Former Red Sox lefty Bill Lee — currently involved in wood bat manufacturing for Nokona (“If these kids use these bats when they are 8 years old, when they turn 16, they don’t have to shoot themselves in the [butt] with a needle”) — continues to be a journalist’s dream come true in his later years, as the following chat with the New York Post’s Kevin Kernan reveals. After discussing the Red Sox and Yankees’ postseason prospects, Lee brings to mind the question, “what other ballplayer, active or retired, would openly emphasize with The Unabomber?” Other than Steve Carlton. (Post link culled from Repoz and Baseball Think Factory)
“I love the fact the Red Sox went out and got [Victor] Martinez and they’ve got a shortstop with soft hands [Alex] Gonzalez, which solidifies the infield.” Lee said. “[Mike] Lowell is a clutch hitter. [J.D.] Drew can play, all you’ve got to do is put a little bit more caffeine in his coffee. And you have three great starters — boom, boom, boom.”
He likes what he sees in the Yankees, to a degree.
“[Mark] Teixeira is a dedicated kid, a great fielder, but I could get him out. I love [Jorge] Posada, I love [Derek] Jeter, but if their butts fell off the highway, I definitely wouldn’t slow down to pick them out of the water.”
As for the always entertaining question (Which three people through time would you invite to dinner?) Lee came up with this interesting group: “Ted Kaczynski, Mahatma Ghandi and Buckminster Fuller. Michael Moore can show up, too. I’m already Michael Moore, I started these things way before he put them down on celluloid.”
Why invite the Unabomber Kaczynski? “I’m an anti-capitalist, even though I have a company,” Lee said. “I have this socialist bent and I want to see what possessed him to go off the deep end like that so it doesn’t happen to me.”
Mr Lee I have always admired your outlook on our National Pastime. I am currently Assistant Baseball Coach at Johnson & Wales University and have been for the past 13 years. The reason Im contacting you, is the article about wood bats and why they should abolish those space shuttles in baseball players hands. I belive that if college particularly Division 1 schools took this approach it woud eventually weed down to liittle leagues and the next generation of baseball players. Unfortunately I have been shunned and frustrated by the supposed educaters of baseball they claim there is no differance in speed off of the bat or no differance for infielders reacting to the ball or no differance in the game. Just this past year there have been several instances with injuries and unjust response by these offficials. They want to in some areas put face masks on pitchers whats next helmets and face guards. Between Williamsport for kids and College Athletic programs wood bats are more cost productive, and safer and as you put it it teaches you the way the game was meant to be played and learned from both a pitching and hitting and fielding perspective I have proabably in my professinal career thrown over a million pitches to kids as there Batting Practice Pitcher and I can tell you there is not only a tremendous speed differance but a ball cannot be detected off of the bat. from the mound. I think unfortunately it is going to take a tragedy or a law suit from some kid on national television to stop the educated morons from ruining the game of baseball, if there is any thing i can do please let me no. ilove the fact you have spoken out for wood bats sincerly Coach Jeff LaRose