Mike Costanzo At Home In Middle Of Riversharks' Order

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League are playing pretty good baseball here so far this season.

After a 3-1 win over visiting Southern Maryland on Thursday night, they sit at 14-13 for the season and they have a familiar face in the middle of the lineup.

Mike Costanzo, the former Archbishop Carroll star and top draft pick of the Phillies back in 2005 (second round), is playing third base everyday for the Riversharks.

"Things are going well," Costanzo says. "Just getting back into the groove of things. Had back surgery in June so just getting back into the groove, the everyday grind. We have a great group of guys so hopefully this will be a great year for us."

Listen to the entire interview with Camden's Mike Costanzo:

Now 31 years old, Costanzo is enjoying being back in the Delaware Valley after spending the last several seasons in places like Louisville, Syracuse and Pensacola.

"It's really awesome," Costanzo says. "I get to live at home with my wife and son. I actually opened up a Farmers Insurance agency, so I get to go into the office and keep tabs on everybody there. Everything's going well. Just being at home helps out the body and the aches and everything else and the travel's not too bad on your body. So that's always a plus."

Costanzo spent three seasons in the Phillies organization, getting as high as Double-A Reading, where he hit 27 home runs in 2007. But following that season the Phillies traded him as part of a deal with Houston that brought closer Brad Lidge to Philadelphia. Lidge, of course, was a critical piece of the puzzle when the Phillies won the World Series in 2008.

"It's a great trivia question and great dinner talk with my friends and everything," Costanzo says. "I always say I get the assist for the World Series. They say no I don't and it's a twenty minute argument and laughter. It's cool. Every once in a while, hear your name on radio as being one of the best trades in Phillies history. You never know, they may come knocking seeing if I want to play there again. It's a great organization. I had so much fun there in 2005 to 2007."

While most of Costanzo's career has been spent in the minor leagues, he has had one shot in Major League Baseball. Back in 2012 he played in 17 games for the Cincinnati Reds. His first Major League hit came in a May 19 Cincinnati win that year at Yankee Stadium. He says the big league experience was everything you'd think it would be.

"It was a dream come true," Costanzo says. "You grow up hoping and wishing and pretending you're people in the backyard and then one day you look up and your name's on a big screen and you're sitting in the dugout or sitting at third base or first base and digging in the batters box and you're like blown back by it. It was an awesome time. We won when I was up there, had a great time, the guys were great in Cincinnati. It holds a special spot in my heart."

Interestingly enough, that big league shot came a few years after the Reds signed Costanzo following a first stint with the Riversharks in 2010. And there is always the chance of history repeating itself.

"Hopefully a team comes calling," Costanzo says. "If not, (I'll) play here, try and win the whole thing."

Costanzo and the rest of the Riversharks open a weekend series on the road against the Long Island Ducks on Friday night.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattleonkyw.