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AAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!! - A Short Play

Aaaauuugggghhhhh
-A mini play in two parts

Scene begins.... Corey Patterson walks into manager Dusty Baker's office holding a light bulb over his head. Baker sighs....

Baker - "What's up Corey?"

CP -  "I had an idea, Skip."

Baker - "I guessed that. What is it Corey?"

CP -  "I think I should hit leadoff. Vince Coleman said I should, and even though you, Gene Clines, Gary Matthews, and about a dozen other coaches told me that, I finally decided that Vince is right. I'm fast, you know.

Baker -  "You are that. You run out to your position as fast as that guy who played right field last year. I can't recall seeing you on the bases recently, but... what made you change your mind?"

CP  - "I've been playing myself on the PS2. I traded myself to the Cardinals and I'm batting leadoff and playing centerfield. Vince was a Cardinal, you know. Anyway, in the game, that Corey is really fast and the computer puts me in the leadoff spot.  So I decided I should hit leadoff. Can I? Can I?"

Baker - "(pauses) OK, dog, we'll give it a shot"

CP - "Groovy! I gotta go comb out my baby fro before the game now. You won't be sorry, skip. I can do a lot of damage at the top of the order. Vince said so!"

---- Intermission ----

Scene - Baker returns to his office following another heartbreaking loss. He lets out a bloodcurdling, Charlie Brown-esque scream as he slams the door shut. On a TV in the office, a talking head is speaking about Patterson, his "leadoff hitter", who just went 0-5 with four K's.

TV Guy - "And when he did make contact, his weak bloop turned into a forceout, hurting the Cubs comeback chances."

- Patterson knocks and enters the room. He seems calm and unflustered. -

CP - "Well Skip, what do you think? Not bad, eh? If that darn Jerry Hairston hadn't screwed up the play I would have had a hit. At least I scored a run."

Baker - (obviously straining to keep his cool) - Corey, Corey you struck out four times. It was nearly five. It might have been better if it had been. We have pitchers who hit better than that."

CP - "Yeah, Vince said I get a hat. A Golden Sobrero! I'll probably melt it down and make it into a nice No. 20 pendant. Or maybe just a picture of myself on a belt buckle. I'm excited. I have never gotten a sombero before. I think they are from Mexico."

Baker - "Corey.... I... I just don't know what to say. What do you think about a trip to Iowa? Just to work things out?"

CP- "Vince said you might say something like that, and he told me to say 'no'. He said if I went to Iowa I wouldn't get my sombrero. He said I could keep doing a lot of damage if stay in the big leagues. Oooh, look, Sponge-Bob is on! See you, Skip!."

--Patterson runs out the door. The camera pans past a slumped Baker and through the door and down a dark corridor, where a solitary figure has stood listening to the conversation. With a dark chuckle, the figure turns and walks down the corridor, his once speedy gate now hindered by now-ancient accident with a automatic tarp. The image fades as the camera settles on a red and gold ring that reads 1987 National League Champions.

- Finis -

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Excuse me
I have to go be sick now.
Hey-Dawson backwards is Noswad!---Harry Caray

by cubbiejulie on Jun 23, 2005 5:49 PM CDT reply actions  

Really?!?!
I didnt know Corey was a bad hitter?  I thought he had almost won the batting title last year but the old guy beat him!  

WE ALL KNOW COREY CANT HIT BY NOW AND LETS FACE IT HE IS NOT GOING AWAY!

If i was smart like a hitting coach or something of the sort i would post how he could try to fix his problem and have it discussed but I know nobody that has talked about it.  We know D-Lee closed one(the only one)hole in his swing by being quicker and having a good base with his feet.  I really want to know what they have told Patterson because all I hear is he NEEDS to lay off the high fastball. he NEEDS to get on base.  I dont think he doesnt know what he has to do, but how is the real question.  For a start i think they need to bring that machine they used in spring training to give a taste of what to look for in a strike.

Cubbie blue always sPaRkLeS in my eyes.

by sparkles721 on Jun 23, 2005 6:03 PM CDT reply actions  

The biggest problem with Korey...
 .....besides being the dumbest baseball player I've ever seen and has zero plate discipline and patience, is his swing is WAY TOO LONG! He has to commit to a pitch before most Major Leaguers cuz his swing is so long and that's mainly why he swings at terrible pitches, cosistantly.

 Even with 2 strikes, he doesn't shorten his swing. That is absolutely not a good trait, for almost any hitter, but especially a Lead-Off hitter and ESPECIALLY someone with his speed.

 You can't take advantage of your speed and make things happen striking 4 times a game. He's truly lost and pathetic and I believe it's time to bench him for a while and start Hairston in CF. Lesser of 2 evils.

by strohdkill on Jun 23, 2005 6:32 PM CDT up reply actions  

I'm not a hitting coach, but I know several....
OK, what does Corey need to do?

1.) Stop trying to pull the ball over the right field fence. Pitchers are working him away consistantly and he is flailing away as he tries to pull the ball. If he starts taking those balls to left field, pitchers will have to start coming back inside on him. Those are the balls you can pull.

2.) Patience: Don't be afraid to take a few pitches. Called strikes are OK, so long as they are not Strike 3.

3.) With two strkes, he needs to focus on making contact. Choking up on the bat is OK, even preferred. Hitting choppers on the infield and beating them out is OK.

The trick with hitting coaches is that the player has to want to be helped. It is kind of like therapy. You have to know you have a problem and want to correct it.

Let me say this: I would love nothing more than to see Patterson have a great career in Chicago. The problem is that he seems to have stalled in his development. I am tired of him being potentially good. I want to see him be good. Period.

You must consider trading him for two reasons. 1.) He is no help to this team right now, 2.) he seems emotionally fragile and will likely walk as soon as possible when he becomes a free agent. If you can get value for him, you deal him now.

Hey Corey, go be potentially good somewhere else.

by Ross on Jun 23, 2005 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions  

You know...
... this is a very reasoned critique of Corey's problems.

What really frosts me is that "baseball insiders" will tell you that since you never played the game, you can't possibly know what's right for Corey.

Well, pardon me but BS. It's SO obvious what his problems are. What this tells me is that he's simply uncoachable.

In that case trade him NOW before other teams figure this out too.

by Al Yellon on Jun 24, 2005 9:12 AM CDT up reply actions  

Korey vs. Dunston
As I was a kid, I started watching the Cubs just as Shawon Dunston was coming up.  My dad and I always got so frustrated with him because he seemed to have so much more potential, but really had trouble at the plate.  It seemed like at least once a game he would strike out on the slider low and away.

What are people's thoughts on the comparison between Dunston and Patterson?  Is there any kind of comparison there?

MissouriKev

by MissouriKev on Jun 24, 2005 2:42 PM CDT reply actions  

Where is the problem?
Corey's woes speak for themselves and I truly feel for him.  His goddang boss is the problem here; Dusty's decision-making KILLS me.  Pitching changes, line-ups, Enrique Wilson, pitching to Carlos Lee ... NOT BENCHING OR DEMOTING COREY ... the guy is a madman.  Whatever chicken bones he's reading or whatever the Magic Eight Ball is telling him isn't working.  The guy is torpedoing the season.  Again.

by jhj on Jun 24, 2005 2:56 PM CDT reply actions  

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