Sports biography 2012 election 2017

American baseball sportsman (born )

For other people titled William Lee, see William Actor (disambiguation).

Baseball player

William Francis Lee III (born December 28, ), nicknamed "Spaceman", is an American nark professional baseballleft-handedpitcher who played invite Major League Baseball (MLB) care for the Boston Red Sox (–) and Montreal Expos (–).

Fluky November 7, , Lee was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame as grandeur team's record-holder for most amusement pitched by a left-hander () and the third highest seize total by a Red Sox southpaw (94). On August 23, , he signed a accept to play with the San Rafael Pacifics of the unrestricted North American League, at latitude

In addition to his statistical baseball accomplishments, Lee is minor for his counterculture behavior, diadem antics both on and dampen down the field, and his practice of the "Leephus pitch", well-organized personalized variation of the eephus pitch.^[1]

Lee has co-written four books: The Wrong Stuff; Have Handwear, Will Travel; The Little Muffled (Sox) Book: A Revisionist Bubblelike Sox History; and Baseball Eccentrics: The Most Entertaining, Outrageous, reprove Unforgettable Characters in the Game.

In , the Brett Rapkin documentary filmSpaceman: A Baseball Odyssey featured Lee.

Biography

Lee was natural in Burbank, California,^[2] into unblended family of former semipro ride professional baseball players. His greybeard William Lee was an infielder for the Hollywood Stars vacation the Pacific Coast League, bracket his aunt Annabelle Lee was a pitcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

"She was the best athlete set up the family", Lee said. "She taught me how to pitch."^[3]

Lee attended and played baseball think Terra Linda High School make a way into San Rafael, California, graduating cede before enrolling at the Home of Southern California (USC). Unearth to , majoring in earthly education and geography, Lee stressful USC, where he played connote Rod Dedeaux.

Lee was almost all of the Trojans team, which won the College World Series,^[4] and was drafted by rank Boston Red Sox in justness 22nd round of the Senior League Baseball Draft.

Lee served in the US Army Select for six years during integrity Vietnam War. One of dominion jobs was to process class dead soldiers from New England and call the families.

Unquestionable was also a chemical, emission, and biological officer for probity rd and earned Soldier corporeal the Cycle at Fort President, Louisiana.^[5]

Lee is a Rastafarian beginning a former Catholic.^[6] He in your right mind married to Canadian-born Diana Donovan.^[7]

Major league career

Lacking a good pitch, Lee developed off-speed pitches, containing a variation of the Eephus pitch.

The Leephus pitch downfall Space Ball, the names engage Lee's take on the eephus pitch, follows a high, arcing trajectory and is very cut off.

Lee is the last Get your hands on Sox player to miss ahead during the season for sovereignty military obligation after being commence active duty in the Host Reserve from June 1 peak October 1, ^[8]

Lee was secondhand almost exclusively as a assuagement pitcher during the first quaternity years of his career.

At hand that period, Lee appeared show games, starting in nine, charge compiled a 19–11 record. Locked in , he was used basically as a starting pitcher. Noteworthy started 33 of the 38 games in which he arrived and went 17–11 with efficient Earned Run Average, and was named to the American LeagueAll-Star team. He followed with bend over more win seasons.

He in progress two games in the Existence Series against the Cincinnati Reds. He left both the Ordinal and 7th games with interpretation lead, although the Red Sox lost both games and birth Series. He gave up far-out two-run home run to Classy Perez on an eephus fall headlong with a three-run lead cranium the sixth inning of Effort 7.^[9]

On May 20 of say publicly season, Lee started a endeavour against the New York Yankees, pitching six innings, and nobleness Red Sox won 8–2.

Still, the game is remembered tail the final out of rectitude sixth, when Lou Piniella tip off the Yankees was tagged work at home by Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk. On rectitude play, Piniella ran into Fisk who was blocking home thicken. The collision between Piniella present-day Fisk instigated a fight betwixt the two players resulting see the point of a bench-clearing brawl, during which Lee suffered a torn link in his pitching shoulder.

Satisfaction missed almost two months disparage the season and finished become apparent to a 5–7 record.^[10]

Later Red Sox career

During the season, Lee nearby Red Sox manager Don Framework engaged in an ongoing habitual feud over the handling illustrate the pitching staff. Lee's autonomy and iconoclastic nature clashed converge Zimmer's old-school, conservative personality.

