the new guy.
Welcome to the club, Dom.
40 Responses to “Domonic Brown: Welcome to The Show, Kid.”
Leave a Reply
- The Ghost of Ty Cobb on September 1 Game Recap: Phillies 5, Dodgers 1
- Old School on September 1 Game Recap: Phillies 5, Dodgers 1
- Morandini's Triple Play on September 1 Game Recap: Phillies 5, Dodgers 1
- Old School on September 1 Game Recap: Phillies 5, Dodgers 1
- I went to K-Mart and saw that guy on September 1 Game Recap: Phillies 5, Dodgers 1
Phila-Centric
- 700 Level
- Balls, Sticks & Stuff
- Beerleaguer
- Big Five Post
- Chicks Dig The Longball
- Crane Kick Chronicles
- Crashburn Alley
- Finger Food
- Fire Eric Bruntlett
- Four Days Rest
- High Cheese
- High Hopes
- House That Glanville Built
- I want to go to the zoo with Roy Halladay
- In Ruben We Trust
- Long Drive
- Macho Row
- Maule of America
- Okayplayer
- On The DL
- On The Edge
- Phightin’ Phils Phorum
- Philadelphia Will Do
- Philebrity
- Philled In
- Philliesflow
- Philly Gameday
- Philly Gossip
- Philly Skyline
- Phils-ville
- Phinally Philly
- PHL Sports Fans
- Phoul Ballz
- Swing and a Long Drive
- The 701 Level
- The Good Phight
- The Insider
- The Shibe Times
- The Zo Zone
- We're the Team to Beat
- Whiz Witout
- Who Does He Play For?
- WSBGM’s
General
Will I get any offense from this guy and the lineup?
Perfect!
I stopped in the middle of batin’ to walk back over to the tv when I heard he was pinch hitting tonight.
It takes a lot for me to stop mid pud pull.
And the Phils win it……..tied 2 to 2
Is Ryno going to cool down now? Geez.
Anyone’s box keep going off?
Comcast is a piece of fucking shit.
My On Demand is down.
Howard is bipolar. There’s no one I want more, and yet want less, at bat with the game on the line. The all-or-nothing swing is a killer.
first swing too
BTW Great piece, Dash.
Exxxxxxxxon
two and a half and closing….
And our THIRD ace is pitching tomorrow…against the Nats. Let’s hope for another W.
Nice work, Dash.
I’m not going to lie, that moment when Dom walked up to the plate for the first time, and that crowd rose to their feet. I felt that well of emotion rise along with them, filling me with an immense sense of pride. The next moment, when his sweet swing drilled that ball to right, I held my breath as well, thinking that maybe he’d gone deep his first career at-bat. But when the ball hit that wall, I still felt an immense sense of jubilation, and hollered out “Yeah!!!”
Now, I can’t wait to watch him grow into a full big-league ball player.
he’s one of the few guys that makes the bat look like a toothpick when he swings it. his bat speed is tough to match. as charlie would say, he’ll hit ril good
@will.H, +1 for your dead on Cholly impression.
wow, i almost shed a tear. deep shit man. to sum up all of your sentimental bullshit: yea it was pretty fucking cool when dom brown made his debut.
I was in the stands when Chooch hit the double to score Brown from first. I still want to see a panned out video of him running the bases again. He can absolutely fly, it’s ridiculous.
Watching Brown yesterday was definitely special for alot of us fans, myself included. The standing ovation and almost-homerun gave chills.
Nicely done, captured the feelings of most of us.
Sure was nice to have him step up big in that first game.
Can’t believe the turn around this franchise has done in the last ten years.
From a hopeless laughingstock to a team on a par with the best of them.
Sure hope the Pen gets into that 08 groove again.
Harold Reynolds on MLBN did a nice piece side-by-siding DB’s swing last night with Strawberry c. 1985. Amazing. Then HR projected what sort of hitter DB could become filled out as a 25+ year old (without a cocaine habit). Phenomenal. I thought Harold was gonna cum sitting down, hands free.
Don’t know if this was widely broadcast (I saw it b/c I was blacked out of the LA/SD game).
