Eric Patterson (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eric Patterson |
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Patterson with the San Diego Padres
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| Left fielder / Second baseman | ||||||||||||||
| Born: April 8, 1983 Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| August 6, 2007, for the Chicago Cubs | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| June 8, 2011, for the San Diego Padres | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .217 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 10 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 50 | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Eric Scott Patterson, born on April 8, 1983, is a former American professional baseball player. He played as a left fielder and second baseman. Eric made his first Major League Baseball (MLB) appearance with the Chicago Cubs in 2007. After playing, he became a coach. He is currently the bench coach for the Iowa Cubs.
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Eric Patterson's Baseball Journey
Starting Out in College Baseball
Eric Patterson was first picked by the Colorado Rockies in the 2001 MLB draft. This was right after he finished Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Georgia. However, he decided not to sign with them. Instead, he chose to go to the Georgia Institute of Technology.
While playing for the Yellow Jackets at Georgia Tech, Eric was a star player. He was named an Atlantic Coast Conference All-Star three times. This happened in 2002, 2003, and 2004. He also earned the title of All-American twice. First, he was on the Freshman 1st Team in 2002. Then, he made the 3rd team in 2004. Eric also played for the USA Baseball team in both 2002 and 2003.
Playing in Major League Baseball (MLB)
Eric Patterson was chosen again in the 2004 MLB draft. This time, the Chicago Cubs picked him in the 8th round.
Chicago Cubs (2007–2008)
In 2006, Eric played in the All-Star Futures Game in Pittsburgh. Before the 2007 season, Baseball America magazine called him the sixth-best young player in the Cubs team. He got his very first major league hit on August 7, 2007. This was a single against Woody Williams while playing the Houston Astros. On June 22, 2008, Eric hit his first career home run.
Oakland Athletics (2008–2010)
On July 8, 2008, Eric Patterson was traded to the Oakland Athletics. He moved along with pitcher Sean Gallagher, outfielder Matt Murton, and catcher Josh Donaldson. In return, the Cubs received pitchers Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin. On June 22, 2010, Eric was moved off the A's main roster. This was to make space for another player, Coco Crisp.
Boston Red Sox (2010)
Just a few days later, on June 26, 2010, Eric was traded again. This time, he went to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Fabian Williamson. This trade happened because Dustin Pedroia, a Red Sox player, was injured. In 2010, Eric played a career-high 90 games. He split his time playing equally between the Oakland Athletics and the Boston Red Sox.
San Diego Padres (2011)
On December 16, 2010, Eric was traded to the San Diego Padres. This trade completed a bigger deal that sent Adrián González to the Boston Red Sox. In return, the Red Sox received Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo, and Reymond Fuentes. Eric was moved off the Padres' main roster on June 9, 2011. He was then released by the San Diego Padres on December 15, 2011.
Playing in Minor Leagues
After his time in MLB, Eric continued to play baseball in the minor leagues.
- He signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers on January 4, 2012.
- Later, he played for the York Revolution in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
- On July 12, 2013, the Milwaukee Brewers signed Eric. They sent him to their Triple-A team, the Nashville Sounds.
- In January 2014, Eric signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox. He was released by them in March of that year.
- Eric returned to the York Revolution for the 2015 season. He became a free agent after that season.
After Playing Baseball
After his playing career ended, Eric Patterson became a coach. In 2023, he was named the hitting coach for the Iowa Cubs. This team is the Triple-A affiliate for the Chicago Cubs. For the 2024 season, he was promoted to be Iowa's bench coach.
Eric's Family Life
Eric Patterson comes from a family of athletes. His older brother, Corey Patterson, also played baseball in MLB as an outfielder. Their father, Don Patterson, was a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for two years.
