R-Phils give Lubanski a shot

The Reading Phillies picked up some outfield help last week. Regulars Steve Susdorf and Terry Evans are on the disabled list, so that's no big surprise.

But the R-Phils picked up Chris Lubanski, a familiar name to the People's Paper, so that warrants more than just a mention.

He's a 2003 Kennedy-Kenrick graduate, a two-time Daily News first-team All-City honoree and first-teamer on Ted Silary's 30-year squad, a "best of" list compiled in 2007 by the high-school guru. Lubanski was the Daily News Player of the Year as a senior and the Gatorade National Player of the Year.

He was good. So good that Kansas City took him fifth overall in the 2003 draft. But baseball is humbling. Lubanski has been beating the bushes ever since.

The Phillies picked him up Thursday from the Chico (Calif.) Outlaws of the independent North American Baseball League, where he hit .259 with four homers and 29 RBI in 57 games.

Lubanski's pro career got off to a good start. A lefty hitter, he hit .301 with 28 homers and 116 RBI at advanced-Class A High Desert in 2005. He followed that with a solid season at Double A Wichita in '06 and got the call to Triple A Omaha midway through the '07 season. And that's where his career stalled. After 2 1/2 lackluster seasons in Omaha, the Royals released him 2009.

Toronto picked him last year and sent him to Las Vegas, where he was a Triple A All-Star (.293, 17 homers, 57 RBI). Still, the Jays released him. He went the independent route this year and found his way back to affiliated baseball with the Phillies. He's 26 now.

Meanwhile, the R-Phils also added outfielder Brent Clevlen, another onetime highly touted prospect. Detroit took him Round 2 (49th overall) in 2002 out of Westwood High School in Austin, Texas. He's a righthanded hitter who has logged time in the big leagues - albeit very limited - in parts of four seasons. He was up with Atlanta last year and went 1-for-4 in four games.

Clevlen began this season with Triple A Louisville, Cincinnati's top farm team, but was released in June and wound up with Wichita of the independent American Association. He hit .310 with 10 homers and 32 RBI with Wichita in 46 games before the Phillies signed him. Now he's 27 and, like Lubanski, hoping to salvage a career.

Both made the moves look good this weekend. Clevlen was 4-for-5 Saturday with two doubles and five RBI at Binghamton. The next day, Lubanski was 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBI.

MOVING ON UP

Phillies assistant general manager Chuck LaMar made it quite clear a few weeks ago that Freddy Galvis would likely be fitted for an IronPigs uniform sometime this summer. Defense was never a question with the slick-fielding shortstop, the Phils' minor-league boss noted. But could he hit?

Galvis hit well enough at Reading (.273, career-high eight homers, 35 RBI) that the team finally decided to throw him into the deep end. He and third baseman Carlos Rivero, Galvis' R-Phils teammate, moved up to Triple A Lehigh Valley early last week.

"Really, from the first day of major-league camp he's been a better offensive player," LaMar said shortly before Galvis was promoted. "His defensive abilities are well-documented, and that has continued. It was just a matter of him being able to put the bat on the ball and compete offensively at the major-league level. This has easily been his best year of development."

And, as LaMar noted, Galvis is only 21 - young for even Double A.

Galvis is off to a nice start at the next level. In five games through Sunday, he was 6-for-19 (.316) with a triple and two RBI.

Rivero hit .285 with 11 homers and 53 RBI at Reading. Rivero, 23, gives Lehigh Valley some stability at the corner, since it's been "Who's on third?" all season for the IronPigs. Eight players (including Placido Polanco on a rehab start) have logged time at third in Allentown.

Rivero's first week? Through Sunday, he was 1-for-16 (.063) with six strikeouts in four games. Gulp.

MINOR DEVELOPMENTS

* Reading righty Austin Hyatt (10-5, 3.76) is back to form after a midseason rough patch. Hyatt whiffed 12 Harrisburg Senators in six innings last Wednesday (no decision) and has allowed three earned runs in his last four starts, covering 25 innings. Reading won that 12-K game in 10 innings, 2-1, and R-Phils pitchers struck out 19.

* Righthander David Buchanan, who was 11-5 with a 3.38 ERA at Lakewood, finally got a well-deserved promotion to Clearwater. He fared quite well in his advanced-Class A debut a week ago against Tampa. Buchanan went six innings, allowed three runs (two earned) and picked up the win.

* So how's this Joe Savery-as-a-reliever thing going at Lehigh Valley? Not bad. The lefty who can play multiple positions is 3-0 with a 3.27 ERA in nine games with the IronPigs. He hasn't allowed a run in five appearances, covering five innings. No saves, though. Michael Schwimer and Phillippe Aumont are handling that duty for now.

* Williamsport lefthander Lino Martinez has entered the radar screen. Why? He's 5-2 with a 2.91 ERA in 10 starts with the Crosscutters, has a 90ish fastball accompanied by a good change (the curve is under construction), and he's only 18. One more Crosscutters note: Outfielder Luis Amaro, little brother of the Phillies' general manager, is 3-for-20 with three RBI in 10 games.

ON THE FARM

SCHEDULES

Lehigh Valley (AAA - 65-51)

IronPigsBaseball.com

610-841-7447

Tonight: at Norfolk, 7:15

Tomorrow: at Norfolk, 7:15

Thursday: at Norfolk, 12:15

Friday: vs. Toledo, 7:05

Saturday: vs. Toledo, 6:35

Sunday: vs. Toledo, 5:35

Monday: vs. Toledo, 7:05

READING (AA - 59-55)

READINGPHILLIES.COM/610-375-8469

Tonight: vs. Bowie, 7:05

Tomorrow: vs. Bowie, 7:05

Thursday: vs. Bowie, 7:05

Friday: at Altoona, 7

Saturday: at Altoona, 7

Sunday: at Altoona, 6

Monday: Off

CLEARWATER (A - 22-21)

THRESHERSBASEBALL.COM

727-467-4457

Tonight: at Tampa, 7

Tomorrow: at Tampa, 7

Thursday: at Tampa, 7

Friday: at Daytona, 7:05

Saturday: at Daytona, 7:05

Sunday: at Daytona, 5:35

Monday: Off

LAKEWOOD (A - 23-20)

BLUECLAWS.COM/732-901-7000

Today: Off

Tomorrow: at Greensboro, 7

Thursday: at Greensboro, 7

Friday: at Greensboro, 7

Saturday: at Greensboro, 7

Sunday: vs. Delmarva, 5:05

Monday: vs. Delmarva, 7:05

WILLIAMSPORT (A - 28-22)

CROSSCUTTERS.COM/570-326-3389

Tonight: vs. Staten Island, 7:05

Tomorrow: vs. Staten Island, 7:05

Thursday: vs. Staten Island, 7:05

Friday: at Aberdeen, 7:35

Saturday: at Aberdeen, 7:05

Sunday: at Aberdeen, 5:35

Monday: Off

Note: Team records are through Sunday.

AROUND THE FARM

* Shortstop Freddy Galvis entered last night 6-for-19 (.316) with five runs scored in his first five games since being promoted to Triple A Lehigh Valley on Aug. 2. Before Sunday's 0-for-4, Galvis had 31 hits in his previous 83 at-bats (.373) between Lehigh Valley and Reading.

* Six members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (1943-54), will make an appearance in Reading tonight (7:05 vs. Bowie, gates open at 5 p.m.). The AAGPBL was the inspiration behind the 1992 Tom Hanks/Geena Davis film "A League of Their Own."