Representing the United States team will be West Tenn second baseman Eric Patterson. In 72 games at Double-A this season, the 23-year-old Patterson is batting .276 with 15 doubles, five triples, four home runs, and 26 RBIs. He has stolen 21 bases and been caught stealing five times.
The younger brother of Baltimore center fielder Corey Patterson, Eric was drafted in the eighth round of the 2004 draft from Georgia Tech. He was named the Cubs’ Minor League Player of the Year in 2005 after batting .333 with 13 home runs, 26 doubles and 11 triples in 110 games for Class A Peoria. He stole 40 bases in 51 attempts with the Chiefs and was later promoted to Double-A toward the end of the season.
Representing the World team will be Iowa right-hander Jae-Kuk Ryu. In 12 starts this season, the 23-year-old is 2-6 with a 3.86 ERA in 72 1/3 innings. He has one appearance as a reliever. Ryu was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2001 from his native South Korea. He won 11 games last season at Double-A and posted a 3.34 ERA in 27 starts.
"Eric and JK both have had great first halves and being chosen to play in this year's Futures Game it quite an honor for them," Cubs Farm Director Oneri Fleita said. "I am sure they will
represent the organization well."
Players named to the Futures Game were selected by Major League Baseball’s 30 clubs and Baseball America. Managers for the 2006 All-Star Futures Game will be Hall of Famer’s Gary Carter (U.S.) and Ferguson Jenkins (World). The Future’s Game is scheduled for 3 p.m. CDT on July 9 and can be seen on ESPN2. The game will end after seven innings and is sponsored by XM Satellite Radio.