Chase Headley

Chase Jordan Headley (born May 9, 1984) is an American former professional baseball third baseman.

He recovered for his junior year, however, and worked out 63 walks (breaking Todd Helton's 1995 school record), led the team in batting average at .387, while approaching the college's single-season mark for on-base percentage (OBP), and leading the Vols to an appearance at the 2005 College World Series.

He became an Academic All-American with a 3.63 grade point average, majoring in sports management.

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.

Headley enrolled at the University of the Pacific and continued to play baseball in college, playing shortstop for the Pacific Tigers.

He transitioned to third base, which would become his primary position, when he transferred to the University of Tennessee in 2003 to play for the Tennessee Volunteers.

During his sophomore year at Tennessee, he had meniscus surgery on his knee, and a hamstring injury.

In 2004, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Headley played college baseball for the Pacific Tigers and Tennessee Volunteers, before the Padres selected him in the 2005 MLB draft.

The San Diego Padres drafted Headley in the second round of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft.

Headley first played professionally with the Eugene Emeralds of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League, where he was described as a team "mainstay," then for the Lake Elsinore Storm of the Class A-Advanced California League, where he was called "one of the top prospects in the Padres' organization."

In 2006, he was one of seven players representing the Padres organization in the Arizona Fall League, playing for the Peoria Saguaros.

He was the only one who had not played in a Class AA league before.

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.

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.

A switch-hitter, Headley made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the San Diego Padres in 2007, and also played for the New York Yankees.

Headley was named the 2007 Texas League Player of the Year, after hitting .330/.437/.580 with a 1.016 OPS and leading the league in many fielding stats for third basemen.

He did strike out 114 times, though, in just 443 at bats.

On June 15, 2007, after hitting .357 for the San Antonio Missions of the Double-A Texas League, Headley was brought up for 8 games 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 the Cubs.

Headley finished the season in the majors.

Headley hit well in spring training in 2008, .371 with a team-leading 12 RBIs, but was sent to the Portland Beavers of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League to get more experience playing left field.

In 65 games in Portland, he hit 13 home runs and 24 doubles, batted .305/.383/.556, and was then called up to the Padres.

Headley was again called up on June 17, 2008, and went 2–4 with two strikeouts against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

He picked up his first major league home run the following night, an eighth inning shot off Kyle Farnsworth.

Headley batted .269/.337/.420, with nine home runs and 104 strikeouts in 331 at bats that year.

Headley began the 2009 season as the Padres' starting left fielder.

On July 10, he was the only player to reach base during Jonathan Sánchez's no-hitter, reaching on an error by Juan Uribe, and ending the perfect game bid after 22 straight retirements.

During the 2012 season, Headley led the National League (NL) in runs batted in (RBIs) and was honored for his hitting with a Silver Slugger Award.

He also won a Gold Glove Award for his defense.

The Padres traded Headley to the Yankees during the 2014 season, and he was eventually dealt back to San Diego following the 2017 season.