#299 Bob Patterson

About the Front: Bob Patterson's plant leg is bent in an uncomfortable position. Pitching is dangerous.

About the Back: Do you know who else graduated from ECU? Vince McMahon.

Triple Play:

1. Patterson didn't spend a full season in the majors until 1990, when he was 31 years old, but averaged 58 games a season from that point through the end of his career in 1998.

2. He earned his first career win with a rare early-career start on September 8, 1986, limiting the Cardinals to a pair of runs on five hits in seven innings.

3. Here's an unsourced Wikipedia tidbit that I choose to believe: "During his career, Patterson was known as the Glove Doctor: many players, even from opposing teams, would ask Patterson to repair their broken gloves. Patterson would spend his time in the bullpen during games repairing and relacing gloves, sometimes incorporating coat hangers, tongue depressers, and extra leather."

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: My only firm memory of Bob is that he pitched in Cal Ripken's 2,131st consecutive game, giving up Rafael Palmeiro's second home run of the game and the Orioles' fourth overall.

Bill James Said: "Patterson mixes up an ordinary fastball and a pretty good curve, and also throws a screwball; he is regarded as an intelligent pitcher."

On This Date in 1993: October 13. Neither Greg Maddux (5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 5 ER) nor Tommy Greene (7 IP, 5 H, 5 BB, 3 ER) is especially sharp, but the Phillies clinch the NLCS in six games with a 6-3 win. Dave Hollins' two-run homer in the fifth inning and Mickey Morandini's two-run triple in the sixth put the game out of Atlanta's reach.