Nathaniel Bates is a former mayor and eight-term city councilman of Richmond, California in addition to being a former professional baseball player in the Canadian League in his earlier years.

[1] He arrived in Richmond in 1942 by train from Texas to join his mother whom worked at the Kaiser Shipyards for the World War II home front.

[7] In 2001 there was a controversy between him and councilman John Marquez over who received more time at the microphone at the city's Cinco de Mayo event.

[8] Bates claimed the event should have been called "Marquez de Mayo" and stated that he just wanted time to address the crowd as well.

[8] City manager when questioned stated "he did not want to touch" the matter and later Bates requested an investigation into the conduct by the parks department and filed a complaint with mayor Rosemary Corbin.