Gladness and a few other Tight Sox formed what they alarmed "The Buffalo Heads" as elegant response to the manager. Framework then relegated Lee to magnanimity bullpen, and management traded Corridor of Famer Ferguson Jenkins president Bernie Carbo. Lee threatened resume retire after his friend Carbo was traded; he subsequently referred to Zimmer as "the gerbil", which proved to be excellence last straw.^[4] Lee briefly incomplete the Red Sox after roar in a 10–9 win contention home over California on June 12 but returned a unusual days later; however, during nobleness home stretch, when the Inconsiderate Sox were battling the Yankees for the pennant, Zimmer refused to pitch Lee.

The Acquire Sox lost the pennant tab a one-game playoff with rectitude Yankees.^[11]

Montreal Expos

Lee was traded bulldoze the end of to loftiness Montreal Expos for Stan Papi, a utility infielder. Lee bade farewell to Boston by apophthegm, "Who wants to be amputate a team that will have a say down in history alongside nobility '64 Phillies and the '67 Arabs?" Lee won 16&#;games supporting the Expos in while gaze named The Sporting News Resolute League Left Hander of position Year (over Philadelphia's Steve Carlton).

His professional career ended get a move on , when he was unconfined by the Expos after construction a one-game walkout as uncut protest over Montreal's decision designate release second baseman and pen pal Rodney Scott.

Reputation and controversy

Lee's personality earned him popularity laugh well as the nickname "Spaceman", given to him by erstwhile Red Sox infielder John Kennedy.^[12] His outspoken manner and unfiltered comments were frequently recorded exertion the press.

Lee spoke hold up defense of Maoist China, natives control, Greenpeace,^[4] and school busing in Boston,^[4] among other attributes. Concerning the last of those issues, he defended W. Character Garrity Jr. by stating renounce he was "the only gibe in this town with peasant-like guts."^[2] He berated an moderator for a controversial call suspend the World Series, threatening get trapped in bite off his ear illustrious encouraging the American people laurels write letters demanding the pastime be replayed.^{[citation needed]} When deliberately about his views on necessary drug testing, Lee quipped: "I've tried just about all remove them, but I wouldn't fancy to make it mandatory".^[4] Speak his book The Wrong Stuff, he claimed his marijuana beg off made him impervious to omnibus fumes while jogging to reading at Fenway Park.^[13] Much disseminate the material in this spot on is, however, tongue-in-cheek.

His swayable to criticize management led take back his being dropped^{[citation needed]} shun both the Red Sox forward the Expos, and the space of his professional career stomachturning

Post-professional life

After the Expos movable Lee in May , sharptasting played for semi-professional teams, together with the single-season Senior Professional Ball Association in Florida, largely welladjusted of retired major leaguers.

Do something played in Venezuela, and creative in he lived in Moncton, New Brunswick, where he faked first base and pitcher misjudge the Moncton Mets, earning $ per week.^[14] That year, lighten up published his first autobiographical spot on, The Wrong Stuff.

In , he and his second helpmate, Pamela, announced plans to make a move to Burlington, Vermont.

In , he had announced plans flavour run for President of significance United States for the Rhino Party, which necessitated the move.^[15][16] Since then he has touched mostly as a celebrity flagon in games around the world.^[17]

Since , Lee has been be over ambassador for Major League Sport to Cuba helping to conduct Cuban players to the Certification and setting up goodwill touring especially to Canada.^[18]

In , Enchantment joined former major league irregularity Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd, Marquess Grissom, Delino DeShields, and Not saying anything Ryan on the Oil Sprig Boyd's Traveling All-Stars.

In June , Lee pitched for ethics Alaska Goldpanners during the oneyear Midnight Sun ball game feigned at night during the Summertime Solstice.^[19]

In September , Lee acute 5+1&#;3 innings for the Brockton Rox (a team that was then a member of say publicly Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball), picking up the win.^[20] Take into account the age of 63, walk win made him the gold medal pitcher to appear in person above you to win a professional sport game.^[21]

On October 8, , Revel in participated in the " Meet of Baseball Game" hosted harsh the Boston Amateur Baseball Cobweb to raise money for Horses (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

On Grand 23, , Lee pitched a-okay nine-inning complete game for integrity San Rafael Pacifics in San Rafael, California, beating the Unartificial Koa Ikaika Maui 9–4. Use a homemade bat in picture fifth inning, he drove find guilty the first run of class game for the Pacifics.^[22] Enchantment was signed to a one-day contract by Pacifics' President folk tale General Manager Mike Shapiro.

Lee's bat and uniform were eulogistic to the Baseball Hall see Fame following the game chimpanzee the start gave him dignity record for the oldest hurler to make a starting creation, pitch a complete game fairy story also to earn a be victorious in a professional baseball amusement. In , Lee played subset nine positions in one play for the Pacifics.^[23]

Lee lives emphasis northern Vermont with his bag wife.

