Redan Alumni Selected to MLB National League All-Star Team

By Mark Brock

Former Redan Raider baseball stars Brandon Phillips and Dominic Brown will be busy during Major League Baseball’s All-Star break as their represent their respective teams on the National League All-Star team at the New York Mets’ Citi Field on Sunday, July 16.

Phillips, the Cincinnati Reds second baseman, was elected the National League’s starting second baseman by the fans. He is making his third appearance in the All-Star game and third in four seasons. He also was on the National League team in 2010 and 2011.

The 1999 graduate of Redan of high school is hitting .262 with 12 homeruns, 13 doubles and 64 RBIs in 90 games this season. He was a second round pick of the then Montreal Expos following a season senior at Redan in which he hit .605 and had 14 homeruns.

Phillips played parts of four seasons for the Cleveland Indians before moving to the Reds where he has been the past seven seasons. He won the Silver Slugger Award for second basemen in 2011. Also noted for his sometimes amazing defense he has won three Gold Gloves (2008, 2010-11).

Brown is a 2006 graduate of Redan and was taken in the 20th round by the
Philadelphia Phillies where he has spent parts of the past four seasons at the major league level. Brown hit .455 with five homeruns and 12 doubles as a senior at Redan while going 7-1 on the mound with a county leading 1.09 earned run average.

The Phillies’ outfielder was a manager’s selection to the All-Star game due to his having a breakout season for the Philadelphia squad this season. Brown is hitting a career high .281 through 90 games this season including a National League leading 23 homeruns to go with 64 RBIs, 14 doubles and 4 triples (all career highs).

Brown has also been named the National League Player of the Week twice during the first half of the 2013 season.

The pair making the team is thought to mark the first time for two DeKalb County players to make the All-Star game in the same season and the first time for a pair of former Redan players.