Save your campaign buttons and catchy slogans for another year. Domonic Brown does not need our help getting to this season’s MLB All-Star Game in New York.
For the second consecutive week, Brown failed to make the top three outfielders in All-Star voting for the National League. In fact, the league leader in home runs hasn’t even cracked the top 15 despite enjoying a breakout season that puts him near the top in several offensive categories.
Even Chase Utley is fourth among second baseman, and he hasn’t played in like a month.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
But honestly, it really shouldn’t come as any surprise. After all, Dom Brown wasn’t on many folks’ radar until about two weeks ago.
Brown’s lack of love in the voting obviously has a lot to do with the fact that he didn’t start making much noise until the end of May, and it probably took until around the beginning of June for people to really take notice. It's like he deserved any votes when he was hitting .250 with six home runs around the middle of May.
Voting kicked off in April, which gave guys like Justin Upton, Bryce Harper, and Carlos Beltran a sizable head start. Given those three players have all eclipsed 1.5 million, and even Jay Bruce in 15th has topped 500,000, it’s not very likely Brown can catch them before the selection process ends on July 4.
It’s seemingly the only area – that and walks I suppose – the 25 year old has not performed well in this season.
News
No worries. Dom is going to the All-Star game. That much is a no-brainer. It won’t come down to a vote, either. San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy will pick the reserves, and after watching Brown hit a ball into McCovey Cove firsthand last month, I’m confident he’s a believer.
Domonic Brown is going to the All-Star game, voting be damned. He might even get the opportunity to start if Bryce Harper winds up having surgery on his left knee. No campaign to get Brown to the mid-summer classic necessary.
Still, showing a bit more love couldn't hurt either.
>> VOTE [MLB.com]
>> All-Star update: Brown not in OF’s top 15 [CSN]