Joe Nelson is a former professional baseball player who played as a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. He was born on June 4, 1974, in Alameda, California, and attended San Francisco State University.
Nelson began his professional baseball career in 1996 when he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the fourth round of the MLB draft. He spent several years in the Braves' minor league system before making his MLB debut with the team in 2001. However, he only appeared in two games for the Braves that season before being traded to the New York Yankees.
Nelson spent the next few years bouncing around between several different teams, including the Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, and Florida Marlins. He struggled to establish himself as a consistent MLB player during this time, and spent much of his time in the minor leagues.
In 2008, Nelson signed with the Tampa Bay Rays and finally found some success at the MLB level. He appeared in 59 games for the team that season, posting a 2.00 earned run average (ERA) and helping the Rays reach the World Series. Nelson continued to pitch well for the Rays in 2009, appearing in 42 games and posting a 4.02 ERA.
After his successful stint with the Rays, Nelson signed with the Oakland Athletics for the 2010 season. However, he struggled with injuries and was limited to just 17 appearances for the team. He was released by the Athletics in August of that year and subsequently retired from professional baseball.
Overall, Joe Nelson's MLB career spanned several years and several different teams. While he struggled to establish himself as a consistent MLB player early on, he found success with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 and 2009. Despite his relatively short MLB career, Nelson's contributions to the Rays' World Series run in 2008 will likely be remembered by fans for years to come.
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