PHILADELPHIA -- On a cool April night in Reno, Nevada, Matt Daley stepped out of the manager's office in the visiting clubhouse at Aces Ballpark and hit one of the many speed dials on his cell phone.

Matt's dad, John, was on the other line from a hotel in Chicago.

Daley dispensed with the pleasantries and got right to the point. His words were met with a strange response: Dead air.

"For the first time, my dad was speechless," the 27-year-old pitcher recalled with still a hint of shock in his voice. The 2004 Bucknell University graduate tried and succeeded at what his dad and grandfather opted not to try: He became a major league baseball player.

Daley's dad and grandfather were drafted but chose to get real jobs and begin raising families.

Daley's lifelong dream was realized when then Colorado Springs manager Tom Runnells (now the Colorado Rockies' bench coach) told him of his promotion from Triple-A to the majors.

It took six years, 226 minor-league appearances and dozens of bus rides to places most baseball fans have never heard of before fantasy became reality.

"I was more nervous after I got the news than I ever was when I'm pitching," the Garden City, N.Y., native admitted.

Fitting right in

Nerves consumed Daley during his first major league outing and his initial appearance in New York against his favorite team, the Mets, but the right-hander hasn't performed like a rookie in 2009.

Daley has overcome the jitters, a freak injury and major league hitters to post an 0-1 record with a 3.16 earned run average in 32 games.

He's been better since coming off the disabled list June 5, posting a 2.82 ERA. Since July 10, he's been stellar. Opponents are batting .079 (3-for-38) in that span against Daley, who hasn't given up a run in his last 11 appearances. He struck out two in a perfect inning Thursday afternoon in Philadelphia against the defending World Series champion Phillies.

"It really took me about a month after coming off the DL before I was 100 percent," he said.

Daley, only the second former Bison player to reach the majors (Eric Junge in 1999) in the last 56 years, landed on the DL the day after a strange incident during a May 17 game in Pittsburgh.

He was backing up catcher Yorvit Torrealba after allowing a hit to then Pirate Freddy Sanchez, when home plate umpire Bill Welke kicked Sanchez's bat out of the way in anticipation of a play at home plate.