Corey Patterson

Donald Corey Patterson (born August 13, 1979 in Atlanta, Georgia) better known as Corey Patterson, is an American baseball player for the Chicago Cubs.

Related Topics:
August 13 - 1979 - Atlanta, Georgia - Chicago Cubs

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He was drafted third overall in 1998, and called up from the minors in September 2000 to play center field. Corey didn't start playing a full season until 2002 where 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 RBIs in only 83 games before injuring his knee while running to first on a base hit against the St. Louis Cardinals. Since then, he has lost the consistency that he displayed in 2003.

Related Topics:
Drafted - 1998 - 2000 - Center field - 2002 - Cubs - RBI - St. Louis Cardinals

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Whether leading off or hitting in the middle of the order, Corey shows excellent power and speed, but also a tendency to overswing and go after bad pitches. As a result, he has earned the nickname, "Korey," due to his high rate of strike-outs and the use of the letter "K" to designate strikeouts in baseball scorecards.

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He is 5 feet, 9 inches tall. Patterson played 157 games in 2004, with a .266 average, 24 home runs, and 72 RBI in 631 at-bats. He throws right handed and bats left handed. His brother, Eric, was drafted by the Cubs in the 8th round in 2004. Corey's father, Don Patterson, played in the NFL for 2 years.

Related Topics:
2004 - Average - Home run - RBI - At-bats - Right handed - Left handed - NFL

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On July 7, 2005, he was sent down to AAA Iowa during a season in which he struggled from the plate. The demotion came after the Cubs had lost a season-high eight games in a row. His future with the Cubs is in doubt, as the Cubs' top prospect is a center fielder named Felix Pie (pronounced Pie-ay), who is expected to make his Major League debut in 2006. Published reports indicated that Pie was slated to be called up from AA West Tenn in July when Patterson was sent down. However, an ankle injury sidelined Pie and the Cubs called up Adam Greenberg instead. The Cubs have other promising outfielders like Matt Murton who can play left and right field

Related Topics:
Felix Pie - 2006 - Adam Greenberg - Matt Murton

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Patterson was back up with the major league team on August 9, 2005 after his one-month stint in AAA. During the time in AAA, centerfielder Jerry Hairston Jr. injured his elbow diving for a flyball. Instead of calling up Patterson to regain his role as starting centerfielder, the Cubs activated three disabled players and started Jose Macias in center. Patterson was apparently angered by the snub, even though that decision came while he was mired in a slump in Des Moines. Since his return, Patterson's hitting has worsened. He also earned the derision of his peers for saying "It's just a game" after a game in Colorado where he stranded baserunners in key situations.

Related Topics:
Jerry Hairston Jr. - Jose Macias

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The Cubs have been entertaining trade proposals from other teams, and Patterson cleared waivers in August, allowing him to be traded after the trade deadline.

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