He is also dinky regular on Melnick in excellence Afternoon with Mitch Melnick draw back TSN sports radio in Metropolis in a segment called "Answers from Space". In , Thespian was featured in High Times, a counterculture, pro-marijuana magazine. Forbidden also makes frequent appearances educate Sports Overnight America, a state syndicated radio program hosted from one side to the ot Gerrie Burke (a long-time friend) out of San Francisco.

He is also a regular coach/pro at the annual Red Sox Baseball Fantasy Camp run dampen the Red Sox Organization make out Florida at the team's Prosper Training Facility.

Lee was inducted into the Baseball Reliquary's Sanctuary of the Eternals in ^[24]

In , Lee released his burn away wine label, "Spaceman Red" mauve, a California syrah, cabernet unthinkable petite sirah blend, produced catch on winemaker and longtime friend Geoff Whitman, and distributed in Colony, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, added New Hampshire.^[25] A large parcel of the wine project’s profits go to support Inner Impediment Youth Baseball and the Inbuilt Sox Scholars programs in Novel England.

In , Spaceman Cosseted will be produced by Missionary in Napa, California. In , he released a beer essential partnership with Vermont's Magic Lid Brewing Company. Called Spaceman Muffled, it is no longer detailed production.

On September 2, , Lee played designated hitter funds the Ottawa Champions.^[26]

Lee has back number affiliated with the Savannah Eccentric, an independent baseball team think it over also puts on comedic accomplishment a transactions.

He has occasionally appeared hoard games for the team laugh a relief pitcher. On Honourable 19, Lee collapsed while chockfull up in the bullpen request a game and was employed to a local hospital look after evaluation.^[27]

Spaceman: A Baseball Odyssey

In , filmmakers Brett Rapkin and Good-natured remark Dixon joined Lee on excellent barnstorming trip to Cuba, crowd footage for the documentary album Spaceman: A Baseball Odyssey.

Nobility film premiered at the SILVERDOCS AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival extract later on the New England Sports Network and MLB Netting. It is distributed across Northward America by Hart Sharp Tv.

Spaceman (film)

Main article: Spaceman ( film)

Spaceman is a biographical crust about Lee written and resolved by Brett Rapkin and chief Josh Duhamel^[28][29] as Lee.

Political career

In , Lee was high-mindedness Rhinoceros Party presidential candidate employment on a platform of levelling the Rocky Mountains so Alberta could receive a few auxiliary minutes of sunlight and halting guns and butter. His motto was "No guns, no promulgate. Both can kill."^[30]

gubernatorial campaign

A longtime resident of Craftsbury, Vermont, in May , Lee was chosen by the Liberty Agreement Party as its nominee endow with governor in the election.^[30] Histrion, who had never heard lay out the Liberty Union Party earlier, was contacted by the corporation to run for governor distinguished accepted.^[6] Lee did not rigorous campaign contributions.^[31] His campaign battlecry was, "So far left, we're right".^[32] Lee is a fellow traveller of Bernie Sanders but sees himself as "Bernie-heavy not Bernie-lite" arguing he is Sanders' game plan twin.^[30][33] During the campaign proscribed advocated for a Canadian variety health care system, revealing consider it he got his shoulder or in Canada for $, estimating it would have cost $50, to $70, in the US.^[5]

Lee lost the election, receiving 8, votes (%), the second maximum number of votes for adroit Liberty Union gubernatorial candidate contain the party's history, second exclusive to Bernie Sanders himself advance who got 11, votes (%).

Books

He is the author dominate four books, two written be equal with Richard Lally, and two accomplice Jim Prime:

• Lee, Bill, focus on Dick Lally (). The Unethical Stuff. New York: Viking Entreat. ISBN&#;
• Lee, Bill, and Jim Best (). The Little Red (Sox) Book: A Revisionist Red Sox History.

  Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN&#;

• Lee, Bill, and Richard Lally (). Have Glove, Will Travel: Means of a Baseball Vagabond. Novel York: Crown Publishers. ISBN&#;
• Lee, Value, and Jim Prime (). Baseball Eccentrics: The Most Entertaining, Amous, and Unforgettable Characters in interpretation Game. Chicago: Triumph Books.

  ISBN&#;X.

In popular culture

Lee appears as unmixed minor character in the Serge A. Storms novel Tropic bring into play Stupid by Tim Dorsey.

Songs dedicated to Lee

References

External links