Leon Lee facts for kids

Leon Lee was born on December 4, 1952, in Sacramento, California. He is a former professional baseball player and manager from the United States. Leon Lee is best known for his successful career playing baseball in Japan.

He played different positions like first base, third base, and catcher. He batted and threw with his right hand. Leon Lee played for ten years in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), which is Japan's main baseball league. Many people thought he was one of the best foreign players ever in the NPB. Later, he made history by becoming the first African-American manager in Japanese baseball.

Leon Lee comes from a baseball family. His son, Derrek Lee, also played in Major League Baseball (MLB). His older brother, Leron Lee, was also an MLB player. Leon and Leron even played on the same team, the Lotte Orions, for three seasons in Japan.

Leon Lee's Baseball Journey

Starting in American Baseball

Leon Lee began his professional baseball career in the United States. The St. Louis Cardinals picked him in the 1971 draft. He spent seven years playing in the Cardinals' minor league teams. However, he did not get to play in a Major League Baseball (MLB) game during that time.

Playing Baseball in Japan

Leon Lee moved to Japan to play baseball with help from his older brother, Leron Lee. His brother was already playing for the Lotte Orions, an NPB team. Leon joined the Orions and played alongside his brother for five seasons.

He had a fantastic year in 1980. That season, he hit 41 Home runs, had 116 RBIs, and a .340 batting average. His batting average was the second-highest in the Pacific League that year. Only his brother, Leron, had a higher average.

After playing for the Lotte Orions, Leon Lee was traded to the Yokohama Taiyo Whales. He played for them from 1983 to 1985. He finished his playing career in Japan with the Yakult Swallows, where he played from 1986 to 1987. After that, he returned to the United States.

Becoming a Scout and Manager

Leon Lee's experience playing in Japan was very helpful for his next career steps. In 1998, he became a scout for the Chicago Cubs. His job was to find talented players in the Pacific Rim region.

After the 2002 MLB season, Leon Lee went back to Japan. He became the hitting coach for the Orix BlueWave team for the 2003 NPB season. The team's manager was fired in April, and Leon Lee was chosen to take over. This was a big moment because he became the first African-American manager in the history of Japanese baseball.

On May 17, 2003, Leon Lee's BlueWave team played against the Nippon Ham Fighters. The Fighters were managed by Trey Hillman. This game was special because it was the first time in 28 years that two American managers faced each other in Japan. The BlueWave team was good at hitting, but their pitchers struggled. The team finished in last place that season. The club decided to hire a Japanese manager for the next season. Leon Lee was offered to stay as the hitting coach, but he chose not to.

Managing the Brooklyn Cyclones

In February 2004, Leon Lee was hired to manage the Brooklyn Cyclones. This team is a minor-league team for the New York Mets. He was excited to lead the team. However, he had to leave the position before managing his first game.

Sacramento Stealth

In 2016, Leon Lee became the owner of the Sacramento Stealth. This team plays in the Great West League, which is a league for college baseball players who use wooden bats.