Cliff Lee

Clifton Phifer Lee (born August 30, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB).

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.

He was named Clifton after his maternal grandfather, while Phifer was his mother's maiden name.

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.

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.

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".

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.

That year, Lee attracted attention from professional baseball scouts for his 91 mph fastball, even after a shoulder injury forced him off of the pitcher's mound and into the outfield.

Born and raised in Benton, Arkansas, Lee's 91 mph 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lee also ran into issues with his pitching stamina, which forced him to occasionally pitch out of the bullpen.

The Montreal Expos of MLB selected Lee In the fourth round, 105th overall, of the 2000 MLB Draft.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Despite their disagreements, it was under Adams' tutelage that Lee developed his cut fastball, which he had not thrown before joining the Hammerheads.

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.

Between 2002 and 2014 he played for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers.

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.

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.

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.