Corey Patterson

Donald Corey Patterson (born August 13, 1979) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. Currently, he is the Head Coach of the Brookhaven Bucks in the Sunbelt Baseball League. He is the older brother of outfielder Eric Patterson.

Amateur career

Patterson attended Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Georgia, and helped Harrison win the Georgia state championship as a senior in 1998. That year, he had a batting average of .528 with 81 runs scored, 22 home runs, 61 RBI and 38 stolen bases in 38 games. Patterson was named to the Baseball America and USA Today first-team All-America teams, and was selected by USA Baseball as its Amateur Player of the Year and as the Baseball Coaches Association's co-national high school Player of the Year. Patterson was also named a Baseball America second-team selection after his junior season.

Professional career

Chicago Cubs

Patterson was selected by the Chicago Cubs as the third overall pick in the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his professional debut in 1999 with the Lansing Lugnuts of the Class-A Midwest League, and was selected as that league's "Prospect of the Year" after leading the league in slugging percentage (.592), extra base hits (72) and triples (17). He also batted .320 with 20 homers and 79 RBI, and was named to the league's all-star team both at mid-season and postseason. Baseball America named Patterson the league's top prospect. After the 1999 season, he played in the Arizona Fall League and was that league's youngest player. He batted .368 with 4 home runs, 24 RBI, and 8 stolen bases in 35 games, and was named to the league's all-star team.