Clifton Phifer Lee[1] (born August 30, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 2002 and 2014 he played for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers. During his career, Lee was a member of four All-Star teams, won the Cy Young Award, and had consecutive World Series appearances in 2009 and 2010 with the Phillies and Rangers.
Born and raised in Benton, Arkansas, Lee's 91 mph (146 km/h) fastball attracted the attention of MLB scouts during his senior year at Benton High School in 1997, but he rejected draft offers twice in order to play college baseball for Meridian Community College and later the Arkansas Razorbacks. Lee finally came to terms with the Expos after his selection in the fourth round of the 2000 MLB Draft, and he spent two years in their farm system before a trade to Cleveland in 2002. Lee made his MLB debut with his new team that year, and made his first opening day roster in 2004. His early years in Cleveland were marked by a number of temper flares, appearing to intentionally pitch at his opponents' heads and storming off of the mound, but by 2005, he was an established part of the Indians' starting rotation. The low point of his career, when he was sent back to the minor leagues in 2007, was followed by his Cy Young-winning season, during which he led the American League with a 2.54 earned run average and all of MLB with 22 wins.
The Indians sent Lee to the Phillies at the MLB trading deadline in 2009, and he helped the team reach their second consecutive World Series. There, Lee provided the team with their only two wins, including a 10-strikeout complete game, as Philadelphia lost to the New York Yankees in six games. That offseason, Philadelphia sent Lee to the Mariners as part of a larger deal to acquire Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays. He was traded again that season, this time to the Rangers, with whom he reached another World Series. There, both of his matchups with fellow ace Tim Lincecum were losses for Lee, and the Rangers lost to the San Francisco Giants.
After the 2010 season, Lee turned down a contract offer from the Yankees in order to rejoin the Phillies, where he became part of the "Four Aces" starting rotation alongside Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt. Although he received two more All-Star selections, the remainder of Lee's time in Philadelphia was marked by poor run support, and he did not reach the postseason again after 2011. In 2014, Lee suffered a torn common flexor tendon in his pitching arm and, despite hopes that he would recover without surgery, he did not pitch again. Lee's professional baseball tenure was marked by his strong pitch command despite a comparatively low velocity, as well as by his composure in high-stress situations, the latter albeit complicated by his sometimes quick temper.
Early life and college career
Clifton Phifer Lee was born on August 30, 1978, in Benton, Arkansas, to Steve and Sharon Lee. His father was a local firefighter and one-time city council member.[2] He was named Clifton after his maternal grandfather, while Phifer was his mother's maiden name.[3] Both of his parents were high school athletes: Steve was a wide receiver for the American football team at Benton High School, while Sharon, despite missing one hand from a birth defect, was a pitcher for a local softball team.[4] Although he also played football and basketball, Lee's primary focus in high school was on baseball, where his former coach described him as a hard thrower who had trouble with his pitch command.[4] College baseball coach Norm DeBriyn referred to Lee as a "can't-miss guy" upon seeing him pitch in high school, describing him as "a big left-hander that threw hard".[5] He was able to increase his strikeouts and decrease his walk ratio over the course of his high school career, and pitched two no-hitters as a senior.[6]
That year, Lee attracted attention from professional baseball scouts for his 91 mph (146 km/h) fastball, even after a shoulder injury forced him off of the pitcher's mound and into the outfield.[4] He was selected out of high school by the Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the eighth round of the 1997 MLB Draft, but failed to reach contract terms with the team and instead played college baseball for Meridian Community College.[3] Originally, he had committed to play for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, but reneged when he learned that NCAA Division I baseball players were ineligible for the MLB draft until their junior year.[4] Following his freshman season in Meridian, Lee was drafted again, this time by the Baltimore Orioles in the 20th round of the 1998 draft, but he again chose not to sign.[7] In 2000, Lee accepted a scholarship offer to play college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks as a junior. His season fell below expectations, with Lee posting a 4–3 win–loss record and a 4.46 earned run average (ERA) in 16 games, 9 of which were starts, as well as 45 hits, 77 strikeouts, and 52 walks in 64+1⁄3 innings pitched.[5] Lee also ran into issues with his pitching stamina, which forced him to occasionally pitch out of the bullpen.[8]
Professional baseball career
Montreal Expos organization (2000–02)
