Patterson playing Winter ball?

[adamb0719]

The Cubs would like Corey Patterson to play winter ball, an idea the struggling center fielder has yet to endorse, The Chicago Tribune reports.

"I'm not going to think about it right now," Patterson told The Tribune. "It's my decision. I have to do what I think is best for me, but I'm not saying one way or another. I just want to play the best I can [for the rest of the season]."

 

Did not see another thread for this but if it exists I apologize.

This confuses me. Is it totally up to Corey if he plays or not? The Cubs have no say in it? I guess I do not understand the whole winter ball thing so if someone wants to explain it to me that would be great. Also how much would this benefit Patterson if he chose to play?

[Proven Veteran]

I think he needs to go to winter ball. Time to start over for him.

[TrueBlueCubFan]

I think he needs to go to winter ball. Time to start over for him.

He needs to light up the minors for an extended period before he is should even allowed back to the bigs. The talent is there, the positive attitude is very lacking.

[JC]

Personally, I think Patterson needs to get away from baseball for a couple of months.

[Proven Veteran]

Personally, I think Patterson needs to get away from baseball for a couple of months.

 

When does winter ball start?

[Chocolate Milk]

Personally, I think Patterson needs to get away from baseball for a couple of months.

 

When does winter ball start?

 

I think it starts in the Winter.

[Proven Veteran]

Personally, I think Patterson needs to get away from baseball for a couple of months.

 

When does winter ball start?

 

I think it starts in the Winter.

 

:|

[Butterscup1679666578]

Corey just doesnt seem like he has a grasp of the game of baseball. I mean look at how he approaches the plate. He's been playing baseball his whole life, is a few months in winter ball actually going to change how he approaches each at bat?

[AC036198]

IMO, the Patterson expieriment should be over. We gave up on Dubois after a few months, we haven't we given up on Patterson for years. makes no sense to me. Can we get this headbang into the wall on our board?:

 

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[Chocolate Milk]

Personally, I think Patterson needs to get away from baseball for a couple of months.

 

When does winter ball start?

 

I think it starts in the Winter.

 

:|

 

I'll be here all week. Try the veal.

[CuseCubFan69]

Personally, I think Patterson needs to get away from baseball for a couple of months.

 

Wasn't he away from it all summer?

 

I agree. He should take a cruise and play some golf.

[YearofDaCubs]

I think Corey is done for. Time to cut bait.

[Satch80]

The league has adjusted to Corey, Corey has not adjusted to the league pitching him smarter and relying on his natural impatience. to get him out.

 

Playing golf or taking a cruise won't help him fix his game.

He needs to play winter ball and try to salvage his career whether it's with the Cubs or somewhere else.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

The talent is there. It's going to take a different set of coaches telling him the same stuff he's already heard from our coaches. A change of scenery will probably set him straight.

 

We'll sell low and he'll go on to dominate for another team. There's no way around it now. We've done just about everything we can and can't waste another season putting up with his plate troubles.

[somechick]

Corey, to me, is someone who fell into baseball just because he happened to be good at it, not because he truly loves it.

 

Corey is like those really smart kids who breeze through elementary and high school getting straight A's and never cracking open a book then go to college and bomb out because they dont know how to study, because they never had to. That isn't something that is easily learned at that age. That just epitomizes Corey. He has so much natural talent, he really never had to try to be the best--he just was. Then he gets to the elite level, and suddenly he can't adjust because he has never had to. And it is darn near impossible to learn it that late, at that level. And that is sad because this kid is one of the most naturally gifted at this sport, and among the most clueless in utilizing it.

[cbbryan]

I think if the Cubs ask Corey to go..............he better go, or he'll be gone!

[Mizzou]

I would absolutely love to be proven wrong here, but I just don't see Corey as the type of guy that would do it. As much as I hate to compare him to this guy, he really reminds me of Dusty in that he's so damn stubborn.

[adamb0719]

If Corey is asked to go and refuses, is that it? The Cubs can do nothing to make him go? I would think that if asked he should go. If he does not that says a lot about his attitude towards either the sport or the organization. What excuse could someone have for not doing something to improve his game when asked to by the team?

 

Of course I say this without fully understanding the winter ball concept. I believe it is a league that is playing in the off season (obviously) to help players improve their skills to better prepare them for the season. Would it be something that would be embarrassing for Corey to do, perhaps dropping him to a level he feels he is above?

[frostwyrm]

Corey is probably already on his way out of town, but if he refuses to play winter ball I'd say it is 100% certain he won't be back.

[Jon]

The talent is there. It's going to take a different set of coaches telling him the same stuff he's already heard from our coaches. A change of scenery will probably set him straight.

 

We'll sell low and he'll go on to dominate for another team. There's no way around it now. We've done just about everything we can and can't waste another season putting up with his plate troubles.

The whole point was that he was getting very different instruction at AAA than he was with Clines/Sarge/Sonny/etc. The coaching staff with the big league club may have spent a lot of time with him, but they really only tried one thing and the attempting to salvage some of it after finally realizing it wasn't working. Making a long overdue switch at hitting coach(es) could help the whole team, but especially Corey.

 

But I don't know if winter ball is really going to help him. What he does there isn't really going to prove anything to the Cubs. Dusty keeps talking about how he has confidence and then says that he doesn't have confidence. He doesn't express much emotion either way, which is a pretty good thing with the treatment he's getting at Wrigley. If he goes elsewhere, it'll take the right coaching staff who doesn't view him as a leadoff hitter to correct things. But the attempted change this year really set back his plate discipline improvement. It'll have to be addressed one area at a time. I'm not sure which teams are going to be willing to go through that despite the upside. I highly doubt the Cubs are one of them.

[TrueBlueCubFan]

If Corey doesn't go to winter ball like the Cubs have asked him, I think he's as good as gone. If he does go, they may give him through ST to improve his horrendous approach at the plate. Corey in no way should be considered part of the Cubs future. Not with Pie very close. Corey's attitude is what has done him in.