Chris Heisey of the Carolina Mudcatrs (Cincinnati Reds) continues to impress in the Southern League.  Heisey has always been a good prospect in the Red’s organization but is sky-rocketing up the prospect list, not only in the Red’s organization, but in all of baseball.

To date, Heisey is in the top ten leaders in almost every hitting category including batting average, OPS, on base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, doubles, triples, hits, stolen bases, total bases, runs scored and strikeout percentage.

His time in AA is most likely nearing the end and he should be moving soon to Louisville in the International League.  He has also been red-hot as May came to a close by hitting .404/461/.614 and 3 more strikeouts than walks.  He’s also made it on base almost every game the Mudcats have played this year, once having a streak of over 30 games in a row reaching base.

Chris was drafted in the seventeenth round in 2006 out of Messiah College near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The 6’0, 200 lbs. right-handed hitting outfielder has made stops in Billings, Montana, Dayton, Ohio and Sarasota, Florida before making his way to Zebulon, North Carolina. We had a chance to chat with Chris and ask him a variety of questions.  He was a joy to speak with and is as personable and likable as he is a hot prospect in all of the minors.

Q & A:

Q: What brought you to Messiah College?
A:  I grew up 45 minutes from Messiah and I had a cousin that had gone there and it just worked out as the closest place and it was a Christian school.

Q: Favorite player growing up?
A: Juan Gonzalez

Q: What made you choose him?
A: The reason I liked him was that all of my friends were either collecting Ken Griffey Jr. cards or Frank Thomas cards.  He was the guy putting up all of the big numbers at the time so it was kind of by default.  I didn’t want to like somebody everyone else liked (being a non-conformist).

Q: What team did you follow growing up as a kid?
A: The Phillies.  I live about an hour away.

Q: Did you ever go to their ballpark and watch them play?
A: Yes.  I’ve been to their old stadium and their new stadium. The Vet and now Citizens Bank Park.

Q: What would it feel like playing against them for the first time?
A: Oh it would be awesome if I got to play in Philadelphia.  It would be cool for sure.

Q: What activity or hobby do you occupy yourself with during the long minor league season and the long road trips?
A: You could ask all of my teammates, I’m a big card player. Cards and games. We play a board game and play a lot of cards.

Q: Any favorite card game?
A: Spades is the game of choice this year.

Q: What’s your favorite music or group to listen to?
A: I don’t really have a favorite group per se, obviously Christian music, worship music. My favorite CD’s are like the WOW! CD’s.  My wife got the brand new CD so that’s my music of choice.  That and country.  I like to listen to some country music also.

Q: Favorite movie?
A: The Shawshank Redemption.

Q: If you weren’t a baseball player what do you think you’d be doing?
A: I was in school to be an elementary teacher.  I was three years into my degree.  I need another year.  That’s probably what I’d be doing.  I’d be teaching 2nd or 3rd grade somewhere probably.

Q: Dream job if you could choose one.
A: A meteorologist.  I love the weather.  Preferably a winter storm expert.  Nothing gets me more excited than a Nor’Easter dumping three feet of snow.

Q: Piece of baseball advice or coaching tip that has helped you the most?
A: Play hard.  I got that from my dad who is no longer living.  That was the thing, just play hard.  One thing that doesn’t take any talent to do is to play your hardest and for some reason that has become something that sticks out to people (the way I play).  I continue to do my best and play as hard as I can.

Q: What were some things you worked on during the off-season to prepare for your first full season in AA?
A: I worked a lot with my hitting.  I played winter ball in Puerto Rico this winter for three months.

Q: How was that?
A: It was a good experience.  I really enjoyed it.  (I got to) play with some veteran guys, some guys who have been in the big leagues. Played against some big leaguers.  I worked on some things.  I worked on my hitting.  Just playing baseball in general.

Q: Was there a certain aspect of hitting that you wanted to focus on the most?
A: Going the other way.  Generally I’ve been a pull kind of hitter and try to work on that and learn how to see the ball better and maybe work on my timing, that kind of thing.

