Reputation and Controversy
Lee's personality earned him popularity as well as the nickname "Spaceman"—a nickname given to him by former Red Sox infielder John Kennedy. His outspoken manner and unfiltered comments were frequently recorded in the press. Lee spoke in defense of Maoist China, population control, Greenpeace, and school busing in Boston, among other things. He berated an umpire for a controversial call in the 1975 World Series, threatening to bite off his ear ("I would have Van-Goghed him!") and encouraging the American people to write letters demanding the game be replayed. He claimed his marijuana use made him impervious to bus fumes while jogging to work at Fenway Park.
His propensity to criticize management led to his being dropped from both the Red Sox and the Expos, and the end of his professional career by 1982.
Read more about this topic: Bill Lee (left-handed Pitcher)
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