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John Patterson (pitcher)

John Patterson
John Patterson.jpg
Patterson with the Washington Nationals
Pitcher
Born: (1978-01-30) January 30, 1978 (age 39)
Orange, Texas
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 20, 2002, for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Last MLB appearance
May 5, 2007, for the Washington Nationals
MLB statistics
Win–loss record 18–25
Earned run average 4.32
Strikeouts 415
Teams
Medal record
Men's baseball
Representing the  United States
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 1999 Winnipeg Team competition

John Hollis Patterson (born January 30, 1978) is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals franchise.

A USA Today prep All-American in his senior year at West Orange-Stark (Texas) High School, Patterson was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the first round (5th overall pick) of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft. Montreal lost the draft rights to Patterson on a legal technicality: they sent him a contract offer that was not printed on official team letterhead, and he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks for $6.075 million. After a solid 2002 rookie season where he had a 3.22 earned run average (ERA), he had a disappointing 2003 season with the Diamondbacks. Patterson was traded back to the Expos prior to the 2004 season in exchange for Randy Choate, a left-handed relief pitcher.

Always filled with immense potential – he featured a fastball in the mid-90s (miles per hour) along with a big curveball and a sharp slider – Patterson started to realize it while pitching for Montreal in 2004, when he had a 3.57 ERA in April. He got hurt soon after, though, and never regained his form for the rest of the year.

Patterson had a breakout season in 2005, posting a 9-7 record for Washington while setting career bests in ERA (3.13), innings pitched (198.3), and strikeouts (185) in 31 starts. On August 4, 2005, he pitched his first career complete game shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Washington winning 7-0. In 2009, Washington Post baseball writer Dave Sheinin named Patterson's performance the greatest pitching performance in Nationals history at that time.


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Wikipedia

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