Undue pressure leaves Brown lost in his own head

Domonic Brown, whose hands should be higher or lower depending on the advice he’s taking that day, will sit for the first time this spring.

Beerleaguer: On a team as strong as the Phillies, and with other options in place, Brown should have had a nice, soft landing as the Phillies ease him into the Major Leagues. Instead, 24-hour news cycles, niche television networks and hyper-focused Web sites like this one have cast him into a “Truman Show” of sorts, where there’s no escape from our gaze, not even in the dark obscurity of the Dominican Winter League. Here’s a brief window into Brown’s world, posted this morning from the Inquirer’s Matt Gelb via Twitter: “MLB Network does segment on Brown's swing. Everyone in clubhouse watching. It ends as Brown walks through room. Awkward.”

Brown, who struck out twice and is 0-for-12 with eight strikeouts in his first four games, will continue to earn steady looks this spring, but the simple fact is there isn’t any true urgency for Brown to nail it. The Phillies are built around pitching, he's a lefty bat in a lineup already loaded with them and Ben Francisco will be their point person in right. He's a top prospect, sure, but he's 23 and played in only 28 games at Triple-A.

In the meantime, Brown continues to tinker with the most scrutinized batting stance of spring. “In a couple of days, I’ll be fine,” he told CSNPhilly’s Jim Salisbury. “I’m not pressing or anything. It’s just going to take some time. The results will come. If I go to Triple-A I go to Triple-A. But it’s too early to discuss that right now.” Tell that to Beerleaguer.

Today: Oswalt.

Comments

[lorecore]

Dont worry everybody, I'll save your seat on the domonic bandwagon for whoever wants to get off for awhile, free of charge.

[Jeltz for the Hall]

The implication being that whatever is wrong with Domo right now is mostly mental. And the cure? Continued at-bats as he settles in. He'll be fine and I won't offically be worred until he's 0-fer until the Phillies wear their green hats.

[Jeltz for the Hall]

Er...worried. :)

[Dan in Philly]

If the dude can't handle the pressure of spring training, he has no place in a major league lineup. This is not an unfair charge, when I was his age there is zero chance I could have performed at the major league level even if I had the talent - I was too immature.

[Schmitty's Stache]

Cholly will get his swing straightened out. Dom has a major league arm in RF and runs the bases like a Gazelle. His swing will catch up with the rest

[MG]

First official DITHL sighting this year. Lehigh awaits Dom to start the season and all will be better served.

[awh]

MG, DITHL? You be harsh, man.

[Heather]

What is DITHL? Thank you.

[Andy]

In re: Josh Barfield

At first glance his AAA numbers look like he could be serviceable as a replacement level player. His AAA numbers however, might be a bit misleading, since his OPS in the PCL is in the high .700s and in the IL is in the low .600s. My guess is that his second year, the one with Cleveland, is more indicative of his ability than his first year w/SDPs.

[Meyer]

Maybe Dom should spend the day running routes and making friends with his hands again. Ryne Sandberg was a quarterback in high school.

[Andy]

Seriously, Heather,
Need to call it what it is:
DITHL

[awh]

D-eer I-n T-he H-ead L-ights

[Andy]

For Dom's sake, Utley and Oswalt need to step up. Uts needs to talk about how bad his injury is and Os needs to talk about maybe retiring. Get the press pre-occupied so they leave the Dominator alone for a while.

[awh]

MG, you do realize that you're setting yourself up for a running battle with Jack today, no?

[Andy]

awh - Amazing how DITHL is fiuve syllables. Just calls out for major haiku usage.

[Andy]

Schmitty's
He may run like a gazelle, but he bats like a deer...um...

in the headlights.

[Heather]

Ah, thank you. I do agree if Brown does look very uncomfortable. Some people would probably be better served by going to the bigs and their confidence won't take much of a hit as they struggle. Maybe Brown isn't one of those people and if not, fine. I guess it might mean the Phils can push arb/team control with him back another year depending how long he stays down. And I'm not the biggest Francisco fan in the world, but I'm convinced that, as some others have posted, he's a serviceable enough outfielder.

[clout]

Dom, like most MLB players, knows when Clout Day is. Focusing on results before then is just plain silly. The kid will relax and have fun.

[clout]

Andy: That's right. Here's my post from lasst thread:

When Barfield was a prospect, there were questions about his strike zone judgment. He swung at too many bad pitches and while he had fair power, his glove wasn't dazzling enough to support a guy whose OB would be around the Mendoza line.

