Donald Edward Lee (born February 26, 1934 in Globe, Arizona) is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers (1957-58), Washington Senators (1959), Minnesota Twins (1961-62), Los Angeles & California Angels (1962-65), Houston Astros (1965-66) and Chicago Cubs (1966). Lee, who also batted right-handed, is the son of former major league pitcher Thornton Lee.
Lee attended University of Arizona. Signed by the Tigers as an amateur free agent in 1956, he debuted in the 1957 season. After two years with the Tigers, he was sent to the Senators. He then became the first major league player to play for three expansion teams in the 1960s, pitching for the Angels teams and the Astros. He finished his career with the Cubs in 1966.
Lee was a journeyman pitcher who divided his playing time jumping between the rotation and the bullpen. His most productive season came in 1962 with Minnesota and the Angels, when he compiled career-highs in victories (11), strikeouts (102), shutouts (2) and innings pitched (205.1).
In a nine-season career, Lee posted a 40-44 record with 467 strikeouts, a .361 ERA, 11 saves, and 828.1 innings in 244 games played (97 as a starter).
Fact
- On September 2, 1960, Lee surrendered a home run to Ted Williams in the first game of a doubleheader between the Senators and Boston Red Sox. 21 years before, in his rookie season, Williams hit a home run off Don's father Thornton Lee, then with the Detroit Tigers, on September 19, 1939. With this feat, Williams became the only player in major league history to hit home runs against a father and son.
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