The North Carolina Center For The Advancement Of Teaching
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Participants:
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NCCAT: Good morning and welcome to our Town Meeting: Baseball, The Major League Experience. I am your moderator, Stephen Sorrell, from the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching. We're very fortunate to have former major league pitcher Bill Lee with us today. Before we get started, would everyone please tell us who you are and where you are.
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Brenda McCombs: Hi! Bill I'm Brenda McCombs broadcasting from
Kannapolis NC. I'm the director of technology and interested in baseball since watching
the Detroit Tigers as a little girl "YEARS" ago. NCCAT: Bill, would you tell us a little about yourself. Bill Lee: Former pitcher, USC Trojans, national champs l968, back when the earth was cooling. NCCAT: That's USC during the O.J. days, before he became a famous criminal defendant. Does anyone have a question? Bill Lee: Yes OJ and I had many classes together along with other characters that used to eat live birds. Ocracoke School: Hi Bill - This is Sandy and I'm out on Ocracoke - I was just in Miami and saw a Marlins game while there.
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| NCCAT: Bill, what is your fondest memory of the big
leagues? Bill Lee: My first start, was against Detroit Tigers on national TV I did not make it pass the first commercial. Ocracoke School: Other than talent what is required in the way of education to be in professional sports? Brenda McCombs: We get a chance to watch a local baseball team (Bollweevils) and notice how young the players are. Do you think it's better training to go straight to the minor leagues or head to college before baseball as you did? What are the benefits/drawbacks of both programs? Bill Lee: If you go to college you lose money, If you fail in baseball you lose the chance of college Glenn Gurley: My daughter is dating the grandson of Vance Mauney - pitcher for the New York Giants I think - ever heard of him Bill? Can't remember the years he played... Bill Lee: No |
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| Ocracoke School: In your profession - what mathematics or physics
is used and is it natural or learned? Bill Lee: Physics is used in pitching with the breaking ball and sinker, you learn Bernoulli Principal early. Brenda McCombs: I've always wondered if going straight into baseball wears out the "parts and pieces" - especially pitchers arms? What suggestions do you have for young players/pitchers to lengthen their career time? Bill Lee: Brenda, go to the full wind up. NCCAT: Go to the full wind up? What's that mean? Bill Lee: Go to the full windup that's old time baseball where you swing your arms back over your head, like Bob Feller. Look at old time baseball films Sachel Page. TMS: How many strikeouts did you get a game(average.)? Chris Bill Lee: If I was lucky, I didn't believe in strikeouts, believe in ground ball double plays. Two for one. Most strikeouts - twelve. |
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| Ocracoke School: Do you keep stats on yourself or is it done for you in the pros - or does it matter? Bill Lee: No I keep no stats on myself, stats are the past TMS: When was your hardest year you played? Bill Lee: TMS, 1982, the year I got released TMS: Did you have a rival? Nick Bill Lee: Bronx Bombers were rivals I beat them twelve times NCCAT: I thought you didn't keep stats, Bill. Bill Lee: Memories. I don't write them down they are hardwired into my brain Joe: Aren't the Bronx Bombers the classical rivals of the Sox? Joe: Looks like the "curse of the Babe" wasn't a factor in those twelve victories. Bill Lee: The curse of the Babe pertains to Boston not New York. |
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TMS: Who was the toughest hitter that you ever had to face? Bill Lee: Hardest hitter - Tony Oliva TMS: What was the most amount of strikeouts you threw in one game? Bill Lee: n a 11 inning ball game in 1973 before the Yankees broke my arm. TMS: Was it worth all the effort that you put in to get to pitch in the major leagues? Josh Bill Lee: Josh, yes it was worth the effort baseball is a passion it suspends time. |
| Brenda McCombs: How many different major league teams did you play for? Bill Lee: Two Montreal and Boston I was the first ball player deported to Canada Brenda McCombs: Was it different playing in Canada? Bill Lee: Brenda, yes your fast ball was faster because it was Kilometers. Brenda McCombs: Looks better in the record books, eh? :-) Bill Lee: Brenda, what looks better? Brenda McCombs: The kilometers for your fast ball... Bill Lee: Brenda, yes. The batters swing faster up there.