So, given the RoyO trade terms, the afterglow from Dom’s devirgining and the walk off win tonight — a pretty good day in The Fightinsland. And made all the sweeter by being interrupted to watch A-Roid apparently thinkin about jumpin Kate Hudson last summer instead of jumpin on a hangin slider in any one of THREE chances to hit a Granny for numero 600.
“Attention: “falling batheads” mentioned.
You have a lotta wheeler in you.
I don’t know how RAJ does it…oh, I guess I do know…thanks Ed Wade!
Dude,
Is Ed Wade still being paid by the phillies? We get Oswalt and Houston coughs up 11 million of his salary?! That’s awesome! Bout time Ed Wade finally starts making the right moves in Philly even though he’s now in Houston!
Speaking of Wade, how many former Phillies are now on their roster or have been under him?
“9 innings for 162 games for the rest of our lives”
Perfect!
How awesome is this current Phillies team? They’re a lot like the 2010 Flyers in one way. They have no one, but TWO Olympic Gold Medalists!
Roy Oswalt and Jose Contreras.
That game last night was incredible. First time I’ve ever sat in the diamond club behind home plate. Just seeing Dom in the on deck circle was incredible. My bandwagon fan sister was like wtf are you smiling for? Then it happened. Werth doubled. I turned to my grandpop and said here comes Dom’s 1st RBI in his first at bat. Quick snapped a pic on the blackberry of him in the box after that standing O. Soon as he made contact I jumped out of my seat( I was already on the edge). The kid has a such a sweet stroke. He just looks like things come so natural and effortlessly. By the way, the Halladay guy was pretty decent last night. Dom messed up that shutout
Send him back to AAA, JK!!!
Safe to assume he starts today? Yesterday may have been like a “don’t want to embarass Francisco” kind of thing.
I was at this game as well, and even before going the news that Brown was making his debut excited me. I just couldn’t wait to see this kid hit. He had hardly been on the field for warmups and the place just centered their focus on him. Then, that loud ovation, everyone screaming. Then, the hit. Sitting deep in the right field stand (close to the foul pole, lowest level, way in the back) many there thought it went out, but watching him slide in at second was just incredible. He just did everything right. Even when he botched the play in right at the end of the game, the entire section was disappointed in the loss of the shutout, but quickly turned to a “who cares, we’re still gonna win” mood. Great game, great debut, and a great future for Dom Brown.
The crying girl from tonight has to make it onto the internet in the morning. Between Sarge saying “oh she just can’t take it” and Mitch Williams on MLBtv saying “…she’s that overhwelmed for a Raul Ibanez home run?.. alright..” it was just so funny. I’d be pretty thrilled with grabbing a ball at a game (I know I know) but the tears were hysterical.
I thought it was a bit much. I’d be plenty excited too but crying?
H2O is in effect and Lil’ Brown the Domonator is making Phils Phans and MLB Tonight Commentator Penises stand up and take notice.
PhilsSuckMooseBalls, Braves2010NLEastChamps, Lolphils and all the other prematurely-celebrating trolls:
Don’t fight it…Don’t think about the pain… just try to focus on the texture of the barrel or the strength of the hands on your shoulders… relax- don’t tense up too much – it’ll just hurt more. Just lay back, take your punishment and think of England…
…it’ll all be over soon.
What are the odds of my Roys ‘R Us shirt getting here by saturday?
No that girl is a disgrace for not vomiting on anyone or getting tazed and making us appear soft.
Chutley, they are pathetic. I mean you think they would be used to losing by now. They like to saunter on in here act like they own the place, but in reality they are just poking a sleeping giant. That giant is awake my friend and first place will be ours again and there will be no more trolls. Well minus the Yankees trolls, but part 2 will happen in October and when Zombie George Steinbrenner can not defeat the magnificent Domino Brown, it will shut them up for good
Next story by Dash: “Where have the trolls gone?”
Nice write up.
I’m calling him OZZY.
And hopefully I never have to call him WAGS2.
I got to my pal’s house just a batter before Brown, essentially just in time to crack open a beer an watch it. I just knew the Phillies faithful would give him a warm welcome, but I doubt even he knew just how much they believe in him. People love watching the future in action.