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Former Donegal standout Chris Heisey, who was recently promoted to Triple-A in the Cincinnati Reds farm system, will play in the Major League Baseball Futures Game, which will be played prior to the All-Star Game in Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Here is the press release from Heisey's college alma mater — Messiah.
LOUISVILLE — The professional baseball career of Chris Heisey continues to shine, as the former Messiah College standout was promoted to Triple-A and was selected to play in the 2009 Major League Baseball Futures Game, taking place during All-Star weekend at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Heisey, an outfielder who was hitting .347 with a team-leading 94 hits and 13 home runs for the Double-A Carolina Mud Cats, was promoted to the Triple-A Louisville Bats last Friday, playing in his first games with the team over the weekend.
Just days before being promoted to the Triple-A level, Heisey was named one of two Cincinnati Reds' selections for the MLB Futures Game, a contest highlighting plausible future stars of the game.
"It's tough to have a better week than what Chris had," said Bryan Engle, Messiah head baseball coach — and another Donegal grad.
"Both (being promoted and being named to the Futures Game) are huge. Chris has continued to climb the ladder within the Reds organization, and he's now a step away (from the major leagues). Talent-wise, he's right there. You're the next-door neighbor to the big-league team. And I don't mean that geographically."
Prior to being sent to Louisville, Heisey led the Double-A Southern League batting race with his .347 average, also leading the league in hits, slugging percentage (.572) and runs scored (54).
His 13 home runs were fourth-best in the league, while he was second in on-base percentage (.426) and extra base hits (33).
Perhaps the biggest testament to the organization's belief in Heisey came with the Futures Game selection, as each Major League organization must be represented by at least one player — but no club is allowed to send more than two.
Heisey was selected as one of two players to be representing the Reds entire franchise — an organization comprised by six teams at varying levels of minor-league play.
"It's unbelievable to be recognized as a top prospect in your entire organization," Engle said. "I think that speaks not only about how you play the game, but about how you approach the game, your work ethic, your attitude and your coachability."
Messiah assistant athletics director Cory Furman published a column featuring Heisey during last fall's Homecoming Weekend, detailing the life of a minor league journeyman. Much has changed for Heisey in the ninth months since then.
"Knowing Chris, it's never about him," Engle said. "He simply works his tail off and puts himself in a position to succeed. His highs aren't too high and his lows aren't too low. His success speaks well of him as a person. The Reds organization has taken notice."
Fans can now follow Heisey at the official home of the Louisville Bats. Additional information on the 2009 MLB Futures Game can be found at the official site of the 2009 MLB All-Star Game.
Sports writer Jeffrey Reinhart can be reached at jreinhart@LNPnews.com or 291-8777.
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