Cliff Lee

Early life and college career

Clifton Phifer Lee was born on August 30, 1978, in Benton, Arkansas, to Steve and Sharon Lee. His father was a local firefighter and one-time city council member. He was named Clifton after his maternal grandfather, while Phifer was his mother's maiden name. Both of his parents were high school athletes: Steve was a wide receiver for the football team at Benton High School, while Sharon, despite missing one hand from a birth defect, was a pitcher for a local softball team. Although he also played football and basketball, Lee's primary focus in high school was on baseball, where his former coach described him as a hard thrower who had trouble with his pitch command. College baseball coach Norm DeBriyn referred to Lee as a "can't-miss guy" upon seeing him pitch in high school, describing him as "a big left-hander that threw hard". He was able to increase his strikeouts and decrease his walk ratio over the course of his high school career, and pitched two no-hitters as a senior.

That year, Lee attracted attention from professional baseball scouts for his 91 mph (146 km/h) fastball, even after a shoulder injury forced him off of the pitcher's mound and into the outfield. He was selected out of high school by the Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the eighth round (246th overall) of the 1997 Major League Baseball draft, but failed to reach contract terms with the team and instead played college baseball for Meridian Community College. Originally, he had committed to play for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, but reneged when he learned that NCAA Division I baseball players were ineligible for the MLB draft until their junior year. Following his freshman season in Meridian, Lee was drafted again, this time by the Baltimore Orioles in the 20th round (609th overall) of the 1998 MLB draft, but he again chose not to sign. In 2000, Lee accepted a scholarship offer to play college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks as a junior. His season fell below expectations, with Lee posting a 4–3 win–loss record and a 4.46 earned run average (ERA) in 16 games (nine starts), as well as 45 hits, 77 strikeouts, and 52 walks in 64+1⁄3 innings pitched. Lee also ran into issues with his pitching stamina, which forced him to occasionally pitch out of the bullpen.

Professional baseball career

Montreal Expos organization (2000–02)

The Montreal Expos of MLB selected Lee in the fourth round (105th overall) of the 2000 MLB draft. Joe Jordan, the scout who saw Lee pitch at Arkansas, noted that he had an undeveloped pitch repertoire and a high walk rate, but was impressed by his competitive nature. After signing with Montreal, Lee was assigned to the Single-A Cape Fear Crocs of the South Atlantic League, a minor-league affiliate of the Expos. There, he struck out 63 batters in 44+2⁄3 innings, but an inconsistent delivery also led to 36 walks, 50 hits, and a 5.24 ERA. There were also concerns going forward about Lee's lack of stamina, which had followed from his college career.

Lee spent the entire 2001 season with the Class A-Advanced Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League during their final year as an affiliate of the Expos. He frequently clashed with Jupiter pitching coach Ace Adams over how far he was going in games: Lee wanted to pitch a complete game in every start, and he became upset when Adams responded to Lee's arm fatigue by placing him on rest for several weeks. Despite their disagreements, it was under Adams' tutelage that Lee developed his cut fastball, which he had not thrown before joining the Hammerheads. Lee started 21 games for Jupiter, posting a 6–7 record and a 2.79 ERA while striking out 129 batters in 109+2⁄3 innings. His performance with Jupiter earned Lee a promotion to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators for the 2002 season. He made 15 starts there, posting a 7–2 record and a 3.23 ERA.

Cleveland Indians (2002–09)

On June 27, 2002, Lee was part of a six-player trade-deadline deal between the Expos and the Cleveland Indians. The Expos, who were making a push for the 2002 MLB playoffs, acquired Cleveland ace Bartolo Colón, pitching prospect Tim Drew, and cash from the Indians, while Cleveland received Lee, minor-league shortstop Brandon Phillips, outfield prospect Grady Sizemore, and first baseman Lee Stevens. After making only three starts with the Double-A Akron Aeros, during which he went 2–1 with a 5.40 ERA and struck out 18 batters in 16+2⁄3 innings, Lee was promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the International League.

