Joe Thatcher was previously at AAA Nashville when he, and two other minor league pitchers, were traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the San Diego Padres for Scott Linebrink. Thatcher was a Rascal back in 2004-05. In 2004 Thatcher had 29 appearances out of the bullpen. In 42.1 innings he went 2-3 with five saves and 55 strikeouts to just 15 walks, while keeping an earned run average of 2.98. In 2005 Thatcher had just 18 appearances where he went 4-2. In 21.1 innings he again had five saves and 27 strikeouts to four walks. Opponents were batting just .228 against Thatcher to go along with his sparkling 1.27 ERA. Thatcher’s first time in affiliated baseball came in the middle of the 2005 season when the Milwaukee Brewers signed him to a minor league contract and sent him to Helena in the Pioneer League. Six appearances later he was up playing in the Florida State League with Class A Brevard County. The lefty reached as high as AA Huntsville in 2006 before spending all of 2007 in the Pacific Coast League and AAA Nashville. This season Thatcher was 2-1 with a save and a 2.08 ERA. In 21.2 innings he had 33 strikeouts and seven walks. Opponents were hitting .226 of Thatcher at Nashville. Thatcher is the second River City Rascal to make it to the Major Leagues. Josh Kinney made his first appearance for the St. Louis Cardinals on July 3, 2006. Kinney went on to win a world championship in the same with St. Louis and is now on his way back from Tommy John surgery this past off-season.