The Montreal Expos of MLB selected Lee in the fourth round, 105th overall, of the 2000 MLB Draft.[9] Joe Jordan, the scout who saw Lee pitch at Arkansas, noted that he had an undeveloped pitch repertoire and a high walk rate, but was impressed by his competitive nature.[10] After signing with Montreal, Lee was assigned to the Class A Cape Fear Crocs of the South Atlantic League, a minor-league affiliate of the Expos. There, he struck out 63 batters in 44+2⁄3 innings, but an inconsistent delivery also led to 36 walks, 50 hits, and a 5.24 ERA. There were also concerns going forward about Lee's lack of stamina, which had followed from his college career.[8]
Lee spent the entire 2001 season with the Class A-Advanced Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League during their final year as an affiliate of the Expos.[11] He frequently clashed with Jupiter pitching coach Ace Adams over how far he was going in games: Lee wanted to pitch a complete game in every start, and he became upset when Adams responded to Lee's arm fatigue by placing him on rest for several weeks.[12] Despite their disagreements, it was under Adams' tutelage that Lee developed his cut fastball, which he had not thrown before joining the Hammerheads.[13] Lee started 21 games for Jupiter, posting a 6–7 record and a 2.79 ERA while striking out 129 batters in 109+2⁄3 innings.[14] His performance with Jupiter earned Lee a promotion to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators for the 2002 season. He made 15 starts there, posting a 7–2 record and a 3.23 ERA.[15]
Cleveland Indians (2002–09)
Early years: 2002–2004
On June 27, 2002, Lee was part of a six-player trade-deadline deal between the Expos and the Cleveland Indians. The Expos, who were making a push for the 2002 MLB playoffs, acquired Cleveland ace Bartolo Colón, pitching prospect Tim Drew, and cash from the Indians, while Cleveland received Lee, minor-league shortstop Brandon Phillips, Outfield prospect Grady Sizemore, and first baseman Lee Stevens.[16] After making only three starts with the Double-A Akron Aeros, during which he went 2–1 with a 5.40 ERA and struck out 18 batters in 16+2⁄3 innings, Lee was promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the International League.[14][17]
Lee made his major-league debut on September 15, 2002, where he took the loss against the Minnesota Twins. He was able to take a shutout into the sixth inning before pitch-count limitations pulled him out of the game. The shutout bid came to an end when Cristian Guzman, who Lee had left on third base, scored on a sacrifice fly from Matt LeCroy; the Indians ultimately lost 5–0. Minnesota's victory clinched their first playoff berth since 1991.[18] Lee had one other major-league start that season, earning a no decision after allowing one run in five innings of Cleveland's 3–2 loss to the Kansas City Royals.[19] In addition to his two Cleveland starts, Lee started a total of 26 minor-league games across Harrisburg, Akron, and Buffalo. He went 12–5 in those starts with a 3.64 ERA, and struck out 153 batters in 146 innings.[14]
At the start of spring training in 2003, Lee suffered an abdominal strain that kept him from the mound through the start of the regular season. He was officially transferred to the 60-day disabled list after spring training ended and before the start of the season.[20] The strain, compounded by an additional sports hernia, kept Lee from pitching between March 28 and May 20.[21] After undergoing a Double-A rehabilitation assignment, Lee began the 2003 season in Buffalo, with no expectation that he would rejoin the major leagues.[22][23] He was recalled to Cleveland for the first game of a doubleheader on June 30, 2003. He picked up his first major-league win in that game, taking a three-hitter into the seventh inning of a 10–5 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Afterwards, Lee and Brad Voyles were sent back down to Buffalo to continue their development.[24] He was recalled again on August 16, taking injured reliever Jason Boyd's position in the Indians' 25-man roster when Boyd suffered from shoulder tendinitis.[25] Lee impressed in his third start of the season, allowing only two runs while striking out seven batters in eight innings of an 8–3 win against the Tampa Bay Rays. Indians manager Eric Wedge praised Lee's performance in the game, telling reporters, "He has a tremendous focus out there and on top of that he's a competitor."[26] Lee made a total of nine major-league starts in his rookie season, going 3–3 with a 3.61 ERA while striking out 44 batters in 52+1⁄3 innings.[27] In his 14 minor-league starts, meanwhile, he went 7–1 with a 2.82 ERA.[14] After the MLB season ended in October, Lee underwent surgery in Philadelphia for his sports hernia. While recovering from surgery at the hospital, he met his future teammate Roy Oswalt, who was recovering from a groin injury.[28]
