Susdorf savors first taste of big leagues with Philly

DETROIT -- Steve Susdorf was sound asleep at 1 a.m. Thursday when Triple-A Lehigh Valley manager Dave Brundage and hitting coach Sal Rende barged into his Rochester, N.Y., hotel room.

"We're doing bed checks," they said.

Susdorf was confused, but it quickly turned to elation when they informed him he had actually been promoted to the big leagues to replace Domonic Brown, who was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list. Susdorf, 27, had been a productive organizational player since the Phillies drafted him in the 19th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, but he had never been on any top prospect lists. But a .304 career average in the Minor Leagues, plus a .335 average this season, finally earned him a promotion.

"This has been awesome," he said before Friday's game against the Tigers at Comerica Park. "It was crazy. It was a very cool experience. I got a little teary eyed."

Susdorf got to St. Louis in time for Thursday's game against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. He got a chance to hit, bouncing into a double play, but he tried to savor the moment as much as possible.

"Yesterday was awesome," he said. "Taking BP on the field out there. Getting a chance to go in and have an at-bat was really cool. You have moments out there when you're looking around and seeing how many people are there. You're like, 'Man, this is amazing. I can't believe I'm here.' Then you've got to flip that switch and just know you expect to be here. You have those moments, but you try not to have them too much. Try to take it in when you can."

Susdorf said he tries not to think about the future, so he said he never obsessed about whether he would ever reach the big leagues. But he is here now, and he plans to enjoy it.