I was wondering who is the best player to ever play in the NECBL? So I pulled up the league web site and took a look at the alumni in the Pros. Four names jumped out at me immediately, Joe Nathan, Andre Ethier, Brian Wilson and Stephen Strasburg. Today let’s look at the career of Joe Nathan.
Joe Nathan was a shortstop, not a pitcher when he played for the Fairfield Stallions back in 1994. He didn’t switch to pitcher until he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 6th round. Well kind of, he played his first year in the minor leagues as a shortstop and refused to try pitching. He left the game and returned to college at Stony Brook for a year and graduated. He returned to the Giants minor league team the following year as a pitcher. He worked his way up the ladder to the Major leagues arriving in 1999.
In November of 2003 he was traded to the Twins and they made him their closer for the start of the 2004 season. He was the only Twin to make the All Star team that year, striking out Bobby Abreu and Miguel Cabrera in one inning of work.
Joe has been one of the best closers in Baseball year in and year out since. Every year he has been among the league’s leaders in Saves, ERA and a perennial All Star. So you may not remember the Fairfield Stallions but I am sure you have heard of Joe Nathan.
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