Joe Bateman

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Jamie W. "Joe" Bateman (born May 6, 1980 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts) is a minor league baseball pitcher, currently with the Huntsville Stars, Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.

[edit] College

Bateman was a standout at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, Massachusetts from 1999 through 2002. In one of his first starts as a freshman, the three-time All-Conference pitcher tossed a no-hitter against Salem State College.

[edit] Minor league career

Bateman was first signed by the San Francisco Giants on June 7, 2002. He began the 2002 season with their Class A (Short Season) affiliate, the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. After playing there again in 2003, he was promoted to the Class A Hagerstown Suns in 2004. During the season, he was promoted to the Double-A Norwich Navigators. During his only at bat of the season, Bateman became the the first pitcher in Navigators history to hit a home run.

In 2005, he played for the Giants' Class A-Advanced San Jose Giants. In 2006 and 2007, he again played for their Double-A club, which had changed to the Connecticut Defenders. In six seasons in the Giants' minor league system, Bateman achieved a 26-24 win-loss record, recorded a 3.07 ERA, tossed 382 strikeouts, and recorded 38 saves. He has twice been an All-Star; in 2004 with Hagerstown and in 2005 with San Jose.

During the 2007 Rule 5 draft, he was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the Triple-A phase and was assigned to their top farm club, the Nashville Sounds. Prior to the start of the 2008 season, he was reassigned to their Double-A Huntsville Stars.