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Oakland A’s sign fan after he deals 96 MPH in speed-pitch challenge

By

KNBR Staff

/

In a story straight out of a movie, the Oakland A’s have signed 23-year-old Nathan Patterson to a minor-league deal, after he hit 96 mph during a fan challenge at Coors Field in Denver last month. Patterson first landed on the A’s radar when he impressed during a fan event at the Athletics’ triple-A affiliate in Nashville last year.

After being signed, Patterson posted a thank you message to the A’s on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

“How can you not be romantic about baseball” -Billy Beane Words cannot describe this feeling and I cannot thank everyone enough who has been part of this journey so far! My family has given me nothing but constant love and support throughout the last 9 months as I pursue a dream of mine that I’ve had since I was a little kid. It’s been a roller coaster to get here with many challenges and overcoming adversity. I’m grateful for all the trainers, coaches, friends, @rsrbaseball and everyone else who has supported me thus far! And for those who tell you that you can’t achieve your dreams, use that as fuel to work even harder. Because those people are the ones that settle. I’m grateful for the @athletics organization for giving me this opportunity! This story is not over. It is not the beginning. I am writing the next chapters and excited for this journey! Time to focus even more, work even harder, and it all starts with your mindset. Go after your dreams and make them a reality!

A post shared by Nathan Patterson (@njpatterson12) on

Though he’s never gotten a professional chance, Patterson has been working on his stuff for years. According to USA Today, Patterson played high school baseball but never pursued it in college. He started throwing again seriously last August.

It’s an incredible story, one that will become even more so if Patterson can make some waves at the minor-league level.

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