Patterson, Larry - Baseball, 1993
Larry Patterson lost his sight in one eye in an accident as an infant, but he never lost sight of his goals. An outstanding prep athlete in Savannah, he won the prestigious Dearing Award – given to the most versatile high school athlete in the city each year. A three-sport standout at Benedictine Military School, he played football, basketball, and baseball. Patterson was an end on the football team and led the basketball team in scoring and rebounding. He was named to the Christmas Tournament All-Star team and to the All-City and All-Region teams for basketball. In baseball, he led the Cadets to their first state championship and was named an All-City, All-Region, and All-State athlete.
In 1961, Patterson signed a contract with the Major League Cleveland Indians and set the single game strikeout record of 18 with the Dubuque, IA farm team. The next year, he was assigned to Burlington, NC and had a 9-5 record; and a record of 15-7 a year later. In 1964, he was 9-11 with a 1.65 ERA with the Class AA Charleston, WV team in the Eastern League. Only a step away from a major league career, Patterson retired for personal reasons.