I will gladly take all the blame...I have not been reporting on
Corey's stats for the past 2 months, and I only blame myself for
what has happened with him. Sure, I could give you excuses (end of
the school year, rehearsing for a musical, being out of the country
for 5 days, and most importantly, buying a condo), and I have simply
run out of time. I am so sorry that I have been neglecting Corey.

I was at the last home game the Cubs won last Wed., and I proudly
wore my Corey shirt. The man behind me was complaining about him,
then tapped my shoulder, and said, "Sorry." I understood though. I
knew he wasn't playing well.

Anyway, Corey has been sent down to AAA IowaP:( :( :( :(
Below is the article explanation.



ATLANTA -- The Chicago Cubs decided Corey Patterson needed a change.
The Cubs optioned Patterson and outfielder Jason Dubois to Triple-A
Iowa after Thursday's game, and purchased the contracts of
outfielders Adam Greenberg and Matt Murton from Double-A West Tenn.

"Obviously, we're not going well and we're not here to point fingers
at these guys, especially Corey, that it's their fault," Cubs
general manager Jim Hendry said after the team lost its eighth
straight game. "Corey's been in a funk and we're not helping him by
having him try to get out of it under these conditions.

"I think it's better that he can clear his head and spend a lot of
time working on the stuff he and [hitting coach Gene Clines] have
been trying over the last four days, and hopefully it'll click,"
Hendry said. "For his own good, and our good long-term, it seems
like the right thing to do."

Patterson declined to talk to reporters after Thursday's game. The
25-year-old center fielder was batting .232 with 11 home runs and 24
RBIs. He started the season well, hitting .284 in April, and
followed that with a .273 average in May.

But Patterson scuffled in June, hitting .157 with one homer and five
RBIs, and was 3-for-18 this month in six games. He reached on a bunt
single with one out in the fifth Thursday, which is something the
Cubs have wanted him to do more, but struck out to end the second
game of the doubleheader against Atlanta.

"He knows we still think the Corey we know we're going to get is in
there," Hendry said. "He's probably internalizing a lot of it and
trying too hard to make things happen, and when you do that in this
game, unfortunately, sometimes it goes the other way on you. That's
what he's going through now."

The Cubs projected Patterson as a leadoff hitter this year to take
advantage of his speed and base-stealing ability, but he struggled
there and batted .218 in the No. 1 spot. Cubs manager Dusty Baker
has inserted him everywhere in the lineup except fourth and fifth,
and never seemed to find the right fit.

"He knows he's better than he's playing," Baker said
Thursday. "Hopefully, he can go find himself and find his stroke and
find his game, and dominate the way he's capable of dominating."

Clines predicted a solid season for Patterson this spring, but
lately the center fielder has looked lost. The problem is simply
lack of contact. Patterson was fouling pitches off that he used to
drive, and wasn't centering the ball. He has struck out 82 times and
had an overall on-base percentage of .270. He had Sunday and Monday
off to regroup, but the Cubs decided he needed more time.

Last season, Patterson hit .266, including .336 in August, when he
was first inserted into the leadoff spot.

Patterson predicted his return would be a "gradual process." He
remembers August 2004, too.

"I did it once," he said on Wednesday. "I know I can do it again.
I've played well. I can do it again."

The Iowa Cubs' weekend games in New Orleans have been postponed
because of the weather, and the team will then have the All-Star
break off before resuming play July 14 against Omaha. Patterson and
Dubois, who was hitting .239, will take a few days off and then go
to the Cubs facility in Mesa, Ariz., to work with Minor League
hitting instructor Dave Keller before joining the Iowa team.

Corey Patterson / CF
Born: 08/13/79
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 180 lbs
Bats: L / Throws: R

More info:
Player page
Stats | Splits
Gallery
Team Site | Shop


"There's a fine line when you have Corey's talent. You want him to
be able to find it," Hendry said. "When it goes through a period
like here, you can see in his face he's trying too hard. It's hard
to fix it in the middle of the game.

"I think it'll be good for him," Hendry said. "There's been a lot of
outstanding players in the past who have gone down and gotten ironed
out and been good the rest of their career, and hopefully it'll
happen to him."

Dubois, 26, was on the Opening Day roster for the first time in his
career, and hit .346 in 12 games in April. But he batted .227 in 17
games in June, and was 2-for-12 as a pinch-hitter.

"I've got to go down there and work and try to get back here as fast
as I can," Dubois said. "It's not a bad thing -- it may be a good
thing. I haven't been playing as good as I want to. I'll get some
[at-bats], and hopefully get back."

His playing time was reduced when Todd Hollandsworth found his
stroke.

"It's real tough to get timing when you haven't seen a pitch in
eight, nine days, and you get that one opportunity to do the best
you can," Dubois said. "Sometimes you screw yourself in the ground
because you try too hard. You try to make everything happen on every
swing you take. That's what's been happening. I've been going
downhill. I think this will help it out."

Greenberg, 24, was batting .278 at West Tenn with four homers, seven
triples, nine doubles and 28 RBIs. He has played 63 games in right
field, 10 in center and one in left.

Murton, 23, was hitting .342 with eight homers, 17 doubles and 46
RBIs at West Tenn. He was acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the
Nomar Garciaparra deal last July.

Will the Cubs play the new kids?

"We're in a situation where, hopefully, they'll give us a spark,"
Hendry said. "They certainly earned it."

The Cubs would've considered calling up outfielder Felix Pie, but he
has a bone bruise on his right ankle and will be sidelined at least
one more week, possibly more.