But a lot of scouts thought he'd improve in that area and that his glove, which was just average, would improve as well.

His rookie year was very solid for age 23 and while his OB wasn't great (.318), it was certainly an OK start.

Then he was traded to Cleveland and his development went backwards: OB and power down, defense also down at age 24.

He spent the next 2 years at Trip A to get his mojo back, but his zone judgment got even worse, posting OB of .288 and .271 and no improvement in power.

Last year in Trip A he bounced back (.295/.325/.400) but that's still a pretty weak OB and the power never did come back. Plus the PCL is a hitter's league.

In his minor league career he's walked in just 6% of his plate appearances. That makes Pedro Feliz look like Kevin Youklis.

Conclusion: At age 28 it is extremely unlikely that Barfield will improve his offense enough to be more than a fringe major leaguer. Valdez is a more valuable asset.

[awh]

Andy,me likey!

[Schmitty's Stache]

Andy - There were major hole in Dom's swing, mainly the top corner of the strike zone, because he held his hands over the plate. It's been reported that the Phils have been trying to change his swing to compensate for the holes, which logically he is going to struggle with, at first.

Werth got his start in a similar fashion. He platooned with Jenk-um and Stairs before he was the everday starter in 09'. Dom and Ben can platoon in a similar fashion until he figures it out. His arm makes him a defensive substitution in the late innings, move Ben to LF for Ibanez and put Dom in RF and his speed on the bases make him a pinch runner.

He can still get in games until he figures out his swing, but I suspect that the coaching staff will have this figured out during Spring Training, because afterall, that's what Spring Training is for

[Chris in VT]

Ah, Beerleaguer. The place where overreaction rules the day.

[Bob]

Hopefully, he'll have a couple of breaks at bat go his way, get a few hits and get a bit of a roll going. The pressure will fade, he'll relax, and we'll start to get a sense of where he truly is. Right now, still too small a sample size, and too distorted due to the circumstances to really tell.

[Chris in VT]

There actually haven't been reports that the Phils are trying to change his swing, just trying to get rid of the bad habits he developed riding the pine in the majors last year. They're trying to get his swing back to where it was when he was raking in AA and AAA last year.

[awh]

Chris, for many here overreaction is fun and in keeping eith the Philly tradition.

[MG]

Chris - Giving a highly-touted rookie who is trying to win a roster spot a day off this early in spring training already?

[clout]

Schmitty: While Jack has said it is inconceivable that Dom had a bad swing last year or that he needs more minor league experience, your post is 100% correct.

Brown was unable to get around on fastballs on his hands AND unable to handle breaking pitches in the lower, outside part of the strike zone at the major league level.

This was apparent to anyone who watched him play last season and, IIRC, even mentioned on this blog by NEPP and a few others at the time.

By dropping his hands, as the Phillies suggested, it would take him less time to pull his hands into his body and still be able to put a level swing on an inside fastball. It would also lessen the distance between his hands and the low outside corner, enabling him to get a good swing on a breaking pitch and drive it the other way.

This is not rocket science and what the coaches have been trying to do with his stance makes a lot of sense.

[bay_area_phan]

Schmitty: Please tell me you were just being funny in the last thread when you said that you like Dane Sardinha and wonder if he can play any position except catcher.

[Schmitty's Stache]

Chris - sounds like splitting hairs
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110221&content_id=16696030&vkey=news_t449&fext=.jsp&sid=t449
The point being, whether they are trying to change his swing to where it was before, adjust his stance, etc...The coaching staff is working on making adjustments on Dom's swing and he will eventually get it!

[RSB]

As Brown is compared often to Darryl Strawberry, it may be instructive to heed the kind of rocky start Strawberry got off to in his rookie season before settling in to win the ROY. Brown will have his rough patches, but running him out there is the only way he's going to learn how to play in the majors. I don't see how triple-A really helps him, and it's not like he's being blocked by anyone on the big league roster.

The only difference in this comparison may have been that the Mets, a last-place team at the time, had less to lose by sticking with their young right fielder until he finally turned it on. Brown, or any prospect, would be better off getting their feet wet under those kinds of auspices rather than for a team with huge expectations, but I still believe the Phillies can afford to stick with him unless it's clear he's becoming psychologically affected by a protracted struggle.

[Chris in VT]

I agree he will eventually get it. I'm not worried about his long-term prospects. If he proves he's ready to handle the majority of the RF playing time at the beginning of the season, that's great. If he needs some seasoning in AAA, that is also not a problem. People need to chill out, he's still a relative baseball neophyte due to his football background.