Lee began the 2004 MLB season in the Indians' starting rotation, the first time that he had made an opening-day MLB roster.[29] He picked up his first win of the season on April 12, pitching six innings in Cleveland's 6–3 home opener against the Minnesota Twins.[30] Lee began the year with a 5–0 record, taking his first loss of the season on June 3, when he allowed three runs over 6+2⁄3 innings of a 5–2 loss to the Anaheim Angels, raising his ERA from 2.87 to 3.27 in the process.[31] In his next start on June 13, Lee was ejected in the fourth inning after throwing what home plate umpire Matt Hollowell believed was a beanball at Ken Griffey Jr. of the Cincinnati Reds. Griffey had hit his 499th career home run off of Lee the inning prior, which Lee said made it "obviously [look] like I was throwing at him" in his next at-bat.. Lee maintained that the pitch was accidental, while Griffey refused to comment on whether or not he believed Lee was intentionally pitching at his head.[32] MLB suspended Lee for six games for the incident, a decision which Lee said he intended to appeal. At the time of the suspension, Lee had been quarantining in the team's hotel out of concern that he contracted chickenpox from his then-two-year-old son Jaxon.[33] On the advice of Wedge, Lee ultimately agreed to drop the appeal of his suspension, as the team had a conveniently placed day off that would allow them to keep their rotation as-is.[34]
After starting the season 10–1 in his first 19 games, Lee failed to carry his momentum through the second half of the season, falling into a six-game slump between July 21 and September 2, during which he carried a 10.51 ERA.[35] His frustrations came to a head on August 3, when Lee allowed six runs in 4+1⁄3 innings to the Toronto Blue Jays before throwing his hat and glove into the stands and storming to the bench.[36] Lee snapped his losing streak on September 8, allowing four earned runs in five innings of a 9–5 victory over the Seattle Mariners. It was his first win in 10 starts since July 16, when Cleveland defeated Seattle 18–6.[37] Lee won again on September 23, helping the Indians to a 9–7 victory over Minnesota despite allowing five runs in 5+2⁄3 innings. After the game, Lee described his own season performance as going "from doing real good to real bad", and that he needed to "figure out how to cut those [losing] stretches short".[38] He was able to finish the season strong, winning the last game of the season 5–2 against Minnesota and tying Jake Westbrook for the most wins that season on the Indians pitching staff.[39] Lee finished the season 14–8 with a 5.43 ERA in 33 starts, striking out 161 batters in 179 innings while allowing 30 home runs, 108 earned runs, and 188 hits.[27]
Breakout seasons: 2005–2006
One of the strengths the Indians boasted during the 2005 MLB season was their consistent pitching staff, both starting and in the bullpen. Lee was the No. 4 starter that season, behind Kevin Millwood, Jake Westbrook, and C. C. Sabathia, and ahead of Scott Elarton.[40] A flu-like illness gripped the Indians at the start of the year, and Lee took his first win of the season by pitching seven scoreless innings against the Kansas City Royals while attempting not to vomit on the mound.[41] The team recovered for a strong start to the season: by June 17, the Indians pitching staff had a collective 3.56 ERA, and Lee was 7–3 with a 3.09 ERA.[42] He registered his first complete game that July, albeit in a five-inning rain-shortened 6–2 win over the Royals.[43] Lee's nine-game winning streak, beginning on July 8, was snapped on September 29, when he took the loss in a 1–0 pitchers' duel with Seth McClung of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.[44] Despite hopes that the team would make the postseason, a series of losses in September meant that Cleveland missed the AL Wild Card, which went to the Boston Red Sox, by only two games.[40] Lee went 18–5 with a 3.79 ERA in 32 starts while striking out 143 batters in 202 innings.[27] His 18 wins led all American League (AL) left-handed pitchers, while Lee led all of MLB with a .783 winning percentage.[45] He also came in fourth in voting for the AL Cy Young Award, an honor which went to Bartolo Colón of the Anaheim Angels.[a][46] During the offseason, Lee underwent a follow-up arthroscopy for the sports hernia surgery he had undergone two years prior.[47]
Lee opened the 2006 season as the Indians' No. 3 starter, behind Sabathia and Westbrook and ahead of Paul Byrd and Jason Johnson, and as one of the only pitchers still in the final year of his contract.[48] That changed on August 9, when he signed a three-year, $14 million contract extension with the Indians, avoiding contract arbitration and allowing general manager Mike Shapiro to maintain control over another core player.[49] What seemed poised to be another successful season for Lee took a turn after the All-Star Game break. After going 6–1 with a 3.76 ERA in eight starts from June 3 to July 19, Lee allowed six runs and seven hits in a 7–5 loss to the Angels, a loss that was part of a larger five-game losing streak for Cleveland.[50] Across July and August, Lee endured a 2–5 skid with three no decisions and a 4.78 ERA. He became frustrated with himself on August 28, when he allowed five runs, including three home runs, in only 5+2⁄3 innings against the Tigers. In addition to being displeased with lasting fewer than six innings, he told reporters after the game that allowing so many home runs was "not acceptable".[51] Although Lee and the Indians failed to capture their previous season highs, with Cleveland finishing the year 78–84 and Lee going 14–11, the pitcher did manage to register one accomplishment: on October 1, his final start of the year, Lee pitched his first nine-inning complete game, a 6–3 defeat of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.[52] He finished the year with a 4.40 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 200+2⁄3 innings.[27]
Minor-league setback: 2007