While New York City reveled in having Mets rookie Matt Harvey starting for the National League and expecting to see Yankees Mariano Rivera close it out, Stone Mountain staked its own claim on the 2013 All-Star game.
Brandon Phillips of the Reds and Domonic Brown of the Phillies represented Redan High School on the National League All-Star team. Phillips was making his third All-Star appearance and first ever start at second base. Brown was named for the first time as a reserve outfielder, capping a remarkable first half with the Phillies. Phillips went 0-for-2 Tuesday night and made a nice bare-handed turn of a double play.
Brown entered the game in left field in the sixth inning and had a great chance in his first All-Star at-bat in the seventh. He represented the tying run with David Wright at first base but struck out on three pitches against Toronto left-hander Brett Cecil.
Their participation continues an impressive run for a Redan program, which won its first ever baseball state championship this spring. The Raiders are giving Parkview, Marist, Milton and some of the traditional Atlanta baseball powers a run for center stage.
“I think Redan is doing something right,” Phillips said. “I’m very happy for what they’re doing. I’m very happy for Atlanta, Ga. period to have an opportunity to get (here). But Stone Mountain is where it’s at.”
Phillips, 32, graduated in 1999 from Redan and got drafted in the second round by the Montreal Expos. Brown, 25,spent only his senior season at Redan but it was a very purposeful decision. He had been living with his mother in Pasco County, Fla., north of Tampa, when he decided to move in with his father in Atlanta, where he thought he could get better exposure.
“In Pasco County, baseball is not really that big,” Brown said. “In Atlanta, I know about East Cobb and all those great programs, so I wanted to go up there and show what I had.”
The cost was high, though. Brown lost a full season of eligibility. His parents entered a very heated and public custody battle, and Brown and his mother didn’t speak for two years.
But living with his father in Stone Mountain, he got the exposure he needed, was drafted in the 20th round in 2006 by the Phillies and was rewarded with a $200,000 bonus, the equivalent then of fifth round money. He came up through the minors as one of the top prospects in baseball.
“It was me growing up as a man when I moved to Georgia,” Brown said. “It made me the man that I am today.”
He used the experiences he gained to overcome one challenge after another over the past three seasons with the Phillies. Brown hit only .236 in intermittent major league action. He went from heir apparent to Jayson Werth in right field to a guy general manager Ruben Amaro admitted the Phillies mistakenly rushed to the major leagues.
But Brown came to spring training in February with a clear mind, hit seven home runs and carried it over into the season. He entered the All-Star break third in the National League with 23 home runs. His 10 home runs in the month of May were the most in a month for any Phillies slugger since Ryan Howard had 11 in August of 2009. Now Brown is the one batting cleanup.
Could he have envisioned being an All-Star back in February?
“I had to envision that,” Brown said. “I think if I would have envisioned something else, lower expectations, I don’t think I would have been here.”
Admiring it all from a distance was Phillips. He could relate to the ups and downs Brown endured. The Expos traded Phillips to Cleveland in a blockbuster deal for Bartolo Colon as a minor leaguer in 2002. But within four years he was traded again, to the Reds in 2006, after falling out of favor with Cleveland manager Eric Wedge. Phillips had played 112 games with the Indians as a 22-year-old but only 12 major league games over the next two seasons.
“The thing is though, it made him a stronger person,” Phillips said of the adversity Brown faced. “Like I told him, I said ‘You aren’t the only person who went through things. I went through things when I was with the Indians. And for you to get a second chance and go out there and take advantage of it, it’s a beautiful thing and I’m very proud of you.’”
For Phillips this is a chance to take the next step in his veteran career, getting voted in in the eyes of fans, taking pride in being elected by the fans for the first time in his career. He is also getting a kick out of becoming the second Phillips brother to play with Brown. Brandon’s younger brother P.J. played with Brown at Redan.
“It’s nice just to be here and represent Stone Mountain, Ga. and Redan High School with him,” Phillips said.
