Bill Lee
Born: 12/28/1946 in Burbank, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1969-06-25 | Final Game: 1982-05-07
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 205 lbs
Full name: William Francis Lee
Biography
Bill Lee, born in 1946, was a notable pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1969 until his retirement in 1982. Known for his unorthodox pitching style and colorful personality, Lee carved a niche for himself in baseball lore during an era characterized by a transition in the game, including the rise of free agency and the increasing importance of specialized pitchers. Over the course of his career, he achieved a record of 119-90 with an earned run average of 3.62, accumulating 713 strikeouts and 19 saves.
Lee's most prominent season came when he was selected as an All-Star, reflecting his status as one of the more effective pitchers of his time. His contributions to the teams he played for, particularly the Boston Red Sox, were marked by his distinctive approach both on and off the mound, making him a beloved figure among fans. Lee's career spanned a transformative period in baseball, and he is remembered not only for his statistics but also for his unique personality and the impact he had on the culture of the game.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 119 | 90 | 416 | 225 | 72 | 10 | 19 | 1944.3 | 2122 | 783 | 176 | 531 | 713 | 3.62 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | BOS | AL | 1 | 3 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52.0 | 56 | 26 | 28 | 45 | 4.50 | -1505.4 |
| 1970 | BOS | AL | 2 | 2 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 37.0 | 48 | 19 | 14 | 19 | 4.62 | 79.5 |
| 1971 | BOS | AL | 9 | 2 | 47 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 102.0 | 102 | 31 | 46 | 74 | 2.74 | 505.2 |
| 1972 | BOS | AL | 7 | 4 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 84.3 | 75 | 30 | 32 | 43 | 3.20 | -128.5 |
| 1973 | BOS | AL | 17 | 11 | 38 | 33 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 284.7 | 275 | 87 | 76 | 120 | 2.75 | 1932.1 |
| 1974 | BOS | AL | 17 | 15 | 38 | 37 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 282.3 | 320 | 110 | 67 | 95 | 3.51 | -1370.3 |
| 1975 | BOS | AL | 17 | 9 | 41 | 34 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 260.0 | 274 | 114 | 69 | 78 | 3.95 | -733.8 |
| 1976 | BOS | AL | 5 | 7 | 24 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 96.0 | 124 | 60 | 28 | 29 | 5.62 | -3043.1 |
| 1977 | BOS | AL | 9 | 5 | 27 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 128.0 | 155 | 63 | 29 | 31 | 4.43 | -1171.5 |
| 1978 | BOS | AL | 10 | 10 | 28 | 24 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 177.0 | 198 | 68 | 59 | 44 | 3.46 | -4143.7 |
| 1979 | WSN | NL | 16 | 10 | 33 | 33 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 222.0 | 230 | 75 | 46 | 59 | 3.04 | - |
| 1980 | WSN | NL | 4 | 6 | 24 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 118.0 | 156 | 65 | 22 | 34 | 4.96 | - |
| 1981 | WSN | NL | 5 | 6 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 88.7 | 90 | 29 | 14 | 34 | 2.94 | - |
| 1982 | WSN | NL | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.3 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 4.38 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 419 | 197 | 12 | 41 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 63 | 0.208 | 0.212 | 0.264 | 0.476 | -464.6 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | BOS | AL | 20 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1970 | BOS | AL | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1971 | BOS | AL | 47 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0.217 | 0.0 |
| 1972 | BOS | AL | 47 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0.188 | 0.0 |
| 1973 | BOS | AL | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1974 | BOS | AL | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1975 | BOS | AL | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1976 | BOS | AL | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1977 | BOS | AL | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1978 | BOS | AL | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1979 | WSN | NL | 33 | 74 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0.216 | -464.6 |
| 1980 | WSN | NL | 25 | 41 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0.220 | 0.0 |
| 1981 | WSN | NL | 31 | 22 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.364 | 0.0 |
| 1982 | WSN | NL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.167 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | NLCS | MON | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1981 | NEDIV | MON | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1975 | WS | BOS | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.167 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15.3 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 2.93 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | NEDIV | MON | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
| 1981 | NLCS | MON | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 1975 | WS | BOS | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 14.3 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 3.14 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 416 | 225 | 83 | 415 | 28 | 24 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | BOS | P | 20 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1970 | BOS | P | 11 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971 | BOS | P | 47 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| 1972 | BOS | P | 47 | 0 | 6 | 24 | 0 | 2 |
| 1973 | BOS | P | 38 | 33 | 10 | 57 | 6 | 2 |
| 1974 | BOS | P | 38 | 37 | 9 | 69 | 8 | 3 |
| 1975 | BOS | P | 41 | 34 | 9 | 54 | 5 | 4 |
| 1976 | BOS | P | 24 | 14 | 2 | 22 | 2 | 1 |
| 1977 | BOS | P | 27 | 16 | 3 | 32 | 1 | 4 |
| 1978 | BOS | P | 28 | 24 | 9 | 32 | 3 | 2 |
| 1979 | MON | P | 33 | 33 | 11 | 41 | 1 | 2 |
| 1980 | MON | P | 24 | 18 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 2 |
| 1981 | MON | P | 31 | 7 | 12 | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| 1982 | MON | P | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 416 |
| Designated Hitter | 2 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Player of the Week | Week of 1975-08-22 |
| 1975 | Player of the Week | Week of 1975-05-23 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles | CA | 1966, 1967, 1968 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 23th | 5.0 | 336 | 0 |