#636 Bill Lee

An effective pitcher but more known for off the field persona….subject of a song by singer Warren Zevon..

You're supposed to sit on your ass
And nod at stupid things man, that's hard to do
And if you don't they'll screw you
And if you do, they'll screw you, too

And when I'm standing in the middle
Of the diamond all alone
I always play to win
When it comes to skin and bone

And sometimes I say things
I shouldn't, like
And sometimes I say things
I shouldn't, like

Not sure where it is about Bill but it does speak to his outspokenness...Yes there are web sites dedicated to his quotes…now about the pitcher…product of University of Southern California Baseball empire…Drafted by the red sox and made his name there…A gradual start to career splitting time between minor and the Fenway Park Bench….Impact year was 1971with a 9-2 win loss and 2.71 ERA in a mostly long reliever role….Turned to a starter for 1973 and responded with 17 wins…repeated the same number of wins in next two years….Hit a wall in 1976 with a very poor start, follow by shoulder injury in on field mele against NYY which took him out for 6 weeks…Rest of his  time in Boston was on the comeback trail….1978 was last season in Beantown went 10-10….Traded to Montreal for light hitting Stan Papi for 1979….Did not go over well with Bill….nevertheless almost matched his best years as a Red Sox with 16-10 mark…could not follow up however winning only more 9 games in 2 ¼ years….Lee's adventures in Montreal are chronicled in the book Up, Up and Away by Jonah Keri…. Life story is being considered for a biopic with the right owned by Woody Harrelson.