Eric Patterson
Second Base - Chicago Cubs
The best measure of how a player performs is most evident with how they deal with setbacks. Earlier in the season, Chicago Cubs prospect Eric Patterson had a chance to show his true character. After scorching the Class A Midwest League early on with a .417 batting average, Patterson had his first setback as a professional, pulling his hamstring which sidelined him for two weeks.
“He took the setback really well,” hitting instructor for the Peoria Chiefs Ricardo Medina said. “Through training, he was able to take advantage of his time off by making his hamstring stronger and lifting a little more.”
Teammate and fellow Cubs prospect Ryan Harvey, who was sidelined with an injury at the same time, agreed that Patterson handled the adversity well.
“He stayed positive when he was hurt,” said Harvey. “Anytime you get hurt, it sucks. He did what he needed to do in order to get back into the lineup.”
When Patterson returned to the lineup, he continued his hitting barrage and showed the versatility that made him the Cubs' eighth round pick in 2004 out of Georgia Tech. For his first half performance, Patterson was named as a 2005 Midwest League All-Star.
“It's a tremendous honor for my hard work to be recognized by my coaches and peers in my first season,” Patterson said. “I am looking forward to playing in it. It should be a lot of fun.”
Patterson, who is currently hitting .366, with 11 doubles, five triples, five homeruns, and 17 stolen bases. He has developed into a leader of a young and successful Peoria team.
“He is a one of the team leaders on and off the field,” Harvey said of Patterson. “He is one of the more mature guys on the team, and he approaches every game as if it’s new.”
Patterson has learned a lot from his older brother, Chicago Cubs centerfielder Corey Patterson who he keeps in touch with on a regular basis by phone.
“Our conversations aren’t just baseball related. We are doing a lot of catching up,” said Patterson. “It does help having that resource because he has been through everything I am going through now. You can hear stories all day, but you don’t really know what it is like until you experience everything yourself.”
In addition to Corey, being a professional athlete, Patterson's father Don Patterson also played football with the New York Giants and Detroit Lions in the 1980s.
“Anytime you have a kid that comes from an athletic background, it’s a tremendous help,” Medina, the Chiefs hitting coach, said. “Eric may have a neck up on his self confidence and that comes from having a family member that has been there. Anytime he fails at the plate, he learns from it and makes the proper adjustments to get better.”
Appearances in the 2002 and 2003 Pan-Am as a member of Team USA helped develop the self-confidence that Patterson has shown during his first professional season.
“It was a lot of fun. You were basically living out of your suitcase for about two months,” Patterson said. “You were always around great baseball players and when we were at our hotel, we were always talking baseball, so I picked up a few things here and there. It was a great honor representing the red, white, and blue.”
Patterson, who was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 2001 out of high school, decided to go the college route for three years with the Yellow Jackets, instead of following in his brother’s footsteps and turning pro straight out of high school.
At Georgia Tech, Patterson became one of three players in the school’s history to be named to the All-ACC team in three consecutive seasons. He batted .326 with 48 stolen bases in of 55 attempts during his final collegiate season.
“The three years gave me a chance to grow mentally and physically,” Patterson said of his college experience. “I wouldn’t trade having those three years for the world.”
Off the field Patterson, described himself as just an ordinary guy.
“I am boring,” Patterson said with a chuckle. “Off the field, I just like to relax, hang out, and watch television.”
--Jason Blasco is a freelance writer for Beckett Football and Beckett Baseball Magazine. He is a contributor to the Peoria Times Observer, and is based out of Peoria, Ill.
