Leon Lee
Encyclopedia
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.
He is the father of Pittsburgh Pirates
player Derrek Lee
.
in the 1971 draft. He spent seven straight years in Cardinals' minor league
system without playing in a Major League Baseball
(MLB) game. Lee then moved to Japan
at the suggestion of his older brother, former American Major League player Leron Lee
, who was playing for the Lotte Orions
, a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) team. 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.
Lee was traded to the Yokohama Taiyo Whales and played 1983-1985 until he was suddenly fired in 1985. He was re-hired by the Yakult Swallows
, and played from 1986-1987 before returning to the United States
. As a Swallows player, Lee befriended new NPB player Bob Horner in 1987.
His past experience in Japan then helped him become a Pacific Rim scout
for the Chicago Cubs
in 1998 where he signed two Korean players who would eventually play in (MLB)—Hee Seop Choi and Jae Kuk Ryu. Lee expressed interest in scouting Chinese players in 1999, but Cubs President Andy MacPhail
deemed the idea too radical and denied his request.
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
. The manager, Hiromichi Ishige
, was fired in April, and Lee was promoted to manager. 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. His team was a good offensive team, but the pitching staff marked a horrid 5.95 team ERA, and ended up in last place with a 48-88-4 record. Lee left the club at the end of the season, declining an offer to serve as hitting coach. He was the first African-American manager in Japanese baseball history.
In February 2004, Lee was hired to manage the Brooklyn Cyclones
, a Class-A New York Mets
minor-league affiliate. However, he was arrested April 8 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. The charges were later dropped unconditionally, as the "witnesses" recanted their stories, and prosecutors admitted that the alleged acts could not have occurred. It is thought that the false charges were racially motivated. Lee chose not to seek restitution out of consideration for the baseball community, and in order to devote his time to youth and international baseball development. He is currently engaged in these activities in Sacramento, California and Tucson, Arizona.
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, based on older brother Leron Lee
's experience in the country.
He is the father of 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...
player Derrek Lee
Derrek Lee
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 , Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates . He bats and throws right-handed.Lee was a World Series Champion with Florida in 2003,...
.
Career
Leon Lee was selected in the 9th round, 198th overall, by the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in the 1971 draft. He spent seven straight years in Cardinals' minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
system without playing in a Major League Baseball
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...
(MLB) game. Lee then moved to 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...
at the suggestion of his older brother, former American Major League player 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....
, who was playing for the Lotte Orions
Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by the Lotte conglomerate.-History:...
, a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) team. 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
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
, behind his brother's average.
Lee was traded to the Yokohama Taiyo Whales and played 1983-1985 until he was suddenly fired in 1985. He was re-hired by the Yakult Swallows
Tokyo Yakult Swallows
is a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League.The Swallows are named after their corporate owners, the Yakult Corporation. From 1950 to 1965, the team was owned by the former Japanese National Railways and called the Kokutetsu Swallows; the team was then owned by the newspaper Sankei...
, and played from 1986-1987 before returning to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As a Swallows player, Lee befriended new NPB player Bob Horner in 1987.
His past experience in Japan then helped him become a Pacific Rim scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for the 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...
in 1998 where he signed two Korean players who would eventually play in (MLB)—Hee Seop Choi and Jae Kuk Ryu. Lee expressed interest in scouting Chinese players in 1999, but Cubs President Andy MacPhail
Andy MacPhail
Andy MacPhail is the former president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles. He was the president/CEO of the National League Chicago Cubs from September 9, 1994 until October 1, 2006...
deemed the idea too radical and denied his request.
After the 2002 MLB season
2002 Major League Baseball season
The Major League Baseball season finished with the Anaheim Angels defeating the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series.-Major league baseball final standings:...
, Lee left the Cubs and returned to Japan to serve as the Orix BlueWave's hitting coach for the 2003 NPB season
2003 Nippon Professional Baseball season
The Nippon Professional Baseball season ended with the Daiei Hawks defeating the Hanshin Tigers in the 2003 Japan Series 4 games to 3.-Central League:-Pacific League:-References:...
. The manager, Hiromichi Ishige
Hiromichi Ishige
Hiromichi Ishige is a retired Japanese professional baseball player and manager in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball....
, was fired in April, and Lee was promoted to manager. On May 17, 2003, the BlueWave faced the Nippon Ham Fighters, managed by Trey Hillman
Trey Hillman
Thomas Brad "Trey" Hillman is the current bench coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has previously been the manager of both the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan's Pacific League and the Kansas City Royals in the American League.-Playing career:Hillman signed with the Cleveland Indians in...
, for a battle between two American managers in Japan for the first time in 28 years. His team was a good offensive team, but the pitching staff marked a horrid 5.95 team ERA, and ended up in last place with a 48-88-4 record. Lee left the club at the end of the season, declining an offer to serve as hitting coach. He was the first African-American manager in Japanese baseball history.
In February 2004, Lee was hired to manage the Brooklyn Cyclones
Brooklyn Cyclones
The Brooklyn Cyclones is a minor league baseball team in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League, affiliated with the New York Mets. The Cyclones play at MCU Park just off the Coney Island boardwalk in the New York City borough of Brooklyn....
, a Class-A New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
minor-league affiliate. However, he was arrested April 8 for indecent exposure
Indecent exposure
Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure in public or in view of the general public by a person of a portion or portions of his or her body, in circumstances where the exposure is contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. Indecent exposure laws vary in different...
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. The charges were later dropped unconditionally, as the "witnesses" recanted their stories, and prosecutors admitted that the alleged acts could not have occurred. It is thought that the false charges were racially motivated. Lee chose not to seek restitution out of consideration for the baseball community, and in order to devote his time to youth and international baseball development. He is currently engaged in these activities in Sacramento, California and Tucson, Arizona.
Lee also served as a consultant in the making of the 1992 film, Mr. Baseball
Mr. Baseball
Mr. Baseball is a 1992 American film that starred Tom Selleck and was directed by Fred Schepisi.-Plot:Jack Elliot is an aging American baseball player put on the trading block by the New York Yankees in favor of a rookie first-baseman , and there's only one taker: the Nagoya Chunichi Dragons of...
. The film, starring Tom Selleck, detailed life in the Japanese professional baseball league from the point of view of an American player, based on older brother 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....
's experience in the country.