July 30, 2010
Brown finally gets ‘the call’ to Philly; doubles first time up
2004 series alum becomes the third to travel through Bangor to the majors
 Domonic Brown, hitting against the Portland Sea Dogs on June 5, 2010. |
Brown made his major league debut with the Phillies on July 28, replacing injured outfielder Shane Victorino, whom the Phillies put on the 15-day disabled list earlier in the day. The 6-foot-5, left-handed hitting right fielder laced a 1-1 pitch from the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Edwin Jackson off the right-center field wall at Citizens Bank Park in his first plate appearance and slid into second base with a double and his first major league run batted in. It happened in the second inning.
He later singled, scored from first base on a double, and hit a sacrifice fly while going 2-for-3 in his debut as the Phillies won, 7-1.
Philly fans gave Brown a standing ovation after his first hit. Brown tipped his helmet to the crowd.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” Brown told mlb.com correspondent Andy Jasner.
Brown is the third Bangor World Series alumnus to play in the majors, joining Washington Nationals pitching prospect Shairon Martis (2002, 2003; Curacao) and Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens (2002; Curacao).
After beginning the season at AA Reading, Brown moved up to AAA Lehigh Valley on June 25. For the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, Brown batted .346 with five home runs and 21 RBIs in 28 games. He also stole five bases. At Reading, the right fielder had hit .318-15-47 in 65 games, with 12 stolen bases.
Brown pitched and played outfield for Dade City, Fla., in the 2004 Senior League World Series. On the mound, he pitched three complete games – a record that will surely never be matched or broken with Little League’s pitch-count rule that goes by pitches instead of innings. At the plate, he hit .529 (7-for-17) and slugged .824.
Brown did not start for the Phillies Thursday night, although he did pinch-hit for the pitcher, flying out to left field in the seventh inning in the Phillies’ 3-2, 11-inning win over the Diamondbacks.