2005 NSBB Player of the Year Interview With Eric Patterson

Eric Patterson NSBB Player of the Year Interview

September 2, 2005

With your award is a $100 donation to charity in your name. Where would you like for that donation to go?

Definitely the hurricane victims. They definitely need it so I’d like to send it there.

This award is from a fan forum, a fan message board. How does an award like this mean, knowing that it comes from the fans that think that much of you?

It’s definitely a tremendous honor to be named player of the year. It’s a tremendous honor. It’s definitely nothing that I set out to do at the beginning of the year or anything like that. I just tried to go out and do my job. Like I said, it’s a huge honor and I’m very thankful for it.

What are your thoughts in regards to the season you had in Peoria?

I think all in all it was a pretty good year. Obviously there are still a lot of things that I need to work on but for it being my first full season and performing the way I did consistently I was happy with that.

What’s the biggest difference between the pitching in the MWL and the Southern League?

I think execution with pitches. In this league they are a lot more around the plate and you don’t have a real good idea what they’re doing whereas in Peoria you have guys that knew what they wanted to do but couldn’t put the ball where they wanted to all the time.

What is your biggest goal for a short stretch in AA ball?

Basically to just continue doing the same things I was doing. I should stay with my routine, stay consistent, however I can help the club win baseball games, that’s my job. When I’m hitting in the leadoff spot try to get on base and try to be solid defensively up the middle. Those are the two biggest things. Any kind of spark or anything I can do to help the team here is my main focus right now.

Earlier in the season Jim Hendry told me that in regards to your promotion that your future was in the hands of Oneri Fleita. He said that when Oneri made that decision you would be moved up. What message was sent from guys like Oneri and Jim when you were promoted?

Basically to just continue doing what you’re doing, nothing changes. For me it’s all about just staying comfortable and staying with the routine that I have and just continue to keep working on the things that I have been working on. Nothing changes because you move up, that doesn’t mean you have to change your whole way of thinking or the whole way you play the game. I’m just going to continue doing the things I was doing in Peoria and continue to get my work in. However I can help this team is basically what I want to try to do.

Did you expect to jump two levels?

No, not really, but you never know what’s going to happen throughout the course of the season. I guess circumstances were right and everything was good and I’m here now and I want to help these guys any way I can.

I saw your brother play here five years ago. I watched him help lead the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx to a Southern league Championship in 2000. What messages did he send to you when you told him that you were being promoted to AA West Tennessee since he was here just a few years ago?

He said to just go up there and be yourself, don’t try to do anything different, don’t try to go up there and impress people or anything like that, just continue to play your game and good things will happen. That’s all I’ve been trying to do since I’ve been here and what I’ll continue to do.

You’ve been selected to the Arizona Fall League along with a few of the guys here in AA West Tennessee. What are your goals as you go in to the AFL?

You just try to get better as a baseball player. Playing against good competition day in and day out is definitely going to help in that. It’s a good chance to stack yourself up with some of the other better players in Minor League Baseball and kind of see where you stand. I’m definitely excited about it, I’m honored for the privilege to play in it and I’m really looking forward to it.

If the season ended today and you were writing a scouting report on yourself, an end of the year review, what would be included in that review?

I just want to play hard and play the right way. I like to think I have a little of everything and I’m able to showcase it when I have the opportunity.