Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino of Wailuku, Maui, says he calls home every day.

He never runs out of things to talk about. There's his life in the big leagues, how his family is doing and his dad's political campaign.

"We talk about anything and everything," said his mother, Joycelyn Victorino. "How things are at home, how his day is going as far as baseball is concerned."

Victorino, the second player from Maui to reach the majors, is hitting .259 (44 of 170) in 93 games with 27 runs, four homers and 17 RBIs in a reserve role. The first was Tony Rego, a catcher who played 44 games for the St. Louis Browns in 1924 and '25.

"I'm the first since him," said Victorino, a 1999 St. Anthony High graduate. "Seventy-plus years; it's awesome I guess."

Victorino's playing status could change soon with outfielders Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell rumored to be dealt before tomorrow's trade deadline.

"All you can do is go with the flow and wait for your opportunity," he said.

Victorino, 25, started 13 consecutive games in center field earlier this season after starter Aaron Rowand broke his nose and suffered other facial injuries while crashing into the outfield wall at Citizens Bank Park on May 11.

During the stretch, Victorino batted 20 of 59 with seven extra-base hits, eight runs and six RBIs.

"I think I kind of shocked a lot of people in the organization and in baseball when I was playing every day," Victorino said. "I made a lot of headway and did good."

While Victorino is working hard to get the Phillies in the NL East race, his family on Maui is quite busy because Mike Victorino, his father, is running for County Council, which serves Kaho'olawe, Lana'i, Maui and Moloka'i.

"Shane asks how the campaign is going. How we're doing. What I'm planning to do. How it went," Mike Victorino said.

Victorino recently purchased 500 yellow and green campaign shirts that say, "Vote for Victorino for County Council."

"I definitely want to help my dad financially and get his campaign going," Victorino said. "I wish him the best and hope my name will add backing for him — the Victorino name."

MULTI-SPORT MENACE

June 2, 1999. On that date, Victorino received a couple of important phone calls.

"The same day the Dodgers drafted him in the sixth round, June Jones called and offered him a full ride (scholarship) at the University of Hawai'i," Mike Victorino said. "That was one of those days most people dream of. It was reality that day."

Jones, who had been hired as football coach six months earlier, wanted Victorino as a kicker and kicker returner. The Victorinos weren't home when Jones called so they found out about the scholarship offer after listening to their answering machine.

Joycelyn Victorino said she still has the recording on tape.

Victorino had already committed to play baseball under former UH coach Les Murakami (the football scholarship would have overridden the one for baseball). He would have been allowed to play both sports at UH.

In May of his senior year, Victorino won the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes at the state track and field championships on Maui, and Bryan Clay — a future Olympic silver medalist and world champion — tried to recruit him to Azusa Pacific University in California.

"He wanted (Shane) to be his roommate," Joycelyn Victorino said.

At the 1998 state meet at Kaiser, Clay, a Castle High senior, and Victorino, a junior at St. Anthony, went up against each other in the 200 meters.

Clay won in 21.41 seconds; Victorino crossed second in 21.50.

When asked if he's kept in touch with Clay, Victorino said: "No I haven't, but I saw he did well at the (2004) Olympics."

According to his father, Victorino made the biggest impact in soccer.

"His best sport was soccer," Mike Victorino said. "He could outrun defenses. Very few guys could stay with Shane."DIAMOND IN ROUGH

Victorino wasn't on the radar of college and pro baseball teams until his senior season.

One of the first pro scouts to take notice of Victorino was the Kansas City Royals' Eric Tokunaga.

"When I first saw him he did things you didn't see on a baseball field before — speed, instincts, turned doubles into triples; he stole five bases in the game I saw (in Waimea, Kaua'i)," Tokunaga said.

He added Victorino didn't draw a lot of interest from other scouts because of his lack of size.

"No one notices you when you're small," Tokunaga said.

Victorino eventually impressed Los Angeles during a workout at Dodgers Stadium, according to Tokunaga. Los Angeles selected him with the 164th overall pick.

ROUGH RIDE

Victorino spent four years in the Dodgers' minor league system, and was claimed by the San Diego Padres in the Rule 5 major league draft in December 2002.

He made the Padres' opening day roster in 2003 and played in 36 games before being returned to the Dodgers and assigned to Double-A Jacksonville (Fla.).

"I was frustrated when I got sent back," Victorino said. "There were times in the minors when I struggled and I said, 'Can I really (make the majors)?' and wanted to quit. My family always supported me so I ended up sticking with it."

Victorino spent time at Jacksonville and Triple-A Las Vegas in 2003 and 2004, and his big break came when the Phillies claimed him in the Rule 5 minor league draft after the 2004 season.

With Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) in 2005, Victorino won the International League MVP by batting .310 with 18 homers, 70 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 126 games. He finished the year with Philadelphia.

GIVING BACK

Joycelyn Victorino said the proudest she's ever been of her son was when he won Scranton Wilkes-Barre's Community Service Award in 2005.

"He never knew there was such an award. When he got that award, that was the proudest (moment)," she said.

Joycelyn Victorino said her son has done community service, volunteered, raised money, put on clinics and visited schools during his career.

"It's nice to be able to go and give back to the community," Victorino said. "I want to start something back in Hawai'i, fixing up fields and stuff. I've been born and raised that way."

ALL-STAR COMPANY

Victorino said his best friends on the team are shortstop Jimmy Rollins and first baseman Ryan Howard.

Victorino lives with Rollins, an All-Star in 2001, 2002 and 2005.

"I was looking for a place and he said Ryan Howard lived here last year. He takes in teammates and shows them the way," said Victorino, who lives in Las Vegas during the offseason.

Howard, this season's All-Star Game Home Run Derby champion, played with Victorino at Scranton Wilkes-Barre and Philadelphia last season.

As far as spreading the aloha spirit, Victorino said: "I have some chocolates and stuff. Later I'll make some spam musubi. We eat sushi together."

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.