From the desk of Dan Price
In 1975, Bill"Spaceman" Lee pitched 6 1/3 innings in the dramatic seventh game of the World Series. Lee didn't get the win or loss, but his teammate Jim Burton was saddled with the loss on an RBI-single off the bat of Joe Morgan to give the Cincinnati Reds a 4-3 win and the World Series title.
Fast forward to a sunny day in October of 2018 at the Men's Senior Baseball League World Series. I played third base that day as our 70-and-over San Antonio Texans beat Lee and the New England Red Sox, 12-5.
Lee is now 71 and I had just turned 73 in July.
Lee played first base on that special day (for me, at least) and after the game, in the parking lot, I stood next to Lee and discussed the 1975 World Series and many, many other things. The conversation lasted maybe ten minutes at the most and I headed for my car with a tale to tell.
The 1975 World Series was a special one for baseball. The whole world was watching for it was in Game 6 when Carlton Fisk hit the dramatic walk-off homer off the left field foul pole. Tucson's own Pat Darcy was the losing pitcher that day and will always be remembered for serving up the pitch to Fisk, which ended up extending the World Series to a seventh game.
A lot has been written about Lee. Certainly a special character in the world of sports. I found him to be a likable soul, the type of person you can sit down and discuss baseball with for hours on end.
That special moment with Lee was right up my alley. I guess I live for moments like that and it is one of the many reasons I continue to play baseball.
Photo: Lee, who won 119 games as a pro baseball player for the Boston Red Sox and the Montreal Expos
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