Travis Lee
Encyclopedia
Travis Lee is a former Major League Baseball
first baseman
.
Lee graduated from Capital High School in Olympia
, Washington in 1993, where he also played football. Being ambidextrous Lee played as a lefty in baseball and as a QB for the Capital High football team threw with his right. While playing for San Diego State University
in 1996, Lee won the Golden Spikes Award
, annually given to the best amateur baseball player by USA Baseball
. Lee was initially drafted as the second pick in the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft
by the Minnesota Twins
, but was declared a free agent
by MLB after the Twins failed to tender him a contract within fifteen days of the end of the draft. He then signed a four-year, $10 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks
. Lee played on the 1996 Olympic baseball team for the United States
. The team went 7-2 with losses to Cuba
in the preliminary round and Japan
in the semifinals. The U.S. team won the Bronze medal by defeating Nicaragua
.
, 22 home run
s, and 72 RBI
and finished 3rd in the voting for NL Rookie of the Year. Lee has the distinction of having the first hit (a single) as well as hitting the first home run in Diamondbacks history on March 31, 1998 in a home game against the Colorado Rockies
, however the team lost the game 9-2 (Lee also had scored and drove in the first runs in D-Backs history with that blast). Lee was part of the Diamondbacks' trade for Curt Schilling
from the Philadelphia Phillies
, along with pitchers Vicente Padilla
, Omar Daal
, and Nelson Figueroa
on July 26, .
for the National League East. In 2002 with the Phillies, Lee played 153 games and batted .265, however his stats began to decline as he scored 55 runs, hit 13 home runs, and drove in 70 RBI. On December 21, 2002 the Phillies released Lee granting him free agency, two weeks after signing free agent first baseman Jim Thome
.
.
whose streak ran from 1970 to 1973. With the bases loaded, Larry Walker
grounded out to Lee at 1st base. Lee then threw home with his throw beating David Eckstein
to the plate, however, catcher Toby Hall
had to stretch for the ball and failed to touch home plate, allowing Eckstein to score and giving Lee a throwing error. Lee's last error prior to this was on May 8, 2003. In his final season of 2006, Lee batted .224 in 114 games, scoring 35 runs, hitting 11 home runs, and driving in 31 RBI. On Mother's Day
, May 14, 2006, Lee was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat
to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation
. On September 10, , Lee was released by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
.
contract with the Washington Nationals
on January 18, , and was invited to spring training
. On March 25, 2007, he asked for and was granted his release, citing his lack of desire to play the game.
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 graduated from Capital High School in Olympia
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, Washington in 1993, where he also played football. Being ambidextrous Lee played as a lefty in baseball and as a QB for the Capital High football team threw with his right. While playing for San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
in 1996, Lee won the Golden Spikes Award
Golden Spikes Award
The Golden Spikes Award is awarded annually to the best amateur baseball player. It is awarded by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Though the award can be presented to any amateur player, it has always been given to a college baseball player.-Past...
, annually given to the best amateur baseball player by USA Baseball
USA Baseball
USA Baseball was founded in , and is the governing body for amateur baseball in the United States of America. It is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and organizes the United States national baseball team...
. Lee was initially drafted as the second pick in the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft
1996 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1996 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 4 and 5, 1996...
by the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, but was declared a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
by MLB after the Twins failed to tender him a contract within fifteen days of the end of the draft. He then signed a four-year, $10 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. Lee played on the 1996 Olympic baseball team for the United States
Baseball at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Baseball had its second appearance as an official medal sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States, with games played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Eight nations competed, with the preliminary phase consisting of each team playing every other team. Playoffs were then held,...
. The team went 7-2 with losses to Cuba
Cuba national baseball team
The Cuba national baseball team is the national team of Cuba. The team is made up of amateur players from the Cuban national baseball system, as there are no professional sports leagues in Cuba...
in the preliminary round and Japan
Japan national baseball team
The Japan national baseball team is the national baseball team representing Japan in international competitions. They are one of the more successful baseball teams in the world, having won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009...
in the semifinals. The U.S. team won the Bronze medal by defeating Nicaragua
Nicaragua national baseball team
The Nicaragua national baseball team is the national baseball team of Nicaragua. Considered the best in Central America along with Panama It represents Nicaragua in international tournaments.- Placings :Olympic Games* 1992 : did not qualify...
.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Lee was the starting first baseman in the Diamondbacks' inaugural season of , and he hit .269 with 71 runs scoredRun (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, 22 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 72 RBI
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...
and finished 3rd in the voting for NL Rookie of the Year. Lee has the distinction of having the first hit (a single) as well as hitting the first home run in Diamondbacks history on March 31, 1998 in a home game against the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, however the team lost the game 9-2 (Lee also had scored and drove in the first runs in D-Backs history with that blast). Lee was part of the Diamondbacks' trade for Curt Schilling
Curt Schilling
Curtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...
from the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, along with pitchers Vicente Padilla
Vicente Padilla
Vicente de la Cruz Padilla is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who is a free agent. Padilla previously pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers...
