Corey Patterson
The Chicago Cubs have the greatest fans in baseball. This team has not won a World Series since 1908, but their fans still come out to Wrigley Field every year hoping for the championship to come back to Chicago. Chicago Cubs outfielder Corey Patterson is looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2004 season and in this interview he talks about his health, his teammates and steroids.
Listen to the Corey Patterson CYInterview:
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The Chicago Cubs have the greatest fans in baseball. This team has not won a World Series since 1908, but their fans still come out to Wrigley Field every year hoping for the championship to come back to Chicago. Chicago Cubs outfielder Corey Patterson is looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2004 season and in this interview he talks about his health, his teammates and steroids.
Chris Yandek: First off, how are you and how’s the knee?
Corey Patterson: “I am doing ok, and the knee is doing ok.”
CY: What are your main goals that you want to accomplish this 2005 baseball spring training?
CP: “Just to stay healthy because you have to be healthy to play. Just improve on all areas of my game as far as defense and offense. Just be a better overall player.”
CY: Do you feel as a starter in the outfield you have to step it up this year with some roster changes this coming 2005 baseball season?
CP: “I know Jeromy Burnitz is going to be in right and I am not sure whose going to play left. We will have to get used to playing with each other, but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. I think we all will catch on pretty quick.”
CY: How important is pitching this season for this ball club and for pitchers including Mark Prior, Greg Maddux, Kerry Wood, and Carlos Zambrano?
CP: “I think it’s important for every team. Good pitching obviously stops good hitting. If you have good defense behind you, then you will win a ball game.”
CY: You guys just missed making the playoffs and winning the National League Wildcard last season. How hard is it to be so close yet so far going through a 162 game season and what keeps you motivated to come back next year to make it to the playoffs?
CP: “I think it motivated us that we were so close last year. It was kind of frustrating for us at the end of last year, but we didn’t want that feeling again. We have to go and take that extra step to the playoffs and the next level.”
CY: What are your thoughts on the overall look of this 2005 Chicago Cubs team without Sammy Sosa and are you in any way disappointed he’s no longer part of the team?
CP: “Well, I think it was unfortunate on how things ended up in Chicago with the fans getting on him. I think there was a change that needed to be made for the better of our team and for Sammy Sosa now in Baltimore. I think it will be hard to replace him. We will have a different team this year and different things we are accustomed to. I think we will have a pretty good team this year.”
CY: What did you learn from Sammy Sosa in the five years you have been on this Chicago Cubs team prior to this coming season?
CP: “Well, I think just confidence and believing in yourself as a person and a player. He liked to play the game and he was a good player. He knew that and baseball is 90 percent now. If you are confident in what you are doing and mentally focused you will be successful with that and also him for the most part.”
CY: What are your thoughts on your manager Dusty Baker, and how has he helped you understand the game of baseball?
CP: “Well, I think he is a great manager and person. He relates to everybody the best way he can. He’s very open minded and not going to treat everybody the same way because everyone on the team has different personalities. You can’t deal with everyone the same way and I think he is very good with people. He isn’t one minded. He kind of lets us do our own thing and he respects us. He gives us our freedom or whatever. He really just keeps things simple and makes sure we are having fun from time to time.”
CY: Give me your outlook on the National League Central Division for this coming season and the competition with all the other teams.
CP: “The St. Louis Cardinals are pretty good. The Houston Astros also. I think we have the upper hand on that. We have great position players and a great coaching staff. I think if we have all those things we definitely don’t have a reason why we shouldn’t win the National League Central.”
CY: What’s it like to stand in the outfield at Wrigley Field and play there overall?
CP: “It’s different than any other place. You are playing a lot of day games and a lot of tradition in that stadium. The fans are coming out to the games day in and day out. They are very supportive and let you know when you are doing well and when you are doing bad. They always come to the majority of the games. Probably the fan support is what I know most about our organization.”
CY: Just an opinion. What are your thoughts on all the latest steroid talk in baseball and as a player do you think the drug testing in baseball is where it needs to be?
CP: “That’s tough really. I really don’t know. I think if you get caught one time it should be a pretty severe penalty. I really don’t believe in giving people two, three, or four chances for what they have done. That’s just my opinion on it. It’s kind of hard for me to answer that question because of our testing policy. I really don’t know what the policy is because I don’t take steroids. I really don’t know the policy, but I think if you get caught the first time there should be a penalty and a one time thing. I don’t think people should be given two, three, or four chances to take steroids or whatever.”
CY: Finally, how much do you think the city of Chicago would love this team if you won the world series this coming season since they haven’t won it since 1908?
CP: “Well, I think the fans would be real excited because we haven’t won in so long. We have the players to do it and the fans to back us up. It will be a fun year and hopefully we will win the world series.”