[lorecore]

i always thought "L" in DITHL was "look".

Deer In The Headlights Look

This is definitely the most important debate this blog will see today.

[Kutztown Fan]

Clout - thanks for the summarization of Barfield. I will show it to a friend who thinks Barfield should platoon with Chase (yeah, that's what he said) to keep Chase healthy for the playoffs.

[mego]

All I have to say is three games... give it time people, he just needs to settle in a bit and he will be fine.

[Andy]

Frankly, I'm not so concerned about the three games and no hits as I am with what's happening inside his head. I hope Brown understands that it's just three ST games and doesn't mess himself up. That's not always an easy thing to do. And saying he looks like a DITHL is not panicking, just observation. I'm sure he'll get the swagger back. Not everyone can maintain a perpetual DITHL look like Kyle Kendrick.

[Will Schweitzer]

"So now you guys are going back to 09' offseason and questioning trading Taylor and Drabek for Roy Halladay. 2 prospects, whom have done what exactly."

No one is saying that (at least not me).

My question isn't about any one trade in particular, but with the wisdom of treating Domonic as the untouchable stud while freely dealing other prospects instead of Brown.

The question cannot be answered now, but in ten years, it'll be interesting to see if they kept the right guy. Where will Brown rank in 2020 compared to Drabek, Taylor, Knapp, d'Arnaud, etc...

Small sample size notwithstanding, Brown has yet to prove that he's worth any more at the major league level than Donald and Marson. I'm not saying he won't (so please no quotes of "so you're saying Brown = Marson), but Brown wouldn't be the first cant-miss stud to fail in the big leagues if that's how it ends up.

[awh]

phlipper, IIRC you are incorrect.

[Will Schweitzer]

...and I see the word "overreaction" thrown around quite a bit. This word would be equally appropriate to the expectation that Brown is ready for a job on a perennial division champion.

If you can't handle the Dominican League, you're not sure on how to hold the bat and you're nervous and lost during Spring Training, there should be very little discussion of whether or not you warrant consideration for the Phillies outfield.

A full season in Lehigh Valley seems highly appropriate.

[awh]

Kutztown, speaking of platooning Utley, MLBTR has this little blip on Chipper Jones:

"•Jones says getting rest every week or ten days helps him stay strong throughout the season. The veteran third baseman has only played in 135 games once in the past six seasons because of a variety of injuries, so it makes sense to give him the occasional day off."

Also, the same blip says the Phils tried hard dring the offseason to sign George Sherrill, with Gillick and Manuel involved.

[NEPP]

Here's an interesting stat line:

2007 Dustin Pedroia:

First 22 games: 72 PA, .180 AVG/.535 OPS
Final 117 games: 509 PA, .336 AVG/.861 OPS

Tito stuck with his young rookie despite numerous calls to send him to the minors and eventually Dustin relaxed and did his thing.

[Willard Preacher]

awh, interesting that you bring up that bit on Chipper. I was remarking just the other day to a colleague that it just "felt" like Utley was heading into that 'Chipper-zone' of his career, where the injuries are somewhat inevitable, but he's just too good when healthy to find a better than average alternative.

That's not to say that Uts won't get healthy, remain healthy all season and have another great year, but recent trends indicate a season more like Chipper's recent seasons and the rest would be a great idea.

[Kutztown Fan]

I can't argue with giving players occasional days off. Chipper is a poster child for that argument. I think Chase would benefit from occasional days off. But a platoon? And with Barfield? Not sure I'm down with that.

[Willard Preacher]

I'll be the first (and probably only one) to admit that I originally stated that Brown should get the starting job, even if in a better than 50/50 platoon split, just to get his feet wet in the big league game. I stated that the team (pitching, in particular) would be good enough to hide his inevitable learning curve and that they'd be better off in the long run.

I'm not stating that I totally disagree with this, and I don't need to be reminded how early in ST it still is, however, I'm radically reconsidering that notion right now, and wondering if AAA isn't the best solution for our young phenom.

He's hoping he finds a nice 250 lb "slump buster" in FLA and makes it all an irrelevant discussion.

[MG]

awh - I remembering the Phils being linked to Sherrill that doesn't suprise me that Phils wanted him. I would have rather seen him signed than Romero.

[Willard Preacher]

To me, there's a difference between platoon-worthy and replacement player, and it's a pretty big difference.

Barfield (and Valdez, too) are not platoon-worthy. Replacement level, sure, but you don't PLAN on using them fairly regularly.

