Watty Lee
Encyclopedia
Wyatt Arnold "Watty" Lee was a Major League Baseball
outfielder
and pitcher
. He played all or part of four seasons in the majors, from until , for the Washington Senators
and Pittsburgh Pirates
.
Lee broke into the major leagues with the ascension of the American League
to major league status in 1901. Playing for the Senators, Lee won 16 games, second on the team to Case Patten
's 18 wins. He also played 7 games in the outfield and batted .256.
In 1902, Lee was moved to the outfield full-time, playing 96 games there. He batted .256 again and set career highs in every other major statistical category. He hit all four of his career home runs this season. Lee also pitched in 13 games with a record of 5-7.
1903 saw Lee splitting his time more evenly between pitching and the outfield. Lee played 47 games in the outfield and 22 games as a pitcher. His batting average slipped to just .208, but he had a career-best ERA
of 3.08 while posting a record of 8-12.
Lee jumped to the National League
in 1904, playing for the defending NL champion Pirates. He appeared in just 8 games, 5 as a pitcher and 3 as a pinch hitter
. Although he went 4-for-12 at the plate for a .333 batting average, his pitching record was not nearly as good, as he posted a bloated 8.74 ERA while winning 1 game and losing 2.
While this was the end of Lee's major league career, he went on to a long career in minor league baseball
. He continued to split his time between pitching and the outfield until , when he became a pitcher only. He finished his career in with the Richmond Virginians of the International League
, with at least 142 wins in the minor leagues over a 16-year span.
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...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. He played all or part of four seasons in the majors, from until , for the Washington Senators
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...
and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
.
Lee broke into the major leagues with the ascension of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
to major league status in 1901. Playing for the Senators, Lee won 16 games, second on the team to Case Patten
Case Patten
Case Lyman "Casey" Patten was a professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher over parts of eight seasons with the Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox...
's 18 wins. He also played 7 games in the outfield and batted .256.
In 1902, Lee was moved to the outfield full-time, playing 96 games there. He batted .256 again and set career highs in every other major statistical category. He hit all four of his career home runs this season. Lee also pitched in 13 games with a record of 5-7.
1903 saw Lee splitting his time more evenly between pitching and the outfield. Lee played 47 games in the outfield and 22 games as a pitcher. His batting average slipped to just .208, but he had a career-best ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 3.08 while posting a record of 8-12.
Lee jumped to the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in 1904, playing for the defending NL champion Pirates. He appeared in just 8 games, 5 as a pitcher and 3 as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
. Although he went 4-for-12 at the plate for a .333 batting average, his pitching record was not nearly as good, as he posted a bloated 8.74 ERA while winning 1 game and losing 2.
While this was the end of Lee's major league career, he went on to a long career in minor league baseball
Minor 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...
. He continued to split his time between pitching and the outfield until , when he became a pitcher only. He finished his career in with the Richmond Virginians of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
, with at least 142 wins in the minor leagues over a 16-year span.