Lee made his major-league debut on September 15, 2002, where he took the loss against the Minnesota Twins. He was able to take a shutout into the sixth inning before pitch-count limitations pulled him out of the game. The shutout bid came to an end when Cristian Guzman, who Lee had left on third base, scored on a sacrifice fly from Matt LeCroy; the Indians ultimately lost 5–0. Minnesota's victory clinched their first playoff berth since 1991. Lee had one other major-league start that season, earning a no decision after allowing one run in five innings of Cleveland's 3–2 loss to the Kansas City Royals. In addition to his two Cleveland starts, Lee started a total of 26 minor-league games across Harrisburg, Akron, and Buffalo. He went 12–5 in those starts with a 3.64 ERA, and struck out 153 batters in 146 innings.

At the start of spring training in 2003, Lee suffered an abdominal strain that kept him from the mound through the start of the regular season. He was officially transferred to the 60-day disabled list after spring training ended and before the start of the season. The strain, compounded by an additional sports hernia, kept Lee from pitching between March 28 and May 20. After undergoing a Double-A rehabilitation assignment, Lee began the 2003 season in Buffalo, with no expectation that he would rejoin the major leagues. He was recalled to Cleveland for the first game of a doubleheader on June 30, 2003. He picked up his first major-league win in that game, taking a three-hitter into the seventh inning of a 10–5 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Afterwards, Lee and Brad Voyles were sent back down to Buffalo to continue their development. He was recalled again on August 16, taking injured reliever Jason Boyd's position in the Indians' 25-man roster when Boyd suffered from shoulder tendinitis. Lee impressed in his third start of the season, allowing only two runs while striking out seven batters in eight innings of an 8–3 win against the Tampa Bay Rays. Indians manager Eric Wedge praised Lee's performance in the game, telling reporters, "He has a tremendous focus out there and on top of that he's a competitor." Lee made a total of nine major-league starts in his rookie season, going 3–3 with a 3.61 ERA while striking out 44 batters in 52+1⁄3 innings. In his 14 minor-league starts, meanwhile, he went 7–1 with a 2.82 ERA. After the MLB season ended in October, Lee underwent surgery in Philadelphia for his sports hernia. While recovering from surgery at the hospital, he met his future teammate Roy Oswalt, who was recovering from a groin injury.

Philadelphia Phillies (2009)

On July 29, two days before the MLB trading deadline, the Indians traded Lee to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for four prospects: Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, Lou Marson, and Jason Donald. The Phillies had previously attempted to trade for Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays, but were unwilling to part with the players that Toronto was asking for in return. In his first start for his new team, Lee carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished with a complete-game 5–1 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Although he was dominant in his first five starts, taking the win in all and dropping his ERA down to 0.68, Lee struggled through his next seven appearances with Philadelphia, going 2–4 with a 6.13 ERA. Lee finished out the regular season with 12 National League (NL) starts, including three complete games, during which he went 7–4 with a 3.39 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 79+2⁄3 innings.

The Phillies clinched their third consecutive NL East title and playoff berth on September 30 with a 10–3 victory over the Houston Astros. Lee was selected over fellow ace Cole Hamels to start Game 1 of the 2009 National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies. He pitched a six-hit complete game in the 5–1 victory, striking out five, walking none, and getting a hit of his own. Lee got the start again in Game 4 for a rematch against Colorado ace Ubaldo Jimenez. Although Lee pitched 7+1⁄3 innings, he was pulled in favor of Ryan Madson with the score 2–1 after a walk and an error put Dexter Fowler in scoring position. Madson allowed three runs but was credited with the win following a late-game Philadelphia rally. The Phillies won 5–4 to advance to the NL Championship Series (NLCS), where they faced the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Phillies took Game 3 11–0 behind a standout performance from Lee, who went eight innings without issuing a run or walk and allowed only three hits. By the time the Phillies clinched their second consecutive appearance in the World Series, Lee had a 0.74 ERA through 24+1⁄3 innings in the first three postseason starts of his career.

Lee opened the 2009 World Series with a matchup against his former teammate, CC Sabathia, who was now playing with the New York Yankees. Missing the team bus, Lee was nearly late to the game, with his taxi stuck in New York City traffic, and ended up taking the New York City Subway to Yankee Stadium. However, Lee was unfazed and only allowed six hits and one unearned run in a 10-strikeout complete game that the Phillies won 6–1. His feat lowered his postseason ERA to 0.54, dropping below Mariano Rivera's 0.77 record, and Lee became the first pitcher in MLB history to strike out 10 batters while issuing no walks or earned runs in a World Series game. Lee took the win again in Game 5, outpitching A. J. Burnett, who lasted only two innings, but ran into struggles of his own by giving up five runs in seven innings of the Phillies' 8–6 win. The Phillies battled the Yankees to six games, but ultimately lost Game 6 by a score of 7–3.

