WHY I THINK JOE NATHAN SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK JOE NATHAN SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Joe Nathan was a rare commodity among closers. While most closers specialize in one amazing pitch (such as Hoyt Wilhelm’s knuckleball or Mariano Rivera’s cutter), Nathan kept hitters off balance with four different pitches. His heater neared 100, and he could make hitters look silly when he dropped an 80 mile an hour curveball when the hitter was looking for a fastball. Joe Nathan started his career with the Giants in 1999, going 7-4 in 19 games. Originally a starter, Nathan did not become a full time closer until he joined the Twins in 2004, his age 29 season. He embraced the role very well, with 44 saves and a 1.62 ERA that year. Nathan soon became a dominant closer, averaging over 40 saves per season over the next five years with an ERA well under 2.00. Nathan missed the entire 2010 season to Tommy John surgery, and struggled to readjust when he returned to the Majors in 2011 (4.84 ERA). The Twins, seeing that Nathan was 36 years old, must have thought he was finished and let him go. Nathan signed with the Rangers and had another signature season in 2012, saving 37 ballgames. He had the best season of his career in 2013, with a 6-2 record, 43 saves, and a 1.39 ERA. He pitched his last full season in 2014, collecting 35 saves but struggling to a 4.81 ERA and 1.534 WHIP. He hurt himself early in the 2015 season, and the rest of his career was essentially an injury filled slog. He returned to San Francisco in 2016, was scoreless in seven appearances, and finished out his Major League career with a one day contract with the Twins in 2017. Joe Nathan compares well with the other relievers in Cooperstown. As a reliever, he had a career ERA of 2.50, lower than any Hall of Famer other than Rivera (2.06) and Wilhelm (2.49). Nathan also had 377 saves (ninth all time), including 376 after his 29th birthday, which ranks fourth (first among non-Hall of Famers). He would be a very good addition to the Hall of Fame. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games Pitched career: 787 season high: 78 in 2003 

Starts career: 29 season high: 15 in 2000 

Complete Games career: 0 

Shutouts career: 0 

Games Finished career: 587 season high: 63 in 2004 led AL: 61 in 2006 

Wins career: 64 season high: 12 in 2003 

Losses career: 34 season high: 5 in 2012 

Winning Percentage career: .653 season high: 1.000 in 2006 and 2016 

ERA career: 2.87 season low: 0.00 in 2002, 2015, and 2016* 

WHIP career: 1.120 season low: 0.273 in 2002** 

Innings Pitched career: 923 ⅓ season high: 93 ⅓ in 2000 

Strikeouts career: 976 season high: 95 in 2006

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 9.5 season high: 27.0 in 2015*** 

Walks career: 344 (31 intentional) season high: 63 in 2000 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 2.84 season high: inf in 2015**** 

Saves career: 377 season high: 47 in 2009 

Fielding Percentage career: .950 season high: 1.000 in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2016 

Double Plays career: 6 season high: 1 in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2012 

Putouts career: 50 season high: 8 in 2000 

Assists career: 82 season high: 11 in 1999 and 2000 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: .174 season high: .429 in 2004 

Pickoffs career: 2 season high: 1 in 2000 and 2014 

*For relief pitchers’ rate statistics, I establish no minimum number of innings. However, Nathan’s lowest ERA for a full season was 1.33 in 2008. 

**||; 0.790 in 2006 

***||; 12.5 in 2006 

****||; 6.00 in 2012 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-finished 12th in the AL MVP Award voting in 2004 and 18th in 2006 

-placed fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting in 2004 and fifth in 2006 

-had a 1.50 ERA in six all-star games, earning the save in 2009 

-won Rolaids Relief in 2009 

-was the MLB Deliveryman of the Month four times in his career 

-won two career AL Player of the Week awards 

-was a member of the 2016 World Series champion Cubs, and earned a win for them on July 24 

-pitched seven scoreless innings on his MLB debut, picking up the win 

-saved Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS 

-led the MLB with his 12 relief wins in 2003 

-set both the Twins’ career (260) and single season (47) records for saves 

-has the highest career save percentage of any pitcher in MLB history with at least 250 saves (.893)