By Jeff Odom
Former Pasco High baseball star and current Philadelphia Phillies leftfielder Domonic Brown was elected to his first Major League Baseball All-Star team on July 6, where he will represent the National League.
The 25-year-old Zephyrhills native was 16th overall on the fan ballot, but received his nod to compete in the Midsummer Classic by finishing fourth on the players’ ballot. He told MLB.com that he is excited to play in the All-Star game, which is July 16 at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.
“It definitely felt great,” Brown said. “I worked hard to get here. I always set my goals high. This definitely was one of them.”
Despite struggling throughout his first two years with the Phillies, Brown emerged as one of the top sluggers in baseball this season by batting .279 with 22 home runs and 60 RBI. He’s tied for second in the NL for homers and is third in total bases with 175.
“I try to work hard every day, make sure I’m running the bases right and making sure I’m doing what I need to be doing on and off the field,” Brown said. “Hopefully, I can get that respect around the league.”
Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel also told MLB.com that he has high praise for Brown’s work ethic on and off the field and his ability to learn from others during his past few seasons with the organization.
“I think when he came up, he had to learn what Major League Baseball was all about, and how we go about things,” Manuel said. “I think he’s been around some good people, (like our hitting coaches) Steve Henderson and Wally Joyner, as far as his hitting goes, and I think he’s communicated with some of those guys to learn what Major League Baseball is all about. … He’s come a long ways.”
During his time at Pasco, Brown was a left-handed pitcher with a fastball that clocked in the lower 90s. He was drafted by the Phillies in the 20th round of the 2006 MLB First-Year Player Draft and made his big league debut in 2010.
The 84th MLB All-Star Game will be televised locally by FOX Sports on WTVT Channel 13. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m.