Seattle Mariners (2010)

On December 16, 2009, the Phillies traded Lee to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for three prospects: right-handed pitchers Phillippe Aumont and J. C. Ramírez, and outfielder Tyson Gillies. The Mariners had devoted their offseason to acquiring a strong starting pitcher, and had initially pursued Rich Harden, who was acquired as a free agent by the Texas Rangers. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. offered to trade Lee to Seattle if he and the Phillies could successfully acquire Halladay from the Blue Jays. Lee was taken by surprise upon hearing of the trade, which had occurred amidst talks of a contract extension with the Phillies, but said he understood why Philadelphia would take "an opportunity to get the best pitcher in baseball" instead. The Halladay—Lee switch was the first time in MLB history that two Cy Young-winning pitchers had been traded on the same day. That February, Lee underwent foot surgery to remove a bone spur that had broken loose. The surgery was considered minor, and Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik expressed confidence that it would not impede Lee's preparation for the upcoming season.

Lee's notorious short temper appeared to return during spring training, when he was suspended for five regular-season games after throwing a fastball over the head of opposing catcher Chris Snyder during an exhibition game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 15. Zduriencik told reporters that he expected Lee, who the Mariners intended to pair with ace Felix Hernandez at the top of the starting rotation, would appeal the decision. Upon appeal, the suspension and fine were rescinded on April 21, with Lee and the Mariners' head athletic trainer successfully arguing that the throw was not intentional. Rather, Lee's recovery from foot surgery, as well as the abdominal strain that he had suffered earlier in the game during a collision with Snyder, had caused Lee to throw a wild pitch. Lee had been placed on the 15-day disabled list for the abdominal strain on April 4, retroactive to March 26, causing him to miss the start of the 2010 MLB season. He returned to the mound on April 30, 2010, earning a no decision by striking out eight Rangers in seven innings. The game went into extra innings before Elvis Andrus scored on a wild pitch from Mariners reliever Brandon League, allowing Texas to take the game 2–0 in the 12th inning. Lee's first win with the Mariners came on May 11, when he allowed one run in 7+1⁄3 innings of a 5–1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Lee proved an overall success in Seattle, posting an 8–3 record and 2.34 ERA in 13 starts, as well as 0.5 walks per nine innings. His longevity on the mound proved to be a particular asset; on June 30, with a 7–4 defeat of the New York Yankees, Lee pitched his third complete game in a row. He was the first MLB pitcher to do so since his former teammate CC Sabathia in 2008, and the first Mariner since Randy Johnson in 1998. That month, he received his second career AL Pitcher of the Month title. Despite his prowess on the mound, Seattle quickly fell behind in the AL West. By June 18, the Mariners were 16 games under .500 and 12+1⁄2 games behind in the pennant race.

Texas Rangers (2010)

As the Mariners' season broke down, with the team 13 games behind in the AL West by mid-June, Lee became an acquisition target for multiple teams trying to improve their starting pitching before the MLB trading deadline. The New York Yankees were in talks to acquire Lee by sending catcher Jesus Montero, second baseman David Adams, and pitching prospect Zach McAllister to Seattle. The deal fell through, however, after Adams suffered a sprained ankle. The Mariners used the injury to attempt to restructure the trade package, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman refused, effectively killing the trade. On July 9, 2010, the same day negotiations fell through with the Yankees, the Texas Rangers reached an agreement to trade first baseman Justin Smoak, prospects Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke, and Matthew Lawson, and $2.25 million to Seattle in exchange for Lee.

Although Lee had been selected to appear in the 2010 MLB All-Star Game with the Mariners, the timing of his trade meant that he represented the Rangers when he pitched for the AL team on July 13, retiring Martin Prado, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Howard in a six-pitch fourth inning. Shortly afterwards, on August 6, Lee went eight innings in a 5–1 victory over the Oakland Athletics before Frank Francisco relieved him for a scoreless ninth inning. He started a total of 15 regular-season games for the Rangers, going 4–6 with an ERA of 3.98 and striking out 96 batters in 108+2⁄3 innings of work. In addition to his performance on the mound, Lee's teammates and managers told The Athletic that they appreciated his clubhouse presence. Teammate Colby Lewis referred to the back half of the season as "relaxed fun", as the addition of Lee gave them confidence that "If we lost one or two, it was like, 'So what? Who cares? We're gonna go win the next seven.'"

