Bill Lee

William Francis Lee III (born December 28, 1946), nicknamed "Spaceman", is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox (1969–1978) and Montreal Expos (1979–1982). On November 7, 2008, Lee was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame as the team's record-holder for most games pitched by a left-hander (321) and the third highest win total by a Red Sox southpaw (94). On August 23, 2012, he signed a contract to play with the San Rafael Pacifics of the independent North American League, at age 65.

In addition to his statistical baseball accomplishments, Lee is known for his counterculture behavior, his antics both on and off the field, and his use of the "Leephus pitch", a personalized variation of the eephus pitch.Lee has co-written four books: The Wrong Stuff; Have Glove, Will Travel; The Little Red (Sox) Book: A Revisionist Red Sox History; and Baseball Eccentrics: The Most Entertaining, Outrageous, and Unforgettable Characters in the Game. In 2006, the Brett Rapkin documentary film Spaceman: A Baseball Odyssey featured Lee. Lee was born in Burbank, California, into a family of former semipro and professional baseball players. His grandfather William Lee was an infielder for the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League, and his aunt Annabelle Lee was a pitcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. "She was the best athlete in the family", Lee said. "She taught me how to pitch."Lee attended and played baseball at Terra Linda High School in San Rafael, California, graduating in 1964 before enrolling at the University of Southern California (USC). From 1964 to 1968, majoring in physical education and geography, Lee attended USC, where he played for Rod Dedeaux. Lee was part of the Trojans team, which won the 1968 College World Series, and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 22nd round of the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft.

Lee served in the US Army Reserve for six years during the Vietnam War. One of his jobs was to process the dead soldiers from New England and call the families. He was also a chemical, radiation, and biological officer for the 1173rd and earned Soldier of the Cycle at Fort Polk Louisiana.Lee is a Rastafarian and a former Catholic. He is married to Canadian-born Diana Donovan.