Derrek Lee
Encyclopedia
Derrek Leon Lee or "D-Lee", is a Major League Baseball
first baseman
. Lee has played with the San Diego Padres
, the Florida Marlins
(–), Chicago Cubs
(–), Atlanta Braves
(2010), Baltimore Orioles
and Pittsburgh Pirates
. He bats and throws right-handed.
Lee was a World Series
Champion with Florida in 2003, and he won the National League
batting title in 2005. He was a two-time All-Star
selection, and won the Gold Glove Award
three times.
is his father and Leron Lee
is his uncle. Each of them played professional baseball in Japan
. During his elementary years Lee lived in Japan, and during his high school years he often lived there during his summer breaks. Lee was born in Sacramento
, California
. Lee played Little League Baseball at Whitney Little League and graduated from El Camino High School
in 1993.
by the San Diego Padres, and made his major league debut on April 28, 1997.
Marlins championship team. Lee won his first Gold Glove
during the 2003 championship season and his spectacular grab and unassisted putout
on a hard hit Hideki Matsui
one-hop line drive snuffed out a Yankees
rally and ended Game 5 of the World Series with a Marlins victory. The Marlins went on the win the World Series in Game 6.
. He hit .278 with 32 home run
s and 98 RBIs
in his first year with the Cubs. In , Lee had a career first half of the season, with a MLB-leading .376 batting average
, 72 RBIs, and a tie for the major league lead in home runs with 27.
The Cubs had traded superstar Sammy Sosa
, who had previously been one of their best hitters, before the 2005 season. Lee showed early on that he could more than compensate for the loss, and while Sosa had a disappointing 2005 season with the Baltimore Orioles, Lee had a career year. By midseason, he was among MLB's leaders in each of the triple crown
categories: batting average, home runs, and RBIs. Lee hit his 200th career home run on August 28, , off Florida Marlins
starter
Josh Beckett
. He finished the year with a career-best 46 HR. His .335 batting average was the highest by a Cub since Bill Madlock
's .339 in and made him the first Cub since Bill Buckner
in to win a National League batting title.
Lee was named to the U.S. roster for the World Baseball Classic
, where he was the first player to hit a home run for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
On April 10, , Lee signed a five-year, $65 million extension with the Chicago Cubs. The deal replaced his contract for the 2006 season and extended him as the Cubs' first baseman through the 2010 season and included a no-trade clause. He broke his wrist less than two weeks later, in a collision involving baserunner Rafael Furcal
, and he missed 59 games due to the injury. The Cubs posted a 19–40 record during Lee's stint on the disabled list
. Later, Lee went back on the disabled list with a post-traumatic inflammation in the outer bone of the medial side of the wrist.
In 2008, Lee hit 20 home runs, 90 RBIs and had a .291 batting average as the Cubs had the best regular-season record in the National League. In 2009, Lee ranked ninth in the voting for NL MVP, as he had a .306 batting average, and hit for 35 home runs and 111 RBIs, though the Cubs did not qualify for the NL playoffs.
In 2009 he had the lowest range factor
of all starting major league first basemen (8.64).
On June 9, 2010, Lee hit his 300th career home run in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers
.
On June 25, 2010, Lee was involved in a dugout altercation with Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano
after the pitcher gave up four runs in the first inning and apparently blamed Lee for failing to field a sharply-hit lead-off double. Zambrano was suspended for his behavior.
for minor league pitching prospects Robinson Lopez, Tyrelle Harris, and Jeffrey Lorick. Lee began to serve as the Braves' starting first baseman on August 20, 2010, including postseason play in the NLDS
.
for the 2011 season. He played in 85 games with the struggling Orioles, batting .246 with 12 home runs and 41 runs batted in.
Through 2011, he led all active major league first basemen in career errors, with 98.
Leron Lee, who played eight seasons with the St.Louis Cardinals, Dodgers
, Indians
, and Padres. Currently, he works with the Cincinnati Reds
as an advising batting coach to scouted players.
, a rare genetic disease resulting in loss of vision. Lee and Boston Celtics
co-owner and CEO Wyc Grousbeck
with the University of Iowa
established Project 3000 in an effort to eradicate the disease, which affects both their families. Lee guest starred in an episode of NBC's drama series ER
, "Gravity", which was first broadcast in October 2007. Lee agreed to the brief appearance because the producers of ER aired an episode in January 2008 that deals with Leber's congenital amaurosis. Lee's efforts to raise awareness and funds for research into the condition have helped to raise over $1,000,000 of additional research funds. An eventual cure for the disease depends greatly on getting data on patients and Lee's support has had a significant impact both in fundraising and testing patients who have the disease.