The Rangers clinched the AL West title and their first postseason berth in 11 years on September 25, 2010, in a 4–3 defeat of the Athletics. The Rangers faced the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2010 American League Division Series (ALDS), with Lee starting Game 1 against Tampa Bay ace David Price. Lee was dominant in the seven innings he pitched of the 5–1 victory, striking out 10 while allowing only five hits, including a Ben Zobrist solo home run. Although he had previously said he would use a three-person starting rotation "if we think we need [Lee]", Ron Washington ultimately opted not to let his ace pitch on short rest, instead starting Tommy Hunter for Game 4. Instead, Game 5 proved a rematch between Lee and Price, with Lee striking out 11 and allowing only one unearned run in a complete game 5–1 victory that allowed the Rangers to capture a playoff series for the first time in franchise history. The Rangers faced the Yankees in the 2010 American League Championship Series (ALCS). Lee started Game 3, striking out 13 and allowing only two hits in eight innings of an 8–0 rout of New York and Andy Pettitte. It was only the second time in postseason history that the Yankees' opposing pitcher gave up two or fewer hits while pitching eight or more innings; Warren Spahn did the same in Game 4 of the 1958 World Series. The Rangers defeated the Yankees in six games, leading to their first franchise World Series appearance.

Second stint in Philadelphia (2011–2014)

Despite being offered a seven-year, $150 million contract with the New York Yankees, Lee opted to sign with the Phillies on December 14, 2010, taking their offer of five years at a total of $120 million. The decision came as a surprise to many baseball analysts, who did not expect Lee to turn down an additional $30 million to return to Philadelphia. Throughout the 2010 Winter Meetings, Lee had been approached by the Rangers and the Yankees, but he told his agent Derek Braunecker that he desired an offer from the Phillies. Braunecker met with Philadelphia assistant general manager Scott Proefrock, who agreed on the condition that Lee's interest in rejoining the team was genuine and not a tool to increase Lee's offers from other teams. Braunecker asked Proefrock if the Phillies would be willing to offer his client a five-year contract, saying, "We'll entertain anything". In an interview shortly after re-signing with the Phillies, Lee told The New York Times that his decision was "kind of a no-brainer", and that he "never wanted to leave in the first place".

He became part of a rotation known as the "Four Aces", consisting of Lee, Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt. The rotation operated with only a loose order, with manager Charlie Manuel telling reporters, "We're going to have a No. 1 starter every day, so it really doesn't matter." In his first game back with the Phillies, Lee, who received a standing ovation from fans before taking the mound, had 11 strikeouts in seven innings of a 9–4 defeat of the Astros. He was named the NL Pitcher of the Month that June after going 5–0 with a 0.21 ERA and pitching all but three innings in those five starts. He also outscored his opponents as a batter, recording two runs batted in (RBI) but allowing only one run. Those were not the only offensive moments of Lee's season. He hit his first major-league home run on July 9, against Tommy Hanson of the Atlanta Braves. Although the Phillies lost 4–1, Lee's home run was the first by a Philadelphia pitcher since Chan Ho Park two years prior. He homered again on August 9, this time scoring the go-ahead run against Ted Lilly in a 2–1 defeat of the Dodgers.

Lee and Halladay were both selected for the 2011 All-Star Game, combining for nearly four perfect innings before Adrian Gonzalez of the Red Sox hit a solo home run against Lee. With 39 strikeouts, a 0.45 ERA, and only two earned runs over 39+2⁄3 innings in August, Lee notched his second NL Pitcher of the Month title and became the first pitcher in MLB history to have two months of five wins, no losses, and a sub-0.50 ERA. Lee and the Phillies continued their dominant run through the remainder of the season, and on September 26, Lee took the win in their 100th game of the season, a 4–2 defeat of the Braves. It was only the third time in franchise history that the Phillies had won 100 or more games in a season. He finished the year with a 17–8 record, 2.40 ERA, and 1.027 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) in 232+2⁄3 innings. His six shutouts tied Randy Johnson's 1998 season for the second-highest in MLB history. Lee finished third in NL Cy Young voting with 90 points and no first-place votes, behind winner Clayton Kershaw, who received 207 points and 27 first-place votes, and Halladay, who recorded 133 points and four first-place votes. Rotation mate Hamels followed in fifth place with 17 points, while Oswalt and Blanton were not finalists.

