NELSON NAMED TO SILVER ANNIVERSARY TEAM

2010 Shortstop is Atlantic League Legend

Bryant Nelson made several stops in the Atlantic League on his way to legendary status.  The list includes two stays in Lancaster. 

One of four men to reach the 1,000-hit plateau in league history, Nelson was named to the ALPB’s Silver Anniversary Team, it was announced today.  He is the 13th player named to the team.  The other 12 are expected to be announced prior to Opening Day on April 28.

He is one of 25 players selected by the league on a vote of its member clubs to be a part of this historic group.

Nelson, who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox in 2002, began his long Atlantic League history with the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2006, heading to Long Island for 2007 and 2008 and Camden in 2009.

He joined the Barnstormers and one of his boyhood baseball heroes Tommy Herr in 2010 and racked up the most productive offensive season of his career, batting .288 with 22 homers and 91, one of four Barnstormers to club more than 20 home runs that season.  He is on a short list of Barnstormers to have homered from each side of the plate in a game and is one of only two players (Garrett Weber the other) to have homered three times in the same contest, performing the feat against Camden on September 4, 2010.

“Lancaster (was) the most fan friendly environment in the league,” said Nelson.  “Playing for one of my favorite childhood players, Tommy Herr, was one of the highlights of my time in the league.  Lancaster fans always treated me like family, even when I was on the other side.”

Nelson headed to Italy in 2011 but returned to the Atlantic League and the York Revolution.  The Arkansas native returned to the league to play for York in 2011 and went on to assist the Revs in capturing their second straight Atlantic League title.  He also won ALPB crowns with the Long Island Ducks in 2012 and 2013, making him the only play ever to win three straight Atlantic League rings.

He returned to Camden, Long Island, York and Lancaster over the next two seasons before completing his Atlantic League and professional career with Southern Maryland, playing for the Blue Crabs late in 2015 and all of 2016.  It was there that he achieved his 1,000th hit in the circuit.  He finished with 1,098.