Ex-big leaguer Bill Lee, 75, collapses at exhibition game

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Former Boston Red Sox star Bill Lee collapsed in the bullpen while warming up for a Savannah Bananas exhibition game Friday night, but the 75-year-old pitcher walked off the field with assistance.

“He was able to leave the stadium with medical attention and was taken to a local hospital,” team president Jared Orton said in an email to The Associated Press.

Lee, a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame and fondly nicknamed “Spaceman,” was in the right-field bullpen when the episode occurred.

Lee has pitched for the Bananas, a popular club known for its bright yellow uniforms and entertaining antics on and off the field. There is another version of the Bananas in the Coastal Plain League, a college summer league.

In 14 seasons with Boston and Montreal, Lee went 119-90. An All-Star in 1973, the left-hander helped pitch the Red Sox into the 1975 World Series and started Game 7 against Cincinnati. Lee exited in the seventh inning and Boston later lost to Cincinnati 4-3.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up