Bill Lee---1971
Bill "The Spaceman" Lee is a piece of
work. He kept teammates, opponents
and management on their toes with
his comments, writing and pitching.
Over his 14-year major league
career, Lee went 119-90 with a very
respectable 3.92 ERA. He won 17
games in three consecutive seasons
(1973-75) for the Red Sox, and was
a 16-game winner for the 1979
Montreal Expos.
He pitched in a World Series (1975)
and shared the limelight with other All-
Stars in 1973.
Lee authored three best-selling
books — The Wrong Stuff with
Richard Lally, The Little Red (Sox)
Book with Jim Prime, and Have Glove
Will Travel, also with Lally.
The Spaceman was one of the
game's most colorful personalities on-
and-off the field in a decade that
hosted numerous characters. His
lobbing eephus pitch perplexed rival
batters. His quotes left many of us
either shaking our heads in disbelief
or lost in contemplation.
From his web site:
Bill "Spaceman" Lee
I found one of my favorite quotes
from the left-hander:
"You have two hemispheres in your
brain - a left and a right side. The left
side controls the right side of your
body and right controls the left half.
It's a fact. Therefore, left-handers are
the only people in their right minds."
He might just be right.
Recently I had the occasion to meet
Lee, while he was out promoting
himself and his books at a minor
league ballpark. He lobbed a few
pitches to local celebrities and
people who donated money to
charities for the privilege to take a
few cuts at the former Red Sox. Lee
flashed a giant smile as he threw out
the ceremonial first pitch and posed
for pictures on the field. The team set
up a booth to facilitate autographs
and selling of merchandise, which
Lee tended to before and during the
early innings of the game.
I bought his book, The Wrong Stuff,
which he autographed, "Bill Lee,
Earth Loop" with a circle
representing an orbit around his
name.
As he handed me the book, I
reached out and shook his hand,
saying "thanks." I looked into his
steel blue eyes to make a
connection. His eyes gazed in my
direction, yet they were in another
stratosphere.
Smiling, I realized that I DID indeed
meet The Spaceman.
(7/26/08)
work. He kept teammates, opponents
and management on their toes with
his comments, writing and pitching.
Over his 14-year major league
career, Lee went 119-90 with a very
respectable 3.92 ERA. He won 17
games in three consecutive seasons
(1973-75) for the Red Sox, and was
a 16-game winner for the 1979
Montreal Expos.
He pitched in a World Series (1975)
and shared the limelight with other All-
Stars in 1973.
Lee authored three best-selling
books — The Wrong Stuff with
Richard Lally, The Little Red (Sox)
Book with Jim Prime, and Have Glove
Will Travel, also with Lally.
The Spaceman was one of the
game's most colorful personalities on-
and-off the field in a decade that
hosted numerous characters. His
lobbing eephus pitch perplexed rival
batters. His quotes left many of us
either shaking our heads in disbelief
or lost in contemplation.
From his web site:
Bill "Spaceman" Lee
I found one of my favorite quotes
from the left-hander:
"You have two hemispheres in your
brain - a left and a right side. The left
side controls the right side of your
body and right controls the left half.
It's a fact. Therefore, left-handers are
the only people in their right minds."
He might just be right.
Recently I had the occasion to meet
Lee, while he was out promoting
himself and his books at a minor
league ballpark. He lobbed a few
pitches to local celebrities and
people who donated money to
charities for the privilege to take a
few cuts at the former Red Sox. Lee
flashed a giant smile as he threw out
the ceremonial first pitch and posed
for pictures on the field. The team set
up a booth to facilitate autographs
and selling of merchandise, which
Lee tended to before and during the
early innings of the game.
I bought his book, The Wrong Stuff,
which he autographed, "Bill Lee,
Earth Loop" with a circle
representing an orbit around his
name.
As he handed me the book, I
reached out and shook his hand,
saying "thanks." I looked into his
steel blue eyes to make a
connection. His eyes gazed in my
direction, yet they were in another
stratosphere.
Smiling, I realized that I DID indeed
meet The Spaceman.
(7/26/08)
