Joe Nelson

Infobox MLB player


width = 300px
name=Joe Nelson
position=Relief pitcher
team=Florida Marlins
number=46
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1974|10|25
birthplace=Alameda, California
debutdate=June 13
debutyear=2001
debutteam=Atlanta Braves
statyear=2008
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=4-2
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=4.09
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=109
teams=
*Atlanta Braves (by|2001)
*Boston Red Sox (by|2004)
*Kansas City Royals (by|2006)
*Florida Marlins (by|2008-present)

Joseph George Nelson (born October 25, 1974 in Alameda, California) is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Florida Marlins.

Nelson attended Chico High School in Chico, California, before transferring to St. Joseph Notre Dame in Alameda, California. At St. Joseph, Nelson was the starting shortstop on the California State Division I Baseball Championship team. Nelson also played basketball at St. Joseph on the 1992 California State Championship team with NBA star Jason Kidd.

After two seasons at Seminole State College from by|1994–-by|1995, he transferred to the University of San Francisco. In a switch to pitching at USF, he went undefeated, recording five saves.

After being selected twice by the Toronto Blue Jays in the by|1993 and 1994 amateur drafts, he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the fourth round of the by|1996. Nelson made it to the majors in by|2001, seeing two stints of an inning apiece in mop-up duty, where his ERA was 36.00.

Released by the Braves the following summer, he was signed by the Boston Red Sox and quickly released after four appearances for Double-A Trenton.

Nelson re-signed with the Red Sox in the spring of by|2004, and was promoted to the majors in June as bullpen help. After recording a scoreless inning against Texas, he gave up 5 runs over 1²⁄₃ innings in his next two appearances. He was optioned back to Triple-A when Mark Malaska was activated off the disabled list.

After spending spring training with the New York Mets in by|2005, he signed to play with the Devil Rays' Triple-A team. Despite good peripheral numbers of 61 strikeouts in 46 innings and a .229 opponents' batting average, he went 0-3 with a 4.11 ERA and was released in July. Nelson then had a short 13-inning stint with the Cardinals' Double-A club, allowing just four hits over that span. He signed with the Kansas City Royals organization in November.

Nelson bounced between Omaha and the major-league club before being called up for good on July 19, by|2006. After Royals closer Ambiorix Burgos was demoted on August 14, Nelson threw a perfect ninth inning the following day. Manager Buddy Bell used the 31-year-old journeyman in the closer's role for 2006. In by|2007, he was hurt. At the end of the 2007 season, he was designated for assignment to Triple-A Omaha, which he refused and opted out becoming a free agent. In December 2007, Nelson was signed by the Florida Marlins to a minor league contract.

As of September 28, 2008, Joe Nelson has moved one step closer to shedding the "Amateur Hour" moniker that has thus far defined him and his life. Nelson will go down in the Flushing anals as the winning pitcher in the last Major League Basesball game ever to be played at Shea Stadium.

Nelson lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

External links

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