Former Diamond Jaxx player Patterson enjoying baseball again Once with D-Jaxx, now with Huntsville by Craig Thomas, Jackson (TN) Sun Seven years ago, Eric Patterson left the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx for a promotion to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. He didn’t plan on being at the Ballpark at Jackson, or anywhere else in the minor leagues for that matter, in 2013. But the Ballpark at Jackson is where Patterson was Thursday evening as he prepared to play against the Jackson Generals as a member of the Huntsville Stars. Patterson, 30, played part of 2005 and most of 2006 with the Diamond Jaxx, who at the time were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs. He still speaks three or four times a week with West Tenn teammate Nic Jackson, who he said is now playing for an independent team in Fargo, N.D. and finishing school. “It’s a friendship that I definitely made here and I’ve kept through the years,” Patterson said. His older brother Corey, 33, played for the Southern League champion Diamond Jaxx in 2000 before eventually moving on to a productive major league career. Currently, Corey plays for the Yankees’ Triple-A team in Scranton, Pa. But Eric has so far never had the sustained major league experience Corey earned. A second baseman and outfielder, Eric Patterson’s most recent major league experience was in 2011 with the San Diego Padres. He has also played with the Cubs, Oakland A’s and Boston Red Sox, but never for very long. Patterson played for the Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A team in Toledo in 2012. Eventually, though, he asked to be released because he didn’t see an opportunity to make the majors in that organization. The Tigers won the American League pennant last year and have few weaknesses in their lineup. His problem was nobody else wanted him in their system. Patterson ended up with an independent team in York, Pa. to start this season. Independent teams are not affiliated with any major league organization, so it’s difficult to advance or be recognized. “I kind of took the mindset ‘I’ll go out there and try it.’ If I didn’t like it, I could come home, hang ‘em up and start the next phase of my life,” Patterson said. Patterson hit .275 with 13 homers to start 2013 with York, and the Milwaukee Brewers signed him a few weeks ago and sent him to Huntsville. “Really it wasn’t about stats or numbers or performance. It was just about going out and having fun playing baseball again,” Patterson said. “To be honest with you I didn’t really have that last year, for whatever reason it was, in Toledo. It just kind of got grind-y after a while. The grind kind of got to me.” York is where baseball got fun again. Patterson was relaxed as he described it, speaking with a cheerful tone as he explained his approach to hitting, handling success and failure and being a minor leaguer. Perhaps Huntsville can be even better for Patterson as he works toward a hopeful return to MLB. The Stars are part of the Brewers’ system, and that means powerful people with the Brewers are watching him. “Once you’re back in affiliated ball, you have a shot,” he said.