Born to father Jeffrey Valaika and mother Ilona, Chris Valaika is the oldest son of 5 children. He is an American of Lithuanian descent. Valaika attended Hart High School in Santa Clarita, CA, and also attended college at the University of California-Santa Barbara. He was a member of the U.S. National Team, and won the silver medal at the U-18 Pan Am Cup in Curacao-Antilles and the gold medal at the 2004 World University Baseball Championship in Taiwan.\n', '

The Cincinnati Reds drafted Valaika in the third round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, and he started his pro career with the rookie class Billings Mustangs. Chris hit .324 with 22 doubles and eight home runs with the Mustangs, and led the Pioneer League in total bases (143)and hits (89); was second in runs scored (58), RBI (60), and games played (70); and third in extra-base hits (34) and at-bats (275). He compiled a Pioneer League record 32-game hit streak, longest in the Minor Leagues in 2006.\n', '

Valaika started 2007 with the low A Dayton Dragons, where he had two 11-game hit streaks. He was Reds\' Minor League player of the month for April. His play earned him the starting shortstop for the East Division in the Midwest League All-Star game, as well as a spot on the ML\'s postseason All-Star team. He was promoted to high-A Sarasota on July 4, where he batted .253 with two home runs and 23 RBI in 57 games.\n', '

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