Game chat: Phillies usher forth Dom of a new era

Domonic Brown makes his ballyhooed debut tonight and bats sixth when Roy Halladay (11-8, 2.28) and the Phillies continue their series with Edwin Jackson (6-9, 5.01) and the Diamondbacks. First pitch is 7:05.

Preview: When the 2010 schedule was first released, a Wednesday night game with the D-Backs in late July ranked right at the bottom among desirable tickets, yet tonight has all the makings of a show-stopper. Coupled with a season-high six-game winning streak and the larger-than-life presence of their ace, the Phillies open the curtain on a central character tonight, one they're hoping will dance through the annals of team history. Domonic Brown, recently knighted as the best prospect in all of baseball by Baseball America, rolls off the showroom floor and into Citizens Bank Park with a Jaguar's glint. Engineered to hit .327 with 20 home runs, 68 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 93 games at the minors' highest levels, the 22-year-old is so refined, that he breaches the cold-storage bench buffer that entangles most young call-ups and will be served straightaway at the big league table. One can only hope that he'll improve with age and won't turn into vinegar.

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Comments

[GBrettfan]

I missed most of the game talk and all the postgame talk, but want to chime in and say:

That was FUN! Great Halladay, great debut by the hyped rookie! Great job by Chooch, Werth, Ibanez too. Only mar was the fielding mistake that cost Roy a shutout, and he gets those frequently enough they must be nearly mundane to him. ;)

I think it was Leslie Gudel who speculated Shane's injury could easily take a month to heal, allowing Dom Brown to fill in up to September call-ups, meaning he'd stay through the season.

7 wins in a row. So, the Diamondbacks have a bad BP and have struck out more than any other team in the league, by 100+. Meanwhile, Halladay now leads the league in strikeouts with 100+ and Ryan Howard leads in RBIs by some 10+. It's been a good week for the Phillies!

[Jack]

CJ: I hope you're right.

[Will Schweitzer]

Victorino wins the Jim Thome opportunistic injury award for 2010.

[denny b.]

How many other teams are bidding for Oswalt now?

Anybody else?

If its just Philly, then I am not including Happ in any deal. Why should they? Houston needs to move Oswalt to save some money and is in complete rebuild mode. Everybody else seems to have dropped out of the running.

Is Oswalt of TODAY (who is 14-18 in the last 2 years) THAT much of an upgrade over Happ? For the money they are going to have to spend and the other prospects they are going to have to give up, he has to be MUCH better. For a 3rd starter, who may only pitch once if you get to a NL Championship or WS?

This isn't Cliff Lee, coming here to be the ACE last July. This isn't Halladay coming here to be the new ACE, last winter. This is a trade, for a 3rd starter. Thus, you don't HAVE to do what Houston wants. You only do this, if it meets PHILADELPHIA's criteria. If it doesn't, you say "no thanks" and move on. That simple.

You know what DOES make this team MUCH better? If Oswalt replaces Kendrick in the rotation. That is what makes this team MUCH better now.

A rotation of Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, Happ and Blanton? Deal with that, National League.

If Rube and Cholly are hellbent on playing for today and "we'll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow", then you don't trade Happ. Because Happ helps you win today. Colvin? Singleton? Gose? May? Those are guys that aren't going to help you win today or next year.

You don't trade Werth. He helps you win in 2010.

So, which one is it? Are we trying to win now? Are we trying to make the 2010 team, the best it can be? Are we about protecting kids who are 19 years old, or protecting players who have proven they can play in the bigs? Are we thinking like the Yankees or the Rays?

[Old Phan]

I agree that the Phils should acquire Oswalt only on their terms. I'd rather see either another bench player or perhaps some bullpen help if it's just for this season.

[KevinLin]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/mlb/100728-astros-await-oswalt's-ok-on-trade-to-phillies

If this is true...just up to Oswalt now.

[Old Phan]

According to RBMLBTR (Really Bad MLB Trade Rumors) Colorado is trying to acquire Pedro Borbon from Texas and Phil Coke from Detroit, therefore by the trade deadline you may have Borbon and Coke on the Rox.

[BloodStripes]

Absolute classic Old Phan. Crackin' me up

[DPatrone]

I just got a call, and was told the rumor of Owalt to the Phils is true pending his approval. Happ is likely part of the deal.

