Corey Patterson

For the Newcastle Knights rugby league player, see Cory Paterson.

Corey Patterson
Free Agent
Center fielder, Left fielder
Born: August 13, 1979 (1979-08-13) (age 32) Atlanta, Georgia
Bats: Left	Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 18, 2000 for the Chicago Cubs
Career statistics (through July 26, 2011)
Batting average	.253
Home runs	118
Runs batted in	428
Stolen bases	218
Teams
Chicago Cubs (2000-2005) Baltimore Orioles (2006-2007) Cincinnati Reds (2008) Washington Nationals (2009) Milwaukee Brewers (2009) Baltimore Orioles (2010) Toronto Blue Jays (2011) St. Louis Cardinals (2011)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (2011)

Donald Corey Patterson (August 13, 1979 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American professional baseball free agent outfielder in Major League Baseball. He is the older brother of outfielder Eric Patterson.

Amateur career

Patterson attended Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Georgia, and helped Harrison win the Georgia state championship as a senior in 1998.^{[citation needed]} That year, he had a batting average of .528 with 81 runs scored, 22 home runs, 61 RBI and 38 stolen bases in 38 games.^{[citation needed]} Patterson was named to the Baseball America and USA Today first-team All-America teams, and was selected by USA Baseball as its Amateur Player of the Year and as the Baseball Coaches Association's co-national high school Player of the Year.^{[citation needed]} Patterson was also named a Baseball America second-team selection after his junior season.^{[citation needed]}

Professional career

Chicago Cubs

Patterson was selected by the Chicago Cubs as the third overall pick in the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his professional debut in 1999 with the Lansing Lugnuts of the Class-A Midwest League, and was selected as that league's "Prospect of the Year" after leading the league in slugging percentage (.592), extra base hits (72) and triples (17). He also batted .320 with 20 homers and 79 RBI, and was named to the league's all-star team both at mid-season and postseason. Baseball America named Patterson the league's top prospect.^{[citation needed]} After the 1999 season, he played in the Arizona Fall League and was that league's youngest player. He batted .368 with 4 home runs, 24 RBI, and 8 stolen bases in 35 games, and was named to the league's all-star team.

In 2000, Patterson was promoted to the Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx of the Southern League. He was named to the league's mid-season and postseason all-star team, and was named the league's top prospect by Baseball America.^{[citation needed]} Patterson batted .268 with 22 home runs and 82 RBI, finishing second in the league in home runs.

After playing in the 2000 Southern League playoffs, Patterson was called up from the minors to play for the Cubs. He made his major league debut on September 18, 2000, against the Milwaukee Brewers. The next day Patterson recorded his first major league hit, a home run off Juan Acevedo. He finished the 2000 season with seven hits in 42 at bats, and two home runs.

Patterson did not start playing a full season until 2002 when he finished with a .253 batting average. In 2003, he started to become the All-Star the Cubs were looking for, batting .298 with 55 RBI in only 83 games before injuring his knee while running to first on a base hit against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Patterson played 157 games in 2004, with a .266 batting average, 24 home runs, and 72 RBI in 631 at bats. His On base plus slugging of .771, while low, is his best of the six seasons in which he played more than 83 games.^{[citation needed]} He had the lowest range factor (2.18) among all starting major league center fielders in 2004.^{[citation needed]}

In the 2005 season Patterson did not do well statistically. On July 7, he was sent down to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. The demotion came after the Cubs had lost a season-high eight games in a row. Published reports indicated that center fielder Felix Pie, the Cubs' top prospect, was slated to be called up from Double-A West Tenn in July when Patterson was sent down.^{[citation needed]}

Patterson was back up with the major league team on August 9, after his one-month stint in Triple-A Iowa.

Patterson batting for the Baltimore Orioles in 2007.

Baltimore Orioles

Patterson was traded by the Cubs to the Orioles on January 9, 2006, for Class-A Minor league players Nate Spears and Carlos Perez. On February 10, 2007 Patterson signed a 1 Year 4.3 Million to avoid arbitration.^[1] In his first of two years with the Orioles, he batted .276 with 16 home runs and 53 RBI. He also stole 45 bases, which ranked third in the American League. Patterson's contract was not renewed after the 2007 season.

Cincinnati Reds

On March 3, 2008, the Cincinnati Reds signed Patterson to a minor league contract. At the end of Spring Training, he was added to the 40-man roster.^[2] Dusty Baker, manager of the Reds and Patterson's manager in Chicago, was instrumental in signing Patterson.^[2] Baker often voiced his opinion on Patterson saying he thought Patterson is still a developing player.^[3]

Patterson was invited to the Reds' spring training camp, and he started the 2008 season in center field for Cincinnati. Platooning with utility man Ryan Freel, Patterson began the season statistically well. Gradually his average deteriorated, culminating in an 0-8 performance during Cincinnati's 18-inning loss to San Diego on May 25.^{[citation needed]} The following day top outfield prospect Jay Bruce was called up from the Triple-A Louisville Bats to start in center field, demoting Patterson to the Reds' bench. On May 28, Patterson accepted a reassignment to Triple-A Louisville.^[4] The demotion lasted only one week, however, when Patterson was recalled to replace Ryan Freel, who went to the disabled list with a strained right hamstring on June 4.^[5][6] Patterson ended the season with a .205 batting average and .238 OBP.

