NAmL San Rafael Pacifics

Bill "Spaceman" Lee Plays All Nine Positions at Age 66

Published on August 22, 2013 under North American League (NAmL)
San Rafael Pacifics News Release


SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - Bill "Spaceman" Lee celebrated Senior Citizen Day in a way few of his peers have done, and only four major leaguers have done in the past 48 years: he played all nine positions in one game. Lee's performance ultimately overshadowed a rare loss by the San Rafael Pacifics minor league baseball team, a 4-1 decision to Na Koa Ikaika Maui.

"I made a bad play at second but I played first well. I caught, I had an assist on a foul tip and another assist when I threw a guy out," said Lee. "We came back in the ninth inning. When you can get the tying run to the plate, that's a good day."

While the Spaceman started behind the plate, allowing a stolen base and pair of passed balls that saw Maui take a 1-0 lead in the first, he rambled from position to position and eventually found himself on the bench in a key situation.

The only ball Lee saw in the outfield sailed over the center field wall for a two-run Justin James homer. He moved to the mound and allowed a hit before retiring the side in the fifth. Lee went unscathed in the sixth and seventh on the left side of the infield. In the eighth, at second base, Lee couldn't get to a two-out grounder on the right side that plated another Maui run. San Rafael closer Colin Allen, making his first non-pitching appearance of the season, made a shoestring catch in center to end the inning but San Rafael trailed by four.

Lee's insertion into the roster wreaked havoc on the scorecard, which by the end of the night had Pacifics Manager Ryan Priddy running out of options. In the ninth, the first-place Pacifics rallied. Danny Gonzalez walked, followed by a Kyle Dhanani double. Matt Quintero grounded out to score Gonzalez to make it 4-1. Morgan Mickan walked to load the bases with two outs, which brought up Lee.

Priddy, whose team is in first place and will be fighting for the Pacific Association Championship on Sunday at 5:00 p.m., lifted Lee in favor of Maikel Jova, the reigning NAL MVP. The move, which received mixed reaction by the crowd and some chanting, "We want Bill!," ended in Jova striking out to the end the game.

Lee, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI on Tuesday night, was hitless on the night. Zack Pace had two of San Rafael's four hits.

Logan Odom (9-2) took the hard-luck loss. The Pacifics' starter was lifted after four innings and was charged with three runs.

Whether or not the Spaceman would have sent one into orbit, or struck out ala "Casey at Bat" will never be known but it left fans with something to talk about as they poured out of Albert Park at the end of the night. The first 500 fans to arrive at Albert Park for Thursday's contest versus Maui will receive a Bill Lee bobblehead courtesy Bradley Real Estate. Tickets are available at www.pacificsbaseball.com.

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North American League Stories from August 22, 2013


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