Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown Talks Phillies: 'Crazy!'

PHILADELPHIA – A.J. Brown will be 3,000 miles away when the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves meet in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday evening.

As Brown prepares to play the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium (FOX/4:05 p.m.)., he will also be casting a wandering eye east.

“I would love to play in the Bank (the Phillies home field, Citizens Bank Park), even in center field, even if I was the opposing team,” said Brown. “Just to see the atmosphere. It was crazy.”

The atmosphere came on Tuesday and Wednesday when the Phillies dispatched the Miami Marlins in two straight games in the Wildcard Round of the playoffs, with the cherry on top being Bryson Stott’s grand slam in the sixth inning of Game 2.

Brown saw most of the two games. He is the father of a young daughter, so he must get to bed himself because, after all, he is a key part of the Eagles’ 4-0 start to the season. Brown is on a roll that is rarely seen in these parts.

He has posted back-to-back games of more than 100 receiving yards. With another 100-yard receiving day against the Rams, he would become just the sixth player in Eagles history to have three straight 100-plus receiving games since the merger in 1970. Brown also needs 95 yards to hit 5,000 yards receiving in his career.

He is already just the second Eagles player to have 25 or more receptions (currently has 29), 400-plus yards receiving (currently has 414), and two touchdowns in the first four games of a season, joining Terrell Owens in 2005.

Yet, the lure of baseball is strong for him. Brown played at an elite level in high school and was so good that he was a 19th-round draft pick in 2016 of the San Diego Padres as an outfielder. He participated in the Padres’ extended spring training in 2016, 2017, and 2018 before focusing solely on football.

As much as he would like to line up in center field for the Phillies, he knows it’s only a dream. He was, though, asked to compare the two atmospheres at both Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park.

“It’s just different in baseball,” he said. “Everybody is on their toes, every pitch, and you can change the game with one swing. If we run the ball, we may hear some cheers, we may not. It’s different. Sometimes with a big play (in football), everybody goes crazy. But in baseball, everybody’s on the edge of their seats every single pitch.”

One thing Brown has learned watching the Phillies the past two years in the playoffs, and after he himself arrived as part of a trade prior to last year’s Phillies run to the World Series, has to do with the fans.

“Man, it’s been everything since I’ve been here,” he said. “I was a little nervous when I first came here, from the fans and everything. But I’ve learned to kind of block out the negative and also just really enjoy the positive.

“There’s more positive than anything, to be honest. They’re honest. That’s the best way to put it. And they’re very passionate, and they love their sports here. And we love them back. It’s been everything for me. I enjoy it in every sense.”