Retirement

After the 2014 season, Lee had said that he would retire at the end of his contract with the Phillies. While waiting to hear whether his elbow injury would require surgery, he voiced concerns to Meghan Montemurro of USA Today that he might never pitch again. By December 2015, however, Lee had received medical clearance to play baseball, and his agent, Darek Braunecker, told reporters that he would pitch in the 2016 MLB season if he found "the right fit". The following month, Braunecker clarified that Lee was adjusting to full-time fatherhood, but that he retained an interest in pitching professionally again. On February 23, 2016, Braunecker announced that Lee would not pitch during the 2016 season. While not an official retirement, the announcement appeared to signal the end of Lee's professional baseball career. In his 13 seasons in MLB, Lee posted a 143–91 record with a 3.52 ERA, and struck out 1,824 batters.

Lee was one of 18 new nominees on the 2020 ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He appeared on two out of 397 ballots, falling short of the 5-percent voting threshold required to appear on subsequent ballots.

Pitching style

By the end of his career, Lee had a four-pitch repertoire consisting of a fastball, cutter, changeup, and curveball. Of these, he considered his curveball to be his most effective pitch, but used it only sparingly, as he had better command of his other pitches. He also employed a slider, although he rarely included that pitch in discussions of his repertoire. David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News described Lee's slider interchangeably with his cutter as one primary type of breaking ball. He was not known as a power pitcher: in 2010, Lee's average fastball velocity was only 91.3 mph (146.9 km/h). in line with the MLB average from 2008 to 2015. Instead, he preferred to focus on accuracy and command, throwing the majority of his pitches for strikes. In 2012, Lee threw a strike on the first pitch to 71 percent of the batters that he faced, and he had the highest strikeout-to-walk ratio of any pitcher over the age of 33 since Curt Schilling in 2001 and 2002. His fastball in particular was difficult to hit, landing on the low inside corner of the strike zone. After his 2007 demotion to the minor leagues, Lee told Joe Jordan, then a scouting director for the Baltimore Orioles, that he had adopted a philosophy of throwing "Three pitches for strikes every night. That's the key."

In addition to his command of multiple varieties of pitch, Lee was also known for his consistent and methodical approach on the mound. Rangers reliever Darren O'Day referred to Lee as a "technician", because he would not become emotional or alter his rhythm under high-stress situations, such as when multiple runners were on base. His Phillies teammates and general manager both noted Lee's composure on the mound as one of his strengths, as it allowed him to retain control of the game. Despite this, Lee's stubborn personality sometimes led to a short temper, such as when he appeared to intentionally hit Sammy Sosa with a pitch or would argue with his catcher mid-game.

Having spent significant time in both leagues, Lee told reporters after his retirement that he preferred playing in the National League, in which the pitcher batted (at that time) instead of being replaced by a designated hitter. This preference was both because Lee enjoyed hitting, despite his career batting average of .175, and because he preferred games where he faced the opposing team's pitcher.

Personal life

Lee met his future wife Kristen when they were in middle school, he in the seventh grade and she in the sixth. While the pair were high school acquaintances, they did not start dating until Lee was in college.

They married in 2000, and have two children together, son Jaxon, followed by daughter Maci. Jaxon was diagnosed with infant leukemia when he was four months old. In 2010, the Lees donated $1 million to establish an endowed chair in pediatric hematology and oncology at the Arkansas Children's Hospital, where Jaxon was treated. During Lee's first stint with Philadelphia, Kristen became close with Phillies owner John Middleton and his wife at the team's Manhattan hotel after the Game 6 loss in the 2009 World Series. Kristen lobbied Lee's agent for a return to Philadelphia for the 2011 season.

Lee filed for divorce on February 9, 2026 in Pulaski County.

Off the field, Lee is known for having an introverted personality; an article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette wrote that he "would rather cut off his pitching arm than call attention to himself". Although he had little trouble with the attention that pitching brought, Lee was uncomfortable speaking in front of large groups of people. After leaving MLB, he has made few public appearances, notably missing a 2009 Phillies team reunion during Bobby Abreu's Wall of Fame induction ceremony. His activities outside of baseball include hunting, fishing, and online chess.

Career highlights

League leader

MLB wins (2008)

AL ERA (2008)