Derrek Lee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Derrek Lee |
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Lee with the Baltimore Orioles in 2011
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: September 6, 1975 Sacramento, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 28, 1997, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 2011, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .281 | ||
| Home runs | 331 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,078 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Derrek Leon Lee (born September 6, 1975), known as "D-Lee", is a former professional baseball player from America. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). Lee played for several teams, including the San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Derrek Lee was a World Series champion with the Marlins in 2003. He also won the National League batting title in 2005. He was chosen for the All-Star team twice. Lee also won the Gold Glove Award three times for his excellent fielding.
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Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Derrek Lee was born on September 6, 1975, in Sacramento, California. His father, Leon Lee, and his uncle, Leron Lee, both played professional baseball in Japan. Derrek lived in Japan during his early school years. He also spent many summer breaks there during high school.
He played Little League Baseball and later graduated from El Camino High School in 1993.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting with the San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres picked Derrek Lee in the first round of the 1993 MLB draft. He was the 14th player chosen overall. Lee made his MLB debut on April 28, 1997.
Winning with the Florida Marlins
A year later, Lee was traded to the Florida Marlins. He became a key player for the 2003 World Series Marlins championship team. In 2003, Lee won his first Gold Glove for his great defensive plays. One amazing play in Game 5 of the World Series helped the Marlins win. They went on to win the World Series in Game 6.
Star Years with the Chicago Cubs
Lee was traded to the Cubs for another player, Hee-seop Choi. In his first year with the Cubs, Lee hit .278 with 32 home runs and 98 RBIs. In 2005, Lee had an amazing first half of the season. He led MLB with a .376 batting average. He also had 72 RBIs and tied for the most home runs with 27.
Lee had a career-best year in 2005. He hit 46 home runs. His .335 batting average was the highest for a Cub since 1976. This made him the first Cub since 1980 to win a National League batting title. He also won the NL Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards at first base that year.
Lee was chosen to play for the U.S. team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. He was the first player to hit a home run for Team USA in that tournament. In April 2006, Lee signed a five-year contract extension with the Chicago Cubs. This deal kept him as the Cubs' first baseman until the 2010 season.
In 2008, Lee hit 20 home runs and had 90 RBIs. He helped the Cubs win the NL Central championship. In 2009, Lee had a 21-game hitting streak. He finished the year with a .306 batting average, 35 home runs, and 111 RBIs. On June 9, 2010, Lee hit his 300th career home run.
Time with the Atlanta Braves
In August 2010, Lee was traded to the Atlanta Braves. He became the Braves' starting first baseman. He also played for them in the postseason during the NLDS.
Playing for the Baltimore Orioles
Lee signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles for the 2011 season. He played in 85 games for the Orioles. He batted .246 with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs.
Finishing with the Pittsburgh Pirates
On July 30, 2011, Lee was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He hit two home runs in his very first game as a Pirate. Lee played in 28 games for the Pirates in 2011. He batted .337 with 7 home runs and 18 RBIs.
Personal Life and Community Work
Derrek Lee's father, Leon Lee, played professional baseball in Japan. His uncle, Leron Lee, played eight seasons in Major League Baseball.
Project 3000
In 2006, Lee's young daughter, Jada, was diagnosed with a rare eye disease. This disease can cause vision loss. Lee and another person, Wyc Grousbeck, teamed up with the University of Iowa to start Project 3000. Their goal was to find a cure for this disease. Lee also appeared on a TV show called ER to help raise awareness. His efforts have helped raise over $1,000,000 for research.
In 2009, it was found that Jada did not have the disease after all. However, Lee continues to work hard and raise money for Project 3000.
1st Touch Foundation
In 2005, Lee and his wife started the 1st Touch Foundation. This foundation aimed to help young people in the community with their education. They wanted to build a youth center in Sacramento, California. The foundation closed in 2012 after helping children for seven years.
Lee has also visited countries like Uganda and Israel. He helped with baseball programs there. In 2015, he visited the Israel Baseball Academy to help players improve their skills.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