[Jeltz for the Hall]

Isn't it funny how the "small sample size" mantra is only applicable on BL when the stats trend positively? Small sample size, however, is thrown out the window when the stats trend to the negative, as the guy is clearly a bum.

[Willard Preacher]

Remember when Dom Brown used to bench press Ford F150's and race against thoroughbreds on his off days? Those were the days.

[Heather]

"Isn't it funny how the "small sample size" mantra is only applicable on BL when the stats trend positively?"

FWIW, I think this is a fair and valid point, but right now Brown is not hitting the ball hard, K'ing a lot, showing a different stance at every plate appearance, twitching his hands around, etc.

I think people are looking at this "whole package" rather than just his numbers in making their case for why Brown isn't looking good right now.

I will be rooting for Brown to do well and make the team, but if he doesn't, I will hope he does well in AAA.

[MG]

Brown looks like a guy who needs to smoke a joint and relax. Jason is partially right about the 'Truman Show' effect but also look how much attention/coverage this team is getting.

Almost every spring training sold out? Ten years ago the sports scene this time of year would be draft talk & football free agency, college basketball to a degree if one of the Big 5 teams was really good, and Flyers/Sixers to a lesser degree. Phils would have been an afterthought after the obiligatory 'pitchers and catchers' report stories and some basic stories during the first week of spring training.

[Heather]

I didn't see anyone post this, so forgive me if it's been mentioned already, but I was jazzed to finally see Rizzotti in a game yesterday.

Everybody says he won't amount to anything much, and since I'm not an expert, I defer to their judgement, but he's really a great feel good story, and I will definitely root for him. It's nice they are giving him a shot in big league camp.

[bay_area_phan]

Today's thread is a fairly typical day on Beerleaguer. There are about 20 posts which repudiate everyone else for overreacting to Domonic Brown's bad start. Yet, there isn't a single post which actually overreacts to Domonic Brown's bad start.

[Willard Preacher]

BAP, you mean besides the ones that question whether on not we should have traded Brown instead of Taylor?

[donc]

Domonic Brown will never get another hit in a major league game. He will never again even set foot on a major league field. He is completely devoid of any athletic ability at all. He is, quite frankly, the biggest fraud perpetrated on the american public since one hour martinizing. Hows that BAP?

[Bedrosian's Beard]

WWMTD(What Would Micahel Taylor DO?) Probably 10-10 with 9HRs and a Texas league single.

[JMARR]

Congratulations Chooch - 9 lb. baby boy.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2011/news/story?id=6174412

[Jeltz For the Hall]

"First official DITHL sighting this year. Lehigh awaits Dom to start the season and all will be better served."

Nope, no overreating at all. :)

[Heather]

"He is, quite frankly, the biggest fraud perpetrated on the american public since one hour martinizing"

One hour martinis? That's nothing. I can make one in about a minute.

On a more serious note, I have no idea what "martizing" means if it's not "making a martini".

[Jeltz For the Hall]

or overreacting...man, I hate IE (Firefox points out most of my spelling errors for me).

[bay_area_phan]

WP: That was my post, so I am in perfect position to call bullsh*t to your point.

Someone said they would be curious to see who has the better major league career between Drabek & Brown. I responded that I had a similar curiosity about Talor & Brown and I noted, in passing, that, at the time of the trade, I preferred that we trade Brown, since Taylor was right-handed. I did not "question" the Phillies' decision, nor did I make my comment in the context of piling on or "overreacting" to Domonic Brown's bad start.

[awh]

Here's an overreaction:

HOORAY FOR CHOOCH!

*******ENHORABUENA*******

[bay_area_phan]

donc: Your post is a little understated & lacking in bombast but, other than that, it's pretty good.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

I'm disappointed Chooch didn't have two babies.

[donc]

BAP: Thanks I knew I should have grabbed an espresso first.

[Jeltz For the Hall]

Chooch's little swimmers are jokes and frauds. Anything less than triplets is unacceptable.

[Brett]

Any way to hear this game today?

[LwrSlwrGeorge]

"On a more serious note, I have no idea what "martizing" means if it's not "making a martini"."

Heather, it has to do with dry cleaning. Due to the highly flammable nature of chemicals used, dry cleaning took place "out of town" as it were. In the late 40's, a guy named Martin developed a non-flammable solvent for dry cleaning, and the process could be done in-house. Since time needed to transport the clothing was eliminated, it eliminated the wait for the clothes to "come back" to the cleaner, since they never left in the first place.

