Small fish in a big pond

By Liz Torres

At 21 years old, Chase Whitley can say he is chasing his dream. The Ranburne, Ala., native is in his first regular season as a relief pitcher for the Tampa Yankees. “This was ultimately my goal, to end up with New York and hopefully the big leagues somewhere,” said Whitley. The Troy University graduate’s biggest hurdle was the transition from a small town to a big city with a more a more competitive program. “I went to a small high school and a small college and my locker room knew me," Whitley said. "And now I’m here and it’s very different. I had to work harder because I was a big fish in a small pond and it’s a bigger environment and bigger pond." Regardless, the 15^th round 2010 draft pick has had four saves for the T-Yankees with a 1.77 ERA. “I just try to bring the same thing every day," Whitley said. I try to get them out as quickly as possible on the mound and just play everything I got." Whitley’s biggest influence has been former Braves pitcher John Smoltz. “He also had a big Christian influence and I’ve always loved the way he’s played,” he said. Whitley was selected to a team that was named Best Class A Advanced team in 2010 with five Florida State League North Championships since 1994. “Consistency led to championships. It’s the biggest word in baseball to me,” said Whitley. The T-Yankees (27-29) have reached the halfway mark in the season and are looking to close out a tied series, 4-4, against the Lakeland Flying Tigers. The T-Yankees took the first game 5-3 behind winning pitcher Brett Marshall (4-4). “It’s about going out there and getting better so you can be ready for guys like them,” said Whitley. “We’re halfway and have another half to go. We have to be consistent. We get better everyday, but ultimately at the end, it’s a matter of whether we can get better,” he said.