In 2009 Lee revealed that Jada had been misdiagnosed and does not have the disease, but Lee continues to be active in raising money for Project 3000.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
. Lee has played with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
(–), Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(–), Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(2010), Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. He bats and throws right-handed.
Lee was a World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
Champion with Florida in 2003, and he won the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
batting title in 2005. He was a two-time All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
selection, and won the Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
three times.
Early life
Lee was born on September 6, 1975. Leon LeeLeon Lee
Leon Lee is a former minor league baseball player and minor league manager. He played first base and third base during his career, batting and throwing right-handed....
is his father and Leron Lee
Leron Lee
Leron Lee is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played 8 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians and San Diego Padres....
is his uncle. Each of them played professional baseball in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. During his elementary years Lee lived in Japan, and during his high school years he often lived there during his summer breaks. Lee was born in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Lee played Little League Baseball at Whitney Little League and graduated from El Camino High School
El Camino Fundamental High School
El Camino Fundamental High School is an American public high school in Sacramento, California in the San Juan Unified School District. Built in 1950 as El Camino High School, "Fundamental" was added to the name in the late 1970s to signify the school's intention to focus upon basic ...
in 1993.
San Diego Padres
Lee was drafted in the first round (14th overall) of the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft1993 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1993 Major League Baseball draft.-Compensation picks:-Other notable players:*Scott Rolen was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2nd round of the 1993 amateur draft....
by the San Diego Padres, and made his major league debut on April 28, 1997.
Florida Marlins
Traded, along with prospects, to the Florida Marlins a year later for Kevin Brown, Lee was a member of the 2003 World Series2003 World Series
The 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. The Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games, 4–2.-Background:...
Marlins championship team. Lee won his first Gold Glove
Rawlings Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
during the 2003 championship season and his spectacular grab and unassisted putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
on a hard hit Hideki Matsui
Hideki Matsui
is a Japanese Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.After playing the first ten seasons of his career for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he played the next seven seasons, from 2003–2009, for the New York...
one-hop line drive snuffed out a Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
rally and ended Game 5 of the World Series with a Marlins victory. The Marlins went on the win the World Series in Game 6.
Chicago Cubs
Lee was traded to the Cubs for Hee-seop ChoiHee-Seop Choi
Hee-Seop Choi is a professional baseball player who has played in the MLB for the Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is a first baseman who bats and throws left-handed. Choi currently plays for the Kia Tigers in the South Korean pro baseball league.-Amateur career:Choi...
. He hit .278 with 32 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 98 RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in his first year with the Cubs. In , Lee had a career first half of the season, with a MLB-leading .376 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, 72 RBIs, and a tie for the major league lead in home runs with 27.
The Cubs had traded superstar Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
, who had previously been one of their best hitters, before the 2005 season. Lee showed early on that he could more than compensate for the loss, and while Sosa had a disappointing 2005 season with the Baltimore Orioles, Lee had a career year. By midseason, he was among MLB's leaders in each of the triple crown
Triple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
categories: batting average, home runs, and RBIs. Lee hit his 200th career home run on August 28, , off Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
starter
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
Josh Beckett
Josh Beckett
Joshua Patrick Beckett is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. During his career in the playoffs, he won the 2003 World Series MVP Award with the Florida Marlins, and received the 2007 ALCS MVP award with the Red Sox.-Florida Marlins :A...
. He finished the year with a career-best 46 HR. His .335 batting average was the highest by a Cub since Bill Madlock
Bill Madlock
Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. From 1973 to 1987, Madlock was a right-handed hitter who won several National League batting titles. His record of four batting titles as a third baseman would be eclipsed in 1988 by Wade Boggs. Since 1970, only Tony Gwynn has...
's .339 in and made him the first Cub since Bill Buckner
Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Despite winning a batting crown in , representing the Chicago Cubs at the All-Star Game the following season and accumulating over 2,700 hits in his twenty-year career, he is best remembered for a fielding error during Game 6...
in to win a National League batting title.
Lee was named to the U.S. roster for the World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
, where he was the first player to hit a home run for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
On April 10, , Lee signed a five-year, $65 million extension with the Chicago Cubs. The deal replaced his contract for the 2006 season and extended him as the Cubs' first baseman through the 2010 season and included a no-trade clause. He broke his wrist less than two weeks later, in a collision involving baserunner Rafael Furcal
Rafael Furcal
Rafael Antonio Furcal , is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent.-Early career:...
