Nate Stuempfig

Nate loved the 'roids.

Sure, some stars shone brighter than Nate's. Some hitters hit 'em further and some pitchers threw 'em harder, but no one played the game with the love and enthusiasm Nate Stuempfig did. He helped form this league into the tight orb of greatness it is now.

He debuted in 1996 and sucked, despite having a wealth of baseball talent. He went 4-32 (.125) with 13 Ks and ZERO RBIs that season, but he could pitch. Then, in 1997, he further puzzled fellow players by going 3-19 (.158). At least this time he got an RBI. One of them, to be exact.

Then 1998 rolled around and Nate had the first-ever "breakout" year. He got a full season under his belt, and made the most of it, going 39-117 (.333) with nine homeruns and 15 RBIs. He also compiled a 2.15 ERA. In 1999 he made up for a drop in average with increased power numbers. In 2000, he rode the pitching all year long to a .366 average and then-record .487 OB%. He also finished his third straight season with an ERA below 3.00. Then in 2001 he gave us his swan song.

In limited playing time, he showed unlimited talent, hitting 14 homeruns (personal record) in only 49 ABs. He hit .367 and slugged 1.286. However, with Nate, it was about so much more than the numbers. It was about doing cartwheels while rounding the bases. It was about using 'roids to a scary degree. It was about benching shuttle buses, and doing lunges with an SUV on your back. It was about really really bad tans. It was about famous battles with Matt Holmberg, where the batter and pitcher would both get running starts (yes, official stats were being kept during such battles). It was about his ball-on-a-string curveball, which alone won him the 2000 Play of the Year. With Nate, you knew that the numbers took a back seat to the fun. And not in one of those "I'm so horrible I don't care about my numbers" way. Nate is what this league strives to be, and he's deeply missed.