Born as William G. Cooper in Fort Worth, Texas, Nance began his professional baseball career at the age of 18 when he played for two different clubs in the Class-B minor league baseball Texas-Southern League during the 1895 season. Nance opened 1895 with the Fort Worth Panthers but he left the team shortly thereafter to join the Sherman Orphans, which began playing this season. In 1896, the Texas-Southern League became the Class-C Texas Association and Nance rejoined the Panthers. Nevertheless, by August the team folded and he ended the season with the Galveston Sandcrabs.\n', '

Though the Panthers had restarted their operations in 1897, Nance stayed with the Sandcrabs, only to be signed by the Louisville Colonels of the National League later that year, making his major league debut with them on August 19. As a result, he has the distinction of being the first person from Fort Worth to play in the major leagues. He appeared in 35 games for the Colonels, mainly as a right fielder, although he occasionally played at center field. Overall, he posted a .242 batting average in 120 at bats, including three home runs and 25 runs scored. Nance began 1898 with the Colonels, but after 22 games played and a .316 batting average he was released from the club. He then completed the season with the Paterson Silk Weavers of the Atlantic League, joining them on May 31.\n', '

In 1899 and 1900, Nance moved north to play with the Minneapolis Millers of the Western League, a league that was renamed the American League in 1900. He played as a third baseman for the Millers, and had a .268 batting average in 129 games for the 1900 team. He began the 1901 season with the Grand Rapids Furniture Makers of the Western Association, but was quickly signed by the Detroit Tigers of the American League. Nance appeared in 132 games for the Tigers that season, nearly all as their starting left fielder. In 466 at bats, he collected 129 hits for a .280 batting average, hit three home runs while leading the AL in sacrifice hits with 24. Nance achieved a career feat on July 13, 1901 , when he collected a six-hit game at Bennett Park, helping the Tigers defeat the Cleveland Blues by a 19-12 score.\n', '

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