Q: What’s the difference between being a Mudcat and playing for the Chattanooga Lookouts last year? Any major differences?
A: Well, travel has not been so good.  Luckily our bus is a sleeper bus so you can actually get some sleep.  That’s the biggest thing.  Another big difference is I like the whole city the surroundings, the stadium in Carolina but it is out in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of nothing around it.  I’d rather play in a place like this where there’s the city around.

Q: How does the AA level compared to the other stops you’ve been at?
A: I think it’s just been a steady progression. It’s just a little better.  Not necessarily a ton more talent just guys knowing what to do with their talent a little more.  The pitchers, in general, instead of having just one good pitch they usually have two good pitches that they can go to.  Other than that, they just keep taking the better players from the level below. So just a little better.

Q: What other sports did you play in high school?
A: Basketball and baseball.  Basketball was my favorite sport.  I’d probably argue that it still is my favorite sport.

Q: Do you get a chance to play any basketball at all?
A: We’re not supposed to play.  I shoot around with my brother and brother-in-law in the off-season but that’s about it.

Q: What was draft day like for you?  What organization showed the most interest?
A: The only expectation I had was a couple of different teams told me somewhere between like the 10th and 15th round.  But realistically the Reds were the only team that seemed like they were really, really interested.  I’ll be honest with you, after it got past like the 15th or 16th round.  I told my girlfriend, my wife now, that I’m probably just gonna go back to school but then I saw my name on the computer first before my scout called me.  It was a pretty neat experience.  I really didn’t want to go back to school when I had a chance to go play baseball.

Q: Were you stressed the night before?
A: Oh yeah, definitely anxious.

Q: Who is the best player you’ve ever played against in your entire career and the toughest opponent thus far this season you’ve played against?
A: There’ve been some good ones.  As far as a pitcher, I’d have to say Rick Porcello last year.  I faced him three or four times in the Florida State League.  He might be only 20 or 21 but he had really, really good stuff.  I didn’t see his ball too well.  As far as this year, Aaron) Poreda for the White Sox.  I know he’s one of their top prospects, left-handed pitcher.  He was throwing hard.

Q: Any position players from this year stand out?
A: I’ll tell you who crushed us was Gaby Martinez.  I played against him in Puerto Rico also.  He can hit.  He just doesn’t have true position which kind of hurts him.

Q: If you could turn back the clock what former pro player would you have loved to have faced?
A: Tough question, I’m going to go with Babe Ruth, gotta be, just because he is the man, the myth and the legend all combined.  Not one guy I think is talked about more as far as baseball history.

Q: What position you would never want to play on the diamond?
A: Catcher.  My knees, getting hit with all of those foul tips.  I would love to play any other position other than catcher.  If they (the Reds) try to say hey were going to turn you into catcher, I might try but…..

Q: Doug Gray, (one of the writers at FirstInning.com and the guy at RedsMinorLeagues.com) wanted to know, you’ve always been a patient hitter, this year you have taken it to another level.  Where did that come from and is that the reason why you are hitting with more power because you are seeing your pitch, working deeper into the count?
A: Yeah, it’s all kind of a combination.  I worked with our (roving) hitting instructor, Ronnie Ortegon and with Ryan Jackson our (Mudcats) hitting coach on just my timing.  During spring training Ronnie kept telling me that my timing was late.  You are not getting your foot down in time so finally he told me just to go way earlier than I thought I had to.  Well it was probably with three or four days left in spring training that I started getting my foot down in time and all of a sudden I was just starting to see the off-speed pitches.  My biggest problem with strike-outs for sure was right-handers, sliders away and because that I am seeing the ball better now I am able to lay off that pitch a lot more.  The biggest thing is just my timing, getting my foot down in time to see the ball.  Obviously when you see the ball you’ve got a better chance, hitting the ball and taking more pitches that are not strikes.

Q: You’ve hit lead-off and hit third, what is your preference?
A: Personally, two is my favorite spot to hit in.  I can bunt.  I think I can hit situationally pretty well and obviously can run a little bit and get on base but also drive some runs in.  Two would be my ideal.

We want to thank Chris for his time and good luck the rest of the season.