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| Photo is credited to sportsreelboston.com |
Long Island has its fair share of players in professional baseball. Here on Baseball on the Island, we will take a look at how the careers have progressed of past Long Island greats. Up first is Joe Nathan, formerly a member of the Stony Brook Seawolves.
Background: Joe Nathan was actually a shortstop for the Seawolves when they were a Division-III team in the early ’90s.
Despite not playing against the best competition in the nation, scouts were unable to ignore the talent of the 6’4″ right-hander.
He eventually moved to the mound where he was drafted in the sixth round of the MLB draft in 1995 by the San Francisco Giants.
Pro Career: Nathan was called up in 1999, but treaded water in his Major League career until 2003 when he really blossomed as a reliever. He led the majors in relief wins with 12 as the Giants won their division by 15.5 games.
After the season, the Giants made the decision to trade Nathan, along with Boof Bonser and Francisco Liriano for A.J. Pierzynski.
It was a lopsided deal as Nathan emerged as one of the game’s premier closers in Minnesota. Over the next six seasons he averaged 41 saves, compiled a record of 22-12 with a 1.87 ERA and posted a terrific K/BB ratio of 4.32.
He even finished in the top-5 in AL Cy Young voting twice as the Twins won made the playoffs four of the those years.
He missed 2010 due to Tommy John surgery and struggled in 2011 which forced the Twins to let him depart via free agency to the Texas Rangers. In 2012 he posted a tremendous comeback season by being named an All-Star and posting 37 saves and a 2.80 ERA with a 6.0 K/BB ratio.
Nathan enters the final year on his contract as the closer of the Texas Rangers. He has had one of the best careers of any New York native and made an impact in the community by donating $500,000 to his alma mater to renovate the baseball field.