, Omar Daal
Omar Daal
Omar Jesús Daal Cordero is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for 11 seasons, from through . Daal played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Montreal Expos , Toronto Blue Jays , Arizona Diamondbacks , Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles...
, and Nelson Figueroa
Nelson Figueroa
Nelson Walter Figueroa, Jr. is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. He attended Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts where he pitched for three years and earned a bachelors degree in American Studies...
on July 26, .
Philadelphia Phillies
In 56 games with the Phillies in 2000, Lee batted .239 with 19 runs scored, 1 home run, and 14 RBI. In 2001, his first full season with the Phillies, Lee appeared in 157 of 162 games, the most of any season in his career. Lee batted .258 with a career best 75 runs scored, while hitting 20 home runs, and also driving in a career best 90 RBI. The Phillies finished 86-76, just two games behind 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 the National League East. In 2002 with the Phillies, Lee played 153 games and batted .265, however his stats began to decline as he scored 55 runs, hit 13 home runs, and drove in 70 RBI. On December 21, 2002 the Phillies released Lee granting him free agency, two weeks after signing free agent first baseman Jim Thome
Jim Thome
James Howard "Jim" Thome is a Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is the eighth player to hit 600 home runs in the major leagues. He is widely considered a future Hall of Famer.-Cleveland Indians :...
.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
On February 6, 2003 the Tampa Bay Devil Rays signed Lee to a contract. In 145 games with Tampa Bay, Lee batted a career high .275 while tying his career best with 75 runs scored, hitting 19 home runs, and driving in 70 RBI. On November 2, 2003 Lee was again granted his free agency and on March 2, 2004 he signed with the New York YankeesNew 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...
.
New York Yankees
In 2004 with the New York Yankees, Lee appeared in only 7 games, missing most of the season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder which required surgery. Lee had a .105 batting average, scoring 1 run and driving in 2 RBI, but did not hit any home runs. On October 29, 2004 the Yankees declined the club option for a second year on Lee's contract and he was released after the Yankee's paid a $250,000 buyout. After again becoming a free agent Lee signed back with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on February 11, 2005.Return to Tampa Bay
In 2005, Lee appeared in 129 games batting .272 with 54 runs scored, 12 home runs, and 49 RBI. On June 19, 2005 Lee had his consecutive errorless games streak ended at 170, then the second longest in American League history and only 8 games behind the record held by Mike HeganMike Hegan
James Michael "Mike" Hegan is an American former Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder and later radio announcer for the Cleveland Indians. In 1969, Hegan hit the first home run in Seattle Pilots history in his first at-bat.He is the son of longtime Indians catcher Jim Hegan...
whose streak ran from 1970 to 1973. With the bases loaded, Larry Walker
Larry Walker
Larry Kenneth Robert Walker is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1989 through 2005, Walker played for the Montreal Expos , Colorado Rockies , and St. Louis Cardinals...
grounded out to Lee at 1st base. Lee then threw home with his throw beating David Eckstein
David Eckstein
David Mark Eckstein is a former American professional baseball player who was an infielder in Major League Baseball for ten seasons. He played college baseball for the University of Florida, and has played professionally for the Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona...
to the plate, however, catcher Toby Hall
Toby Hall
Toby Jason Hall is a Major League Baseball catcher who is currently with the Camden Riversharks in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball....
had to stretch for the ball and failed to touch home plate, allowing Eckstein to score and giving Lee a throwing error. Lee's last error prior to this was on May 8, 2003. In his final season of 2006, Lee batted .224 in 114 games, scoring 35 runs, hitting 11 home runs, and driving in 31 RBI. On Mother's Day
Mother's Day (United States)
In the United States, Mother's Day is an annual holiday celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Mother's Day recognizes mothers, motherhood and maternal bonds in general, as well the positive contributions that they make to society....
, May 14, 2006, Lee was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat
Pink bat
In baseball, pink bats are limited-supply baseball bats manufactured by Louisville Slugger for use by select Major League Baseball players on Mother's Day, first introduced in 2006 in association with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization...
to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Susan G. Komen for the Cure, formerly known as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, often referred to as simply Komen, is the most widely known, largest and best-funded breast cancer organization in the US....
. On September 10, , Lee was released by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
.
Washington Nationals
Lee signed a minor leagueMinor 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...
contract with the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
on January 18, , and was invited to spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. On March 25, 2007, he asked for and was granted his release, citing his lack of desire to play the game.