Martin coined the term "martinizing" as a marketing ploy. It was, in a sense, one of the things that lead to a faster-paced lifestyle.

Disclaimer: I worked at a dry cleaner (one summer out of HS back in the late 60's) and learned this when I asked the owner what martinizing was. It kinda stuck with me

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Brett: Just tune in here. We'll get you all the lowlights.

[Highland]

Wheels says Lidge is trying a slide-step delivery today. Gave up 3 hits and a run in 3rd.

[Noah]

Also, despite the slide step, Randy Winn stole second.

[Brett]

Is Randy Winn still fast anymore? He only stole 6 bases last year.

[Heather]

"Disclaimer: I worked at a dry cleaner (one summer out of HS back in the late 60's) and learned this when I asked the owner what martinizing was. It kinda stuck with me"

Awesome explanation! Thank you.

[Willard Preacher]

BAP, you're correct. I went back and read through the end of the last thread and the Brown/Taylor talk was all in "curiosity" and speculation, without anyone actually advocating that we should have done it any differently. I was mistaken, and you are correct in calling bullsh*t on me. It wasn't intentional.

We have, however, seen a post or two about Brown needing to spend a full season at AAA. Whether or not you want to call that "overreacting" I suppose is up to interpretation.

[Heather]

Also, Shane Victorino just bunted for a base hit.

I hope someone tells him he should do that more often. Jimmy Rollins too.

[bay_area_phan]

I'm kind of disappointed. We are about a week into spring training games, and I'm still waiting for one of the annual rituals that I always thoroughly enjoy: the guy who shows up on Beerleaguer after attending a few spring training games and batting practice sessions, and declares that someone like Tagg Bozied or Carlos Rivera is a budding superstar. Beerleaguer has let me down.

[Willard Preacher]

So, martinizing as nothing to do with Wink Martindale? I'm disappointed.

[CJ]

bap: You are so right! Where is our Spring Training Superstar!?!?!?

[donc]

BAP:That guy that went off on Mayberry last year or the year before was the funniest thing I ever saw. I still remember he went by the name of Doc. Absolutely hysterical.

[Willard Preacher]

If it's any consolation, I still think that Tuffy Goosewurst is a budding superstar.

I'm just not sure in what industry yet.

[Kutztown Fan]

Wasn't the previous thread all about Barfield being the Big Star of spring training? (I realize that's stretching the truth a bit, but I hate to see BAP being disappointed. )

[bay_area_phan]

WP: No problem.

I actually never expected Brown to make the 25-man roster. I can't say I expected him to look this bad, but I saw enough of his offense & defense at the end of last year to convince me that he probably needs to play at least a half year at AAA. AAA is largely comprised of minor league veterans, who tend to have better command of their secondary pitches than the guys at the lower levels. Those are precisely the types of pitchers that Brown needs to be facing.

OTOH, maybe the light switch will go on & he'll suddenly start mashing in spring training. I'm not really expecting it, though.

[CJ]

Kutztown Fan: That was more of a "useful part" discussion. You'll know the "Spring Training Superstar" discussion when it happens!

[bay_area_phan]

don: Yeah, I think you & I appreciated that guy more than anyone else on Beerleaguer. I remember discussing the same topic with you during last year's spring trainng.

In doc's defense, I'll say this: if you don't really follow minor league baseball, it would be very easy to watch Mayberry for a few games, and be seduced by the possibilities. He's huge, fast, fields his position gracefully, and, I imagine, probably hits the ball a mile in batting practice.

[Heather]

"BAP:That guy that went off on Mayberry last year or the year before was the funniest thing I ever saw. I still remember he went by the name of Doc. Absolutely hysterical."

He's reappeared on MLB Network and now goes by the name "Mitch Williams".

[donc]

Here you go BAP. I just had to find some of his stuff. Love his style. Understated but very sure of himself. What a hoot.

"Seeing Mayberry hitting his 3 run laser shot homer today, I had a flashback to watching Ryan Howard as a rookie in spring traing a few years ago. Is Mayberry a right-handed Ryan Howard, you ask? "We'll see," said the Zen Master. Howard, by the way, had a 3 run dinger of his own today - opposite field off a left hander.

