Chase Headley

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Headley batting for the Fort Wayne Wizards at Lansing, Michigan, on September 1, 2005

Chase Headley is a minor league baseball player currently in the San Diego Padres organization. He plays third base, and is a switch-hitter, batting from either the right or left side. Headley is currently the organization's 4th ranked prospect according to Baseball America. He is also known for his mental "makeup" and intensity, being a high school class valedictorian and academic all-American.^[1]^[2]

[edit] Academic career

He was born Chase Jordan Headley on May 9, 1984 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His parents are Kim and Jane Headley, and he has one brother, Nate.

Headley graduated Valedictorian from Fountain-Fort Carson High School in Fountain, Colorado in 2002. He distinguished himself in two sports, receiving four varsity letters in both baseball and basketball. In baseball, he was a three-time Colorado All-State player, and was named to the South Metro All-League team for all four of his seasons. Other high school honors included being named 2002 Player of the Year by the Colorado Springs Gazette, 2002 Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year by Rotary International/KRDO-TV, and 2002 Male Athlete of the Year by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He was selected to play in the 2002 Colorado Rockies Senior All-Star Game where he hit a home run in his first time at bat. He also played two seasons with the Colorado Rockies Select Scout Team, and in the National Baseball Congress World Series. In basketball, he was named to the All-Conference squad for two seasons.^[3]

Headley continued to play baseball in college, playing shortstop for the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, and only transitioning to third base, which would become his primary position, when transferring to the University of Tennessee in 2003. His sophomore year at Tennessee was difficult for him, accompanied by meniscus surgery on his knee, and a hamstring injury.^[2] However he recovered, earned 62 walks (breaking Todd Helton's 1995 school record), approached the college's single-season mark for on base percentage, and was named the 2004 team Most Valuable Player award.^[3] He also did not neglect his studies, becoming an Academic All-American with a 3.63 GPA, majoring in Sports Management. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the First-Year Player Draft in June 2005.^[4]

[edit] Minor league career

Headley first played professionally with the Eugene Emeralds, where he was described as a team "mainstay",^[5] then for the Lake Elsinore Storm, where he was called "one of the top prospects in the Padres' organization".^[6] In 2006, he was one of seven representing the Padres on the Arizona Fall League, playing for the Peoria Saguaros.^[7] He was the only one who had not played in Class AA leagues before.^[8]

The San Diego Union-Tribune called Headley the Padres' best eventual prospect to fill a third base position, though theorized it would take two years.^[9]

Headley says that he tries to use his mental abilities for his physical game to adjust for his weaknesses.

“

I try to do as much as I can to mentally prepare myself every day, mainly because I'm not quite as physically gifted as some of the guys I play against. I'm trying to get every advantage mentally as I can--keeping track of what different pitchers have done to me in the past or what other hitters do in certain situations against our guys so I can position myself better--I just try to apply myself and see if I can't pick something up and use it to benefit what I'm trying to do.^[1]

”