Washington Nationals

Patterson with the Washington Nationals in 2009 spring training.

On December 18, 2008, Patterson signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Washington Nationals.^{[citation needed]}

Due to Josh Willingham being placed on the bereavement list, Patterson had his contract purchased from the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs on June 13, 2009.^{[citation needed]} He hit .302, with six home runs and 23 RBIs in a 39 games with the Chiefs, but hit only .133 with 2 stolen bases in 5 games for the Nationals. He was reassigned to Triple-A on June 20, 2009.^{[citation needed]} He was released by the Nationals on July 29, 2009.^{[citation needed]}

Milwaukee Brewers

Patterson signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers on August 1, 2009.^[7] Patterson hit well with the AAA affiliate Nashville Sound, batting .331 with a .963 OPS over 29 games and 124 at-bats. However he struggled with the parent club, where his BA, OBP, and SLG were all .071 over 11 games and 14 at-bats.^[8]

Seattle Mariners

Patterson signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners on December 9, 2009.^[9] However, he opted out of his contract on March 31, 2010 after being informed he had not made the major league team.^[10]

Return to Baltimore

On April 21, 2010, Corey agreed to re-join the Orioles on a 1 year minor league deal. He was promoted to the Orioles on May 12, 2010

On July 9, 2010, Patterson hit his first career grand slam against the Texas Rangers. It was a remarkable feat as Patterson faced the season's eventual saves leader and rookie of the year in the hard throwing Neftali Feliz, with a 2-2 count and two outs in the top of the 9th inning representing the tying run. Patterson drilled his pitch over the right field fence to tie the game at 6. Jake Fox hit a solo homer in the top of the 10th for the game winner.

Toronto Blue Jays

On December 21, 2010, Patterson signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with the Toronto Blue Jays.^[11] He began the season on the major league roster, but on the disabled list because of a head injury.^[12] Patterson made his regular season debut as a Blue Jay on April 11, 2011 against the Seattle Mariners, hitting a home run and finishing the night 2-4 with 2 RBI

St. Louis Cardinals

On July 27, 2011, Patterson was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals with Octavio Dotel, Marc Rzepczynski and Edwin Jackson for Colby Rasmus, P. J. Walters, Trever Miller and Brian Tallet.^[13][14]

Personal life

He throws right-handed and bats left-handed. His brother Eric was drafted by the Cubs in the 8th round in 2004, and made his major league debut for the Cubs on August 7, 2007. His father, Don Patterson, played in the NFL for two years.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
• List of Baltimore Orioles Opening Day Starting Lineups

References

1. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2760715
2. ^ ^{a b} Joe Kay (March 24, 2008). "CF Corey Patterson gets second chance with Cincinnati Reds". USA Today. Associated Press. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2008-03-24-1134240553_x.htm. Retrieved December 10, 2009. 
3. ^ Scott Priestle (April 2, 2008). "Reds betting Patterson's best days still ahead of him". dispatch.com. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/04/02/reds0402.ART_ART_04-02-08_C4_0E9QEER.html?sid=101. Retrieved December 10, 2009. 
4. ^ Patterson accepts demotion to minors
5. ^ Mark Sheldon (June 4, 2008). "Patterson recalled to replace Freel". Major League Baseball. mlb.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080604&content_id=2838100&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb. Retrieved December 10, 2009. 
6. ^ "Freel placed on DL; Patterson recalled". Associated Press. sports.espn.go.com. June 4, 2008. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3426205. Retrieved December 10, 2009. 
7. ^ http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/08/brewers-sign-corey-patterson.html
8. ^ http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/P/corey-patterson.shtml
9. ^ Doug Miller (December 9, 2009). "Mariners add Patterson during busy day". Major League Baseball. seattle.mariners.mlb.com. http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091209&content_id=7790092&vkey=news_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea. Retrieved December 10, 2009. 
10. ^ Mariners announce Spring Training roster move
11. ^ "Blue Jays sign six" (Press release). Toronto Blue Jays. December 21, 2010. http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20101221&content_id=16353168&vkey=pr_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor. Retrieved December 21, 2010. 
12. ^ Gregor Chisholm (March 29, 2011). "Patterson to miss start of regular season". http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com. http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110329&content_id=17185534&notebook_id=17187554&vkey=notebook_tor&c_id=tor. Retrieved April 3, 2011. 
13. ^ "Cardinals deal Rasmus to Jays in three-team mega-deal". Sporting News. http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2011-07-27/colby-rasmus-trade-edwin-jackson-st-louis-cardinals-chicago-white-sox-detroit-ti. Retrieved 27 July 2011. 
14. ^ Frenette, Brad. "Blue Jays acquire top prospect Colby Rasmus in three-team deal". Vancouver Sun. http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Blue+Jays+acquire+prospect+Colby+Rasmus+three+team+deal/5167407/story.html. Retrieved 27 July 2011. 

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube

Preceded by Rick Ankiel 1999

Youngest Player in the National League 2000

Succeeded by Wilson Betemit 2001

Persondata
Name	Patterson, Corey
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 13, 1979
Place of birth	Atlanta, Georgia
Date of death
Place of death