Eric Patterson (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eric Patterson |
||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Patterson with the San Diego Padres
|
||||||||||||||
| Left fielder / Second baseman | ||||||||||||||
| Born: April 8, 1983 Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. |
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Eric Scott Patterson (born April 8, 1983) is an American former professional baseball player who played as a left fielder and second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams, including the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox.
After his playing career, he became a coach. He is now the bench coach for the Indianapolis Indians, a team connected to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Contents
Early Baseball Journey
High School and College
When Patterson was in high school, the Colorado Rockies wanted to draft him in 2001. However, he chose to go to college instead. He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology and played for their team, the Yellow Jackets.
At Georgia Tech, he was a star player. He was named an Atlantic Coast Conference All-Star three times. He was also chosen for the USA Baseball national team in 2002 and 2003, where he won a silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games.
Professional Playing Career
Chicago Cubs
In the 2004 MLB draft, the Chicago Cubs selected Patterson. He played in the minor leagues for a few years to develop his skills. In 2006, he played in the All-Star Futures Game, which showcases top young players.
Patterson made his big league debut with the Cubs on August 6, 2007. A day later, he got his first major league hit against the Houston Astros. He hit his first career home run on June 22, 2008.
Oakland Athletics
On July 8, 2008, the Cubs traded Patterson to the Oakland Athletics. He was part of a trade that sent four players to Oakland in exchange for two pitchers. He played for the Athletics for about two years.
In June 2010, the Athletics "designated him for assignment." This is a move teams make to remove a player from their main 40-man roster, often to make space for another player.
Boston Red Sox
Just a few days later, on June 26, 2010, Patterson was traded to the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox needed a player because their star second baseman, Dustin Pedroia, was injured. In 2010, Patterson played in 90 games, the most in any single season of his career, splitting his time between Oakland and Boston.
San Diego Padres
In December 2010, Patterson was traded again, this time to the San Diego Padres. This trade was part of a larger deal that sent star player Adrián González to Boston. Patterson played for the Padres during the 2011 season.
Final Years as a Player
After leaving the Padres, Patterson signed minor league contracts with several teams. He played for farm teams connected to the Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago White Sox. A farm team is a minor league team that helps develop players for the major league club.
He also played for the York Revolution, an independent baseball team not connected to an MLB team, before ending his playing career.
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Patterson decided to become a coach to share his knowledge of baseball.
In 2023, he was the hitting coach for the Iowa Cubs, the top minor league team for the Chicago Cubs. The next year, he became their bench coach.
In January 2025, the Pittsburgh Pirates hired Patterson as the bench coach for their Triple-A team, the Indianapolis Indians.
Personal Life
Baseball runs in the Patterson family. His older brother, Corey, was also an outfielder in Major League Baseball and was also drafted by the Cubs.
His father, Don, was a professional football player. He played defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for two years.
