NEW YORK - Former Stony Brook baseball standout Joe Nathan has been named to the 2008 American League All-Star squad, Major League Baseball announced on Sunday. The game will take place on Tuesday, June 15 at Yankee Stadium.
Nathan, a relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins. will be making his third all-star appearance in the last five years (2004, 05). Through Sunday, the star closer ranked third in the Major Leagues with 25 saves and had compiled a 1.25 earned run average in 36.2 innings of work. Since taking over as Minnesota's closer in 2004, Nathan ranks second among all MLB closers with 184 saves, behind only the Trevor Hoffman of the San Diego Padres..
Nathan was a two-time Academic All-American as a shortstop for the Seawolves. He was inducted into the Stony Brook Athletics Hall of Fame on Dec. 6, 2006 and became the first former Stony Brook student-athlete to have his number retired.