At the Makawao Parade, out along the Hana Highway and elsewhere on the Valley Isle, yellow and green "Vote Victorino" signs were a ubiquitous sight in the November Maui County Council election.

So much so that you wonder if Michael P. Victorino, winner of the Wailuku seat, might still have a few left over for his son, Shane.

Because this is definitely the time to break them out in major league ballparks for the Philadelphia Phillies center fielder, who is running fifth in the balloting for a starting National League outfielder's spot at the July 14 All-Star Game in St. Louis.

Oh, and a surge of local online voting — http://www.mlb.com — wouldn't hurt, either. On-line balloting — up to 25 votes per person may be cast — ends at 5:59 p.m. (Hawai'i time) July 2.

Victorino (1,116,524) overtook Manny Ramirez (999,800) in the tally announced yesterday and was about 250,000 votes behind the Mets' Carlos Beltran for the last of the three coveted starting berths.

Victorino's candidacy looms as one of historic proportions for Hawai'i, which has never had a player voted into a Major League All-Star starting lineup. As a pitcher, Sid Fernandez, the only born and raised Hawai'i product to play in an All-Star Game, got there on a manager's pick in 1986 and '87 for the Mets. Victorino's manager, Charlie Manuel, could make him an add-on, too.

When Fernandez earned a save for the NL in '87, Victorino was a 6-year-old T-ball player for the White Sox of Wailuku, so you could say it has been a while.

But, then, the 5-foot-9 Victorino is the poster player for grinding his way to success, being it running into catchers, outfield walls or through historic barriers.

A sixth-round choice of the Dodgers out of St. Anthony High, Victorino spent much of his first five seasons in the minors spread across three organizations. Twice he was offered up in the Rule 5 draft, an MLB flea market of sorts, for a pittance without takers. Even at his present $3.15 million salary he has been a bargain for the Phillies, whose run to the World Series title he sparked last year and for whom he has been hitting around .290 again this year.

At the end of that Gold Glove season, Michael said his son told him, "Maybe the All-Star Game next year."

Already this month Victorino has been honored for public service, winning the Volunteers of America 2009 Outstanding Community Service Award.

As a well-rounded all-star, Hawai'i couldn't have a better representative.