Minor League Career
He began his minor league career in Class A for the Bellingham Giants. After an unsuccessful year at the plate the Giants tried to convert Nathan into a pitcher, but he refused and left to return to Stony Brook for a year, graduating with a degree in business management. He gave more thought to his future in baseball, however, and after graduation decided to return to the Giants organization and developed into a standout pitching prospect. After a season with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, he pitched for both the A and AA levels for (the San Jose Giants and Shreveport Captains) in 1998 as a starter. During his tenure with San Jose he started 22 games with an ERA of 3.32 and 118 strikeouts, leading the Class A Giants to the California League championship. Promoted to AA Shreveport in 1999, he pitched in only two games before being promoted to the parent club in 1999.
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