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| Joe: Why the proliferation of home runs today, Bill? Bill Lee: Joe, the designated hitter your best athletes are no longer pitchers. Plus global warming the winds are always blowing out of the south. NCCAT: What is it like playing in a World Series? Bill Lee: You are the last two teams playing and everybody else is watching. I tell my kids winning is not that important, just be playing on the last game of the year! NCCAT: Good point, Bill. |
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| Brenda McCombs: I apologize in advance for not knowing my baseball chronology too well. Was the legend of Ted Williams still in Boston when you were there? Bill Lee: The legend of Ted Williams is still there, he is the number one icon as long as he lives, he even has a tunnel named after him. Brenda McCombs: What influence does he still have on the Boston fans? Bill Lee: Brenda, they take him with a grain of salt he is pushing for a new stadium. I say rebuild the old one. Brenda McCombs: I agree with rebuilding the old stadium, Bill. It has a lot of memories, charisma, and ambiance that would be missing in a new steel and concrete structure. Bill Lee: Brenda Yes always rebuild.
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NCCAT: What about your nickname, "Spaceman"? Bill Lee: I'm not from this planet just visiting. TMS: Did you ever make the all-stars? Chris Bill Lee: Chris, yes 1973 but I wasn't allowed to play, the coach asked if anyone was not 100% positive he couldn't get everyone out, I said only fools are 100% positive, I didn't get in the game and we lost. All of them thought they were the best, that's the ego of the hitter. |
| Glenn Gurley: TMS: How many world series did you pitch in? Chris Bill Lee: I pitched in 1 world series - two ball games. TSS: How old are you? David Bill Lee: 54 NCCAT: are there any moments in your career that stand out? Bill Lee: NCCAT, the day I came up and the day I was released NCCAT: As you came up through baseball, what other positions did you play? Bill Lee: NCCAT, first base, center field, I thought I was Ty Cobb. NCCAT: How did you end up a pitcher? Bill Lee: NCCAT, no one else on the USC team could throw strikes in 1965. NCCAT: So you became a pitcher in college? Bill Lee: Yes USC Trojans I pitched in high school and Little League. My aunt taught me. NCCAT: Your aunt??? Bill Lee: NCCAT, she played nine years professional first woman to throw a perfect game, Anna Bell Lee. Brenda McCombs: What pro team did your aunt play for? Bill Lee: Brenda , Fort Wayne Daisies, Peoria Red Birds and the Minneapolis Milleretes. Joe: And that was baseball, not softball? Bill Lee: Joe, baseball. Brenda McCombs: Do you keep in touch with former teammates from college or the pros? Bill Lee: Brenda, all of the time we do Charity Golf Tournaments around the USA. |
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| Ocracoke School: What is the furthest you have ever hit a baseball? Bill Lee: Ocracoke, I hit one 2 miles. It landed in the St Laurence river, last seen heading to Labrador. Joe: Bill, was that 2-miler the "shot heard round the world"? Ocracoke School: That's quite a hit - the kids want to know how you did that? Bill Lee: Joe, It was for me I heard a guy hit a ball all the way to Buffalo... it landed on a flat bed truck |
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| TMS: How much fun was it to play against the Big Red Machine ? Bradley Bill Lee: The red Chinese? in 1976 or Cinn in 1975? Brenda McCombs: Was that the league that the movie League of their Own was based upon? Bill Lee: Brenda, yes the movie was based on that. NCCAT: What was your batting average in the big leagues? Bill Lee: NCCAT, 218 lifetime over 14 years but I didn't hit for 8 of the years in the middle. Joe: The future of baseball? It's slow, methodical pace seems a contrast to today's hectic pace. Is this good or bad for the future of baseball? Why? Bill Lee: Joe, good for baseball good for the planet its the only thing pushing fathers and sons and daughters together slowly. Joe: Amen |
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NCCAT: Well over the mendoza line...you could pinch-hit for the
