When manager Dusty Baker moved Corey Patterson into the leadoff spot upon the arrival of Nomar Garciaparra, he brought up a haunting comparison of a former Cub.
“Eventually Corey could end up being like a Lou Brock–a guy that’s got power, can run and can hit for a higher average,” Baker said.
Brock, of course, is the most oft-used example of a budding Cubs star that was dealt away before he got a real chance to mature. He went on to a Hall of Fame career in St. Louis, and Brock-for-Broglio remains a part of Cub lore, like Babe Ruth pointing to the bleachers and the foul ball of Game 6 of last year’s National League Championship Series.
How does Patterson compare with Brock at a similar stage of their careers?
Patterson is a .263 career hitter in 1,511 at-bats with 46 home runs, 170 RBIs, 372 strikeouts and 56 stolen bases. After his first three seasons, Brock was hitting .280 in 1,626 at-bats with 32 homers, 130 RBIs, 348 strikeouts and 83 steals.
At a crossroad
Whether Patterson will develop into the next Brock remains to be seen. But three days shy of his 25th birthday, Patterson is suddenly at a crossroad in his career.
Being the leadoff man has thrust him into the spotlight, and now he has to prove he belongs there.
Patterson has downplayed the switch from the bottom part of the order to the top spot.
“It really doesn’t matter,” he said. “I was reading an article the other day, and a couple quotes Nomar said I really liked. He said where you bat in the lineup doesn’t dictate how you hit. I think the situation, and what inning it is in the game, dictates what you’re going to do, no matter where you’re batting. The way I look at it is you’re only going to bat first once, and that’s at the beginning of the game.”
No matter where Patterson bats in the lineup, he maintains he uses the same basic approach.
“I’ve still bunted, still used all parts of the field, regardless of whether I’m batting first, seventh, third, fourth or whatever,” he said. “No matter what part of the lineup, it’s not going to change who I am, or the type of player I am.”
Patterson bore the brunt of fan abuse earlier this year when he struggled to show consistency at the plate, though it has died down in the last couple of months. He’s not the quintessential leadoff hitter with a high on-base percentage and ability to coax walks. But with no one else fitting the bill, Baker turned to Patterson as a last resort to fix his hit-and-miss offense.
“Dusty sat me down and told me I run pretty well and I’m the fastest player on the team, and he needs my speed up at the top of the lineup,” Patterson said. “Anyway I can get on base, whether it’s a bunt, walk, chopper or homer … whatever you’ve got to do. Don’t take your aggressiveness away, continue to be yourself. He told me, `I don’t want you to be taking pitches. If you like something, swing at it.’
“Of course it has to be in the zone. That’s what I’ve done, and I really don’t think that has anything to do with me hitting first.”
`I’ve done a good job’
Patterson is hitting .290 (9 for 31) with three steals since moving to the leadoff spot on Aug. 1. He has had some bad at-bats (four strikeouts Friday against the Giants) and some good ones (a home run into McCovey Cove on Saturday).
“I’ve done a good job so far,” he said. “As long as I can continue to get on base for the big guys behind me, we’ll have a pretty good chance [at the postseason].”
Patterson has said before that his favored spot would be in the No. 3 hole, which is currently occupied by Moises Alou after being Sammy Sosa’s domain for years. Baker has yet to say how long Patterson will be in the leadoff spot, but it’s likely to be for the rest of the season unless he goes into a deep slump.
Could Patterson see himself sticking in the leadoff spot for years?
“Who knows? I don’t mind doing it at all,” he said. “Batting leadoff, you have a game plan of what you’re going to do. You have to make up your mind what you’re going to do before you step in that box. If I can continue to learn, be patient, pay attention and see what happens …
“I know I belong up in that top part of the order, whether it’s that first hole, two-hole or three-hole. We have a great situation here, and I’ll just roll with it.”