If the season were to open tomorrow, Manuel would be hard pressed not be starting an outfield of Ibanez, Victorino and Mayberry. Werth played today but he didn't play at the same level as Mayberry. Werth may still be injured but he only had an infield hit on the day. If Mayberry continues to hit moon shots with any regularity for the rest of spring training, Werth may become redefined as the Phils 4th outfielder / right handed pinch hitter or wind up on the trade block. Mayberry is the real deal and a lineup of Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Mayberry, Ibanez, Feliz/Dobbs, Ruiz/Coste and Pitcher staggers the imagination and represents a clear upgrade from the 2008 world championship team."

And yes I do remember us laughing about this last spring too. Great stuff.

[donc]

I also love the little "Zen Master" angle. I could see this guy sitting in the bleachers at ST wearing a Nehru jacket and smelling of Pachuli Oil. I think I'll go back and look up some of my own predictions. That would really be entertaining. Although, the one I think I've made the most is that Mayberry aint a major league ball player. No way. No how. I'd love to be wrong, but I'm not.

[Schmitty's Stache]

Feliz/Dobbs followed by staggers the imagination...thanks, I needed that

[clout]

BAP: Clearly you've never read any of Jack's posts on this issue.

[Jack]

When will it be "Clout Day" so I can talk about how disappointing the offense is going to be for people this year?

People see the names Rollins, Utley, Howard, Ibanez, Victorino and assume we'll have a high-powered offense.

I respectfully disagree. But I'll hold off until "Clout Day" to make any real statements or predictions on this point.

[CJ]

Jack: Other than disagreeing that we'll have a high-powered offense... you're not making any predictions.

Oh... and other than predicting the Phils will not be in the top 3 in runs scored this year... you're not making any predictions.

[Jack]

CJ: No, I will definitely wait until "Clout Day" or later to predict that the Phillies offense will score fewer runs than the consensus on here will forecast.

[CJ]

My prediction: Jack will continue to predict doom and gloom for this offense all year long.

[Will Schweitzer]

"We have, however, seen a post or two about Brown needing to spend a full season at AAA."

I don't see how this is an overreaction.

If he continues to struggle, starting the season in AAA seems appropriate. If Francisco makes the most of his opportunity, I see no reason why Brown should be entitled to anything other than a late season callup and another chance to earn his way to Philadelphia in 2012.

Not saying this will happen or should happen, but it's no less likely a scenario than any other. Worked for Kendrick in '09.

[Jack]

CJ: Define "doom and gloom." I will likely predict (when the time is right) that the offense will be about average, maybe slightly-above. Is that "doom and gloom"?

Now, maybe I'm overstating how other people on here view the offense. But my intuition is that people still think this is the high-powered offense of 2005-2009. It is not. But I will wait to see other people's predictions before defining them as such.

I wouldn't want to jump the gun here, right?

[Kutztown Fan]

BAP and donc - didn't doc post an "I told you so" after Mayberry hit a dinger in Yankee Stadium last June?

Wow. I must be a Beerleaguer regular if I'm remembering something like that. Do not worry, however, that I have any delusions of being part of the Beerleaguer Elite (if there were such a thing).

[Jack]

I will say this: all those people who wanted the Phils to be more of a "small-ball", contact-oriented team with less strikeouts and less home runs have gotten their wish. I hope they enjoy it.

[donc]

KF: You may be right about that but he sure did disappear quickly when RFD didn't come north with the Phils. Hey at least the guy had the strength of his convictions, though "I told you so's" are for people with disappointing genetalia.

[PhilliesDude]

Did anyone notice that after Lee's "dismal" performance yesterday (at least as gleefully reported on the blogs of other teams around the country) that dozens of national reporters gathered around his locker to talk with him about it. As Yahoo sports reported - Lee again made a comment thet Phillies fans were very "educated" fans.
Why does dude keep making statements that characterize Phillies fans like this. Is he trying single-handedly to destroy our national reputation that we have built up over the years??

[bay_area_phan]

donc: That's goood stuff. I also remember that doc thought Jason Ellison was headed for a bright major league career.

Speaking of bright major league careers, I remember being assured that it would be a waste of money to resign Chad Durbin, since Mathieson, DeFratus & Schwimmer were all just as good, if not better. Perhaps those 3 guys are just waiting for clout day to prove their defenders correct.

[donc]

Jason Ellison? Thats a good one too. Hey lets face it. This place would be dullsville without predictions. Most of them are wrong and many are preposterous but they are fun. Those that don't make them (and you know who you are) take themselves entirely too seriously IMO.

[bay_area_phan]

When is clout day anyhow? Just as a little kid looks forward to Christmas, so he can open his presents, I am really looking forward to clout day, so I can say how utterly ghastly our offense is going to be.