twins right now! Bill Lee: NCCAT, my last year I hit 348 for Montreal. Joe: How many times at bat? Bill Lee: Joe, 56 times a bat. |
| NCCAT: Baseball players spend half their season on the road. What was life like on road trips? Bill Lee: NCCAT, a lot of meal money. NCCAT: Meal money?? Bill Lee: NCCAT, 65 dollars a day back in1980. Bill Lee: Now they can eat at the Ritz Carlson with the money they make. NCCAT: What was your best pitch? Bill Lee: NCCAT, a strike. Don't walk people. Joe: Why is the dugout always littered with peanut shells, gum wrappers, and tobacco stains? Bill Lee: Joe, because human beings are very nervous. NCCAT: How long should young pitchers wait before learning to throw a curve? Bill Lee: NCCAT, that is a good question, a true curve ball with the proper technique can be learned early but if you throw wrong you can hurt your arm. TMS: What was your lifetime ERA? Bill Lee: TMS, 3.64 not that I'm counting. I thought that stood for the Equal rights Amendment NCCAT: It did, but not anymore. Brenda McCombs: When you retired from baseball, what was your first job after baseball? Bill Lee: Brenda, I've never retired, I'm still playing. NCCAT: Which of your teammates and opponents stand out in your memory? Bill Lee: NCCAT, Micky Rivers for opponents, he came up behind me and hit me in the back of the head. Brenda McCombs: ouch! NCCAT: Ahhh those playful old Yankees... Bill Lee: Berny Carbo for team mate he just was the best pitch hitter you ever saw.
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| TMS: How much did you make per season? Bill Lee: TMS, started out at $ 9500. per season, now the average salary is 1.7 million. Brenda McCombs: tell us about your most memorable game... Bill Lee: Brenda, 8 & 2/3 innings against Baltimore, I got three hits, and drove in the winning run in 1972. Bill Lee: Got nicknamed the Spaceman that day. Brenda McCombs: I can see what that was memorable :-) |
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| Bill Lee: You had to be there TMS: How many home runs did you get hit off of you? Bill Lee: TMS, that's a start that pitchers never keep. TMS: What was your fastest fastball? Bill Lee: TMS, I would say 92 mph downwind down hill. Glenn Gurley: :-) NCCAT: Bill, what advice do you have for the young athletes (baseball + other sports)? Bill Lee: Stay in school, don't become a specialist, take care of your body and your emotions, and don't look back someone may be gaining. Brenda McCombs: there's always someone better and always someone worse... Brenda McCombs: On your non-pitching days, what were some of the things you did? Bill Lee: Brenda, sightseeing, I was the only ball player to run from the hotel to the playing field in every city but one, see if you can guess which city. NCCAT: American or National League? Bill Lee: NCCAT American Joe: New York Bill Lee: Joe no Joe: Drats NCCAT: LA Bill Lee: NCCAT no Joe: Boston Bill Lee: Joe no NCCAT: What time zone? Bill Lee: Central NCCAT: Minnesota Bill Lee: NCCAT no NCCAT: Kansas City Bill Lee: NCCAT no Brenda McCombs: St. Louis Bill Lee: Running out of cities NCCAT: yup Bill Lee: St Louis is National League Brenda McCombs: Sorry NCCAT: Chicago Bill Lee: NCCAT no Joe: Cleveland Bill Lee: Joe eastern time Bill Lee: One left NCCAT: OK, we give up Joe: Texas Bill Lee: Joe bingo Dallas Joe: Yay! That was my final answer :-) Bill Lee: The right one is always the last one. Bill Lee: The games were played in Arlington too far to run 26 miles away. NCCAT: Any final questions? Joe: That's only a marathon.....I thought everyone from Boston did that. Bill Lee: Joe not in the Texas heat Bill Lee: Thank you and see you next year now go back to real classes. Joe: I've got to go shuffle some paper. Thanks Bill, Teachers Connect, and NCCAT. NCCAT: Our time is about up for today. I'd like to thank Bill Lee for taking time with us today. thanks to Teachers Connect. Brenda McCombs: Enjoyed it TMS: This was a great experience Bill - thanks from Troutman Middle School in Iredell/Statesville NCCAT: Bill...thanks a lot for sharing your time and philosophy. Thanks too, to all of the teachers and students for taking time from your day. |
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Posted: March 24, 2000
