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Bill Lee spent 14 years pitching in the majors, including a decade for the Red Sox with a 94-68 record and 3.64 ERA.
Lee had some good years, but was, generally, slightly above average for that era. But, boy, he was popular, and he's remained so for his bombastic personality and strong opinions.
WBZ's Jonny Miller caught up with Lee at spring training and asked him what he thinks of pitchers today.
The 71-year-old offered a thought on how the younger generation can improve.
“Throw strikes, keep the ball down, don’t alibi hustle,” Lee said. “Throw the ball over the plate, pitch to contact, get out of there in an hour and forty-three minutes. The umpires love you, the fans love you and the bartenders love you.”
Bill, do you think pitchers are getting a bit too cute on the mound?
“They’re afraid to pitch to contact, because of radar guns and the coaching staff and the guys we had with the towels on home plate, and pitch to here and there,” Lee said. "You pitch to the hitter, you let him hit the ball, it will speed up the game – everything will be fine.”
“If I was commissioner of baseball, we’d have none of our problems, we’d have no drug addiction, because the chewing gum that I’d be passing out would be unbelievable.”
Sounds good, right?
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman Reports: