Fan is signed by Oakland A's after throwing 96 mph in stadium pitch challenge

Last month, baseball fan Nathan Patterson decided to enter a speed pitch challenge at a Colorado Rockies game. His first fastball hit an impressive 90 miles per hour on the radar gun. Then he hit 94. A couple pitches later, he clocked 96 mph. (The average speed of a major league fastball is about 93 mph).

The moment was filmed by his brother, Christian Patterson, who posted the video on Twitter with an appeal: "@MLB Let's get him signed!"

Well, the Oakland A's took notice and have signed the 23-year-old to a contract. Patterson posted an Instagram photo of himself signing the contract on Thursday night.

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

In the post, Patterson quotes A's executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane: "How can you not be romantic about baseball?" The line was popularized by the 2011 movie "Moneyball," which chronicled Beane's efforts as a general manager in 2002 to field a competitive team on a small budget.

CBS San Francisco reported that Patterson first raised eyebrows last year when he hit 96 mph at a stadium pitching booth while throwing at a Nashville Sounds game. But soon after, he was hit by a car and had to undergo surgery on his non-pitching arm.

While rehabbing, Patterson continued to pitch and posted videos of his training on social media. All the work paid off when the A's called him.

"It's been a roller coaster to get here with many challenges and overcoming adversity," he wrote.

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