- Chase Headley
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Chase Headley 
San Diego Padres — No. 7 Third baseman Born: May 9, 1984 Bats: Switch Throws: Right MLB debut June 15, 2007 for the San Diego Padres Career statistics
(through August 18, 2010)Batting average .270 Home runs 34 Runs batted in 192 Teams - San Diego Padres (2007–present)
Chase Jordan Headley (born May 9, 1984, in Colorado Springs, Colorado) is a major league baseball player currently playing for the San Diego Padres. He plays third base, and formerly played left field. He is a switch-hitter. Headley is also known for his mental "makeup" and intensity, having been a high school class valedictorian and academic All-American.[1][2]
Contents
High school and college
Headley graduated as 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, in which 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 he transferred to the University of Tennessee in 2003. His sophomore year at Tennessee was difficult for him, as he had meniscus surgery on his knee, and a hamstring injury.[2] He recovered, however, and worked out 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.[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]
Minor league career
Headley batting right-handed
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 players representing the Padres organization in the Arizona Fall League, playing for the Peoria Saguaros.[7] He was the only one who had not played in a Class AA league before.[8]
The San Diego Union-Tribune called Headley the Padres' best eventual prospect to fill the third base position, though it theorized it would take two years.[9]
Headley says:
“ 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] ” Headley was named the 2007 Texas League Player of the Year, after hitting .330/.437/.580 and leading the league in fielding for third basemen. He did strike out 114 times, though, in just 443 at bats.
Headley hit well in spring training in 2008, .371 with a team-leading 12 RBIs, but was sent to the AAA Portland Beavers to get more experience playing left field. In 65 games in Portland, he hit 13 HRs and 24 doubles, batted .305/.383/.556, and was then called up to the Padres.
Major league career
Headley catching a fly ball in April 20092007
On June 15, 2007, he was called up for eight games from AA San Antonio, after hitting .357, and because of an injury to Padres third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff. He made his major league debut against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. His first major league hit came on June 17; a single to center field in the second inning against Rich Hill of the Cubs.
2008
Headley was again called up on June 17, 2008, and went 2–4 with two strikeouts against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Headley picked up his first major league home run the following night, an eighth inning shot off Kyle Farnsworth. He batted .269/.337/.420, with 104 strikeouts in 331 at bats.
2009
Headley began the 2009 season as the Padres' starting left fielder. On July 10, he was the only player to reach base during Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter, reaching on an error by Juan Uribe, and ending the perfect game bid after 22 straight retirements.
2010
In early January 2010, the Padres traded third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff to the Oakland Athletics, moving Headley back to third base, his original position.
On April 16, Headley hit a walk-off 3-run HR off of Diamondbacks pitcher Juan Gutierrez, snapping the Padres 2 game losing streak. On May 4, Chase Headley hit a walk-off single off Rockies' relief pitcher Franklin Morales driving in Lance Zawadzki. This was his 2nd walk-off hit of the season.
References
- ^ a b "Daily Dish: July 5" by Chris Kline, July 5, 2006, Baseball America
- ^ a b "Headley has 'makeup' to be a star", by Amanda Branam / MLB.com, August 31, 2006.
- ^ a b "Player Bio: Chase Headley" Official website of the University of Tennessee Volunteers
- ^ "Vols' duo on way to Padres system: Headley, Alley both drafted by San Diego", By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com, June 17, 2005
- ^ "Padres Prospect Interview: Chase Headley", by John Conniff, August 29, 2005, Scout.com
- ^ "Headley headlining Arizona Fall League", by Benjamin Hill / Special to MLB.com, October 13, 2006
- ^ "Headley named to AFL 'Rising Star Showcase'", by MadFriars.com, October 24, 2006, Scout.com
- ^ "Q&A with Padres' Prospect Chase Headley", By Denis Savage, September 19, 2006, Scout.com
- ^ "Farm aid at third base still a couple of years away" by Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, August 7, 2006
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
San Diego Padres current roster Active roster 1 Orlando Hudson | 2 Everth Cabrera | 3 Andy Parrino | 4 Nick Hundley | 7 Chase Headley | 8 Jason Bartlett | 12 Logan Forsythe | 13 Chris Denorfia | 14 Alberto González | 15 Jesús Guzmán | 18 Cedric Hunter | 22 James Darnell | 23 Blake Tekotte | 24 Cameron Maybin | 25 Will Venable | 27 Anthony Rizzo | 28 Aaron Cunningham | 29 Luis Martínez | 32 Rob Johnson | 37 Drew Carpenter | 38 Mat Latos | 39 Ernesto Frieri | 40 Erik Hamren | 44 Josh Spence | 45 Anthony Bass | 46 Tim Stauffer | 47 Jeremy Hermida | 49 Wade LeBlanc | 52 Cory Luebke | 53 Jeremy Hefner | 54 Joe Thatcher | 57 Luke Gregerson | 58 Brad Brach | 59 Jeff Fulchino | 64 Jeudy Valdez | 88 Kyle Blanks | -- Simón Castro
Inactive roster Disabled list 26 Dustin Moseley | 33 Clayton Richard | 55 Evan Scribner
Coaching Staff Manager 20 Bud Black | Bench Coach 17 Rick Renteria | 1st Base Coach 10 Dave Roberts | 3rd Base Coach 30 Glenn Hoffman | Hitting Coach Phil Plantier | Pitching Coach 36 Darren Balsley | Bullpen Coach 48 Darrel Akerfelds | Bullpen Catcher 80 Justin Hatcher | Bullpen Catcher 71 Mark Merila
Categories:- 1984 births
- Living people
- San Diego Padres players
- Major League Baseball third basemen
- Baseball players from Colorado
- Pacific Tigers baseball players
- People from Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Tennessee Volunteers baseball players
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