I am not surprised. However I ma surprised about the rumor that they're interested in Baustista (per MLBTR).

[Brian]

I am fine with including Happ in the deal. I think Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels would give us the best 1-2-3 pitchers in baseball, apologies to the Angels.

Bautista would obviously really help the lineup instead of Dobbs, etc., but I doubt the Phillies have enough to offer to get both deals done.

[denny b.]

How many different guys is Rube in on? 187? Is he scouting some Independent and Mexican League teams too?

And with all the rumors I see, NONE of them involve a closer. Which is STILL the #1 issue with this team (just like it was in 2009). I guess some are too hard-headed, to see the real problem and instead look to find one where one doesn't currently exist. You want to mortgage the future for someone? How about that Soria guy in Kansas City? I hear he's pretty good. Even succeeding on a lousy team.

Its not nearly as bad as it was last year, when Lidge was embarrassingly bad. But Lidge is still REAL shaky. And his fastball has looked DEAD the past few outings. He hardly even threw it the last time out. I remember that same guy last year. He sucked, throwing slider after slider after slider.

This team is pretty complete already. And yet Rube is scouting Jose Bautista? Why? Where is he going to play, when Utley comes back? He'll never see the field.

Scott Downs? Really? Journeyman Scott Downs? Whose spot does he take? Baez? If they haven't dumped him yet, he's likely not going anywhere. Herndon? Same thing.

There is a kid in AAA, who pitched for you before, who has put up the following numbers while at Lehigh:

10 1/3 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 3 BB's and 17 K's

And he doesn't cost you a dime (or a few prospects) either.

Ted Lilly? Now he IS a ass hat with a bad attitude. And he's another mediocre stuff, flyball pitcher, who wouldn't keep the ball in the park in Philly. Don't we already have a few of those in our current rotation?

Rube seems more like Daniel Snyder, playing fantasy GM. Why doesn't he just settle down and watch his team win games on the field? This isn't a bad team he's constructed, when most of them are healthy. They can't win it all without Utley, but if he comes back ready to go, this team is going to be tough to beat down the stretch (like usual). Why not chill out, quit watching these overpaid guys on losing teams, and enjoy the Phillies team?

Just think what this guy would do, if the Phils were actually playing like the Mets around the trade deadline? He'd trade half of the farm system before he was done. Or at least try to.

[dlhunter]

DPatrone:
I just got a call, and was told the rumor of Owalt to the Phils is true pending his approval.

Who the hell are you? The fvcking horse whisperer?

[Old Phan]

He's Rumor Amaro, Jr.

[tutpsu]

This is probably unreliable, but here's a rumor going around:

Phils Receive:

SP Roy Oswalt (Phils agree to renegotiate 2012 buyout from $2M to $5M)
2B/Utility Jeff Keppinger
Cash Consideration of $8M (roughly half of Oswalt's remaining 2010 salary plus buyout)

Astros Receive:
1B Jon Singleton
P JA Happ
P Scott Mathieson
OF Anthony Gose

[dlhunter]

Keppinger's hurt at the moment, with a balky back, but he seems to be day-to-day.

Regardless, it doesn't really look like a worthwhile deal for what we're giving up.

[EastFallowfield]

Philly Daily News Front Page

[dlhunter]

Last of the 2010 Sexy Singles?!

What are the trying to say about Dom?

[pblunts]

tutpsu-

Honestly was just going to post that I thought including keppinger- a solid, versatile guy-would make sense. But yikes, if true, that's quite a haul for Ed Wade considering the Phils may be bidding against themselves. I think anything Mathieson does considering his arm troubles is a bonus, but Gose and Singleton in addition to a semi-proven Happ? Wow.

[pblunts]

Didn't take Rosenthal long-and it's been debated oh, a time or two here-to post a column about why we are getting Oswalt instead of keeping Lee in the first place...

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/if-phils-want-oswalt%2C-why%27d-they-deal-lee%3F-072810

[PHinBK]

whatever, if tutpsu is right, then trading that kind of haul for an injury prone Oswalt when they already had a superior pitcher in Lee, is assanine.

Not to mention, IMHOP, the players they could be sending to houstan are retardedly superior to what they got from Seattle. So obviously the last seven months of trades are all about salary and not about the future. color me annoyed.

[EastFallowfield]

Yo, new thread