Leon Lee

Leon Lee (born December 4, 1952, in Sacramento, California) is a former professional baseball player and manager, primarily known for his career in Japan. He played first base, third base, and catcher during his career, batting and throwing right-handed. Lee had a ten-year career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). At the conclusion of his playing career, he was considered one of the greatest foreign players to have played in the NPB.[1] Later, he became the first African-American manager in Japanese baseball history.

This article is about the American baseball player. For the Chinese actor, see Leon Lee (actor).
Leon Lee
First baseman
Born: (1952-12-04) December 4, 1952
Sacramento, California
Batted: Right Threw: Right
NPB debut
1978, for the Lotte Orions
Last NPB appearance
1987, for the Yakult Swallows
NPB statistics
Batting average.308
Hits1,436
Home runs268
Runs batted in884
Managerial statistics
Wins41
Losses76
Ties3
Teams
As player

As manager

He is the father of former MLB [player Derrek Lee and the brother of former MLB player Leron Lee.

Career

American baseball career

Leon Lee was selected in the ninth round (198th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1971 draft.[2] He spent seven years in the Cardinals' minor league system without playing in a Major League Baseball (MLB) game.

Japanese baseball career

With the support of his older brother, former American Major League player Leron Lee, who was playing for the Lotte Orions, a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) team, Leon was able to make the move to Japan. Lee played five seasons alongside his older brother, hitting 41 home runs, 116 RBIs, with a .340 batting average in 1980. His batting average that year was the second-highest in the Pacific League, behind his brother's average.[3]

Lee was traded to the Yokohama Taiyo Whales where he played from 1983 to 1985. He finished his career in Japan with the Yakult Swallows from 1986 to 1987 before returning to the United States.

Scouting and managing

His past experience in Japan helped him become the Pacific Rim scout for the Chicago Cubs in 1998.

After the 2002 MLB season, Lee left the Cubs and returned to Japan to serve as the Orix BlueWave's hitting coach for the 2003 NPB season.[4] The manager, Hiromichi Ishige, was fired in April, and Lee was promoted to manager, becoming the first African-American manager in Japanese baseball history. On May 17, 2003, the BlueWave faced the Nippon Ham Fighters, managed by Trey Hillman, for a battle between two American managers in Japan for the first time in 28 years. The Blue Waves were a good offensive team, but the pitching staff posted a 5.95 team ERA, and the team finished in last place with a 48-88-4 record. The club hired a Japanese manager for the next season and Lee was offered, but declined, the hitting coach position.

Brooklyn Cyclones

In February 2004, Lee was hired to manage the Brooklyn Cyclones, a Class-A New York Mets minor-league affiliate. On April 8, he was arrested for indecent exposure in a hotel after seeking to quiet a noisy late-night crowd that was disturbing his team. While the charges were still pending, he was forced to resign before managing his first game.[5][1] Although Lee pressed for a court date to clear his name, the charges were dropped in 2005.[6]

Sacramento Stealth

In 2016, he became owner of the Sacramento Stealth of the new collegiate wood bat Great West League.

Film consultant

Lee also served as a consultant in the making of the 1992 film Mr. Baseball. The film, starring Tom Selleck, detailed life in the Japanese professional baseball league from the point of view of an American player. The sidekick role, played by actor Dennis Haysbert, is believed to be based on the experiences of several African American players in Japan, including Leon and his older brother Leron Lee.[7]

References
  1. Jenkins, Lee (March 2, 2005). "A Baseball Career Hangs in the Balance". The New York Times. Retrieved December 11, 2009.
  2. "1971 Draft -- June Regular Phase". MLB.com. Retrieved December 11, 2009.
  3. Fitts, Robert K. (March 21, 2005). Remembering Japanese baseball: an oral history of the game. Southern Illinois University Press. p. xxx. ISBN 0-8093-2629-9.
  4. Greenstein, Teddy (October 11, 2003). "A Marlin with links to Chicago - Lee's dad scouted for Cubs in Asia". Chicago Tribune. Newsbank. Retrieved December 11, 2009.
  5. "Leon Lee accused of exposing himself". ESPN.com. April 9, 2004. Retrieved December 11, 2009.
  6. Cabral, Rick (July 1, 2013). "Sidebar: The Saint Lucie Hotel Incident". BaseballSacramento.com. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  7. Cabral, Rick A (July 1, 2013). "Leon Lee: Sacramento's MR. BASEBALL". BaseballSacramento.com. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
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