, and he missed 59 games due to the injury. The Cubs posted a 19–40 record during Lee's stint on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
. Later, Lee went back on the disabled list with a post-traumatic inflammation in the outer bone of the medial side of the wrist.
In 2009 he had the lowest range factor
Range Factor
Range Factor is a baseball statistic developed by Bill James. It is calculated by dividing putouts and assists by number of innings or games played at a given defense position...
of all starting major league first basemen (8.64).
On June 9, 2010, Lee hit his 300th career home run in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
On June 25, 2010, Lee was involved in a dugout altercation with Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Alberto Zambrano is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. Zambrano, who stands 6' 5" and weighs 260 pounds, was signed by the Cubs as a free agent in 1997 and made his debut in 2001...
after the pitcher gave up four runs in the first inning and apparently blamed Lee for failing to field a sharply-hit lead-off double. Zambrano was suspended for his behavior.
Atlanta Braves
In late July 2010 Lee used his ten and five rights to veto a trade to the Los Angeles Angels. On August 18, 2010, Lee, with his approval, was traded to the Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for minor league pitching prospects Robinson Lopez, Tyrelle Harris, and Jeffrey Lorick. Lee began to serve as the Braves' starting first baseman on August 20, 2010, including postseason play in the NLDS
2010 National League Division Series
The 2010 National League Division Series were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—a "Wild Card"—played in two series from October 6 to 11...
.
Baltimore Orioles
Lee was signed from free agency to a one year contract with the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for the 2011 season. He played in 85 games with the struggling Orioles, batting .246 with 12 home runs and 41 runs batted in.
Pittsburgh Pirates
On July 30, 2011, Lee was traded to the Pirates for minor league Class A first baseman Aaron Baker and cash considerations. Lee hit two home runs in his first game as a Pirate. He was hit by a pitch and broke a bone in his left wrist on August 3, and missed most of the next month, but then finished the season productively as the Pittsburgh first baseman. Playing in 28 games as a Pirate in 2011, Lee batted .337 with 7 home runs and 18 RBIs.Through 2011, he led all active major league first basemen in career errors, with 98.
Personal life
Lee is the son of Leon Lee. Leon never played in the Major League, but did play professionally in Japan. Today, he is a scout for Major League Baseball and, coincidentally, he was the scout who "found" Hee-Seop Choi who was later traded for his son. Lee is the nephew of former Major League outfielderOutfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Leron Lee, who played eight seasons with the St.Louis Cardinals, Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, and Padres. Currently, he works with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
as an advising batting coach to scouted players.
Project 3000
In September 2006, Lee's three-year-old daughter Jada was diagnosed with Leber's congenital amaurosisLeber's congenital amaurosis
Leber's congenital amaurosis is a rare inherited eye disease that appears at birth or in the first few months of life, and affects around 1 in 80,000 of the population.It was first described by Theodor Leber in the 19th century...
, a rare genetic disease resulting in loss of vision. Lee and Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
co-owner and CEO Wyc Grousbeck
Wycliffe Grousbeck
Wycliffe "Wyc" Grousbeck is CEO, governor, and co-owner of the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics.After spending seven years as a partner at a venture capital firm, Highland Capital Partners, Grousbeck founded the group Boston Basketball Partners L.L.C...
with the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
established Project 3000 in an effort to eradicate the disease, which affects both their families. Lee guest starred in an episode of NBC's drama series ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, "Gravity", which was first broadcast in October 2007. Lee agreed to the brief appearance because the producers of ER aired an episode in January 2008 that deals with Leber's congenital amaurosis. Lee's efforts to raise awareness and funds for research into the condition have helped to raise over $1,000,000 of additional research funds. An eventual cure for the disease depends greatly on getting data on patients and Lee's support has had a significant impact both in fundraising and testing patients who have the disease.
In 2009 Lee revealed that Jada had been misdiagnosed and does not have the disease, but Lee continues to be active in raising money for Project 3000.
1st Touch Foundation
The 1st Touch Foundation was established in 2005 by Lee and his wife as a vehicle to encourage and support the educational aspirations of the community's young people. The initial vision was to build The 1st Touch Academic Youth Center in Sacramento, CA. In 2009, Lee unveiled a cabernet wine called CaberLee through Charity Wines where 100% of the proceeds will benefit the 1st Touch Foundation.See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions