Woods & Waters; Bill "Spaceman" Lee

Go to the. Woods and waters with your host but love it I suppose I could start this program this evening by reading from the baseball encyclopedia. I'm not going to do that. No Fenway by Peter Gorlin book why William Francis Lee. He saw through both of these books. But he's here live and in person. Lee good to see you.

Thank you Bud. Nice state you got here. Pretty good state. Yeah. Probably about the provinces the provinces are nice. I got to play there for five years and Monkton and ended up and up and Sidney mines almost in the Sydney mine. I ended up playing up there. Anybody ever hear of Bill Lee is Sidney mines. They know about me now. A long homerun into a project over there in Waterford. I think it was and. Then. I had a good time there. I enjoyed my days in the Maritimes. Did you enjoy your days in the big leagues. They went by awful fast. I enjoyed them. I enjoyed them all even the time when I got banished to Montreal and found out that bars stayed open till 4 o'clock if the Red Sox sure know how to punish a guy like me an Irish Catholic. We'll send him up there to La Belle pro-aborts see him take a little of that. But you had a great year up there in Montreal. I had a great year. I ran to the ballpark. I had to sober up some way and I won 16 games and we were one game away from first place and the Red Sox

were mired in the second division. And then my next year in Montreal we were one game away from first place and then the last year in Montreal we were one game away from first place. We felt a lot like Linus in the Snoopy cartoon. We were Charlie Brown. We never seemed to win enough. They were bridesmaids and the Canadians really liked us because we had a lot of heart. That team in Montreal and. They loved this. But out here in the Maritimes there are more red sox fans than there were Expos fans and I couldn't figure that out. I just didn't know but it shows the tradition the New England tradition extends all the way up the coast all the way through St. John Monckton Charlottetown. All the way over to Hawkesbury. What is it about the Maritimes that have fascinated you so much. It seemed to have been like America was a long time ago. It was a slow pace. It was easy going. People were friendly when you stop by at a person's house.

They invited you when they fed you. They kept you there they told you stories. And there was no rush or pace to it. And it was I needed that after my days in Montreal which were very hectic and under the microscope and my days in Boston I thought I was a mature old adult when I was in Boston and I didn't realize that I wasn't even mature and Monk. But I'm not mature now but I'm getting there you know my hair is getting grayer and. I better gain maturity soon or life may pass me by. But I've had a good time ten years in Boston three of those years you won 17 ballgames. You know. But I asked you this question. Who is the best manager you have played for. Rod Dedo at the University of Southern California. Come on I mean the big leagues. Well we wanted it that all your college world series the best manager I had in the big leagues. Was Dick Williams. Without a doubt this was a mean tough guy.

But he knew baseball and I respected him. He knew the game. He had no. He had no favorites. He didn't play a favorite. He played the game the same way. Day one is day. If you got on his list you got off his list if you did well the next time out. He didn't keep you on it. Zimmer had a dog house in Ferguson jail and Cessna's manager of guns he said Zim had a dog house no problem with his doghouse it didn't have a door on it you know. And. And it's true. That's the statistics we were just talking about that in Montreal. I was 10 and 6 last four games in a row. And Dick Williams stuck with me. I end up winning my last six and I'm 16 and 10 and we miss the World Series by one game to Pittsburgh in 78 with the Red Sox. I was 10 and 6. They got rid of carbo. I was upset I lost four games in a row. Zimmer said we'll win it without Lee. They brought up Sproul threw me in the bullpen never to be seen again and I ended up with a 10 untagged

record. You know all they had to do was keep me in the rotation. I would have won my last six heavily blow the Yankees away going away and we're the world champions and Reggie Jackson doesn't hit the three home runs against the Dodgers and he's a jerk anyway didn't deserve to hit it. You know he wouldn't have made the Hall of Fame and. That would have changed the world with have world peace right now wouldn't have the war in the Gulf. Gosh just because Zimmerman got would get between you and Zelma. Who. He's a hitter. I'm a pitcher. There was a need just like pitchers. I'll tell you a story we're playing in Seattle. And all of a sudden on the wire it says. Garvey and Don Sutton get into a knock out brawl a donnybrook and Zimmers gone. I can't believe that Suttons a nice guy Garvey's a sweetheart he's the nicest guy in the world. How could those two get in a fight. I looked at Zimmer I said one's a hitter and one's a pitcher. The twain shall never meet. And he goes. What do you mean what do you mean you don't like this. And he just walks away and I should never use the twain

word confused him. But you have to see it like we said before the last person that ever got Zimmer out in the ballgame was Jim caught threw him a three to backdoor curve ball when he was with the Washington Senators. He took it for call for a strike it ended the ball game. The pennant went to Minnesota and Zimmer never played again in a major league ball game. He hates pitchers. He'll always hate pitchers even though he has to manage them deep down in his side. Middle infielders that hit less than 250 made too many outs. They don't like pitchers deep down inside in their psyche. They hate pitchers. Yeah but you called him a name. I became famous you made a road famous. I made. Well I called Billy Martin a no good dirty rat because he let his daughter rot in a Peruvian jail. I said Zimmer. They said what Zimmer if he's a rat what Zimmer I said Will these fat get big puffy cheeks he's a jerk. And the kids kid wrote me a letter he

says Mr. Lee I think you're mistaken. This is a dribbles a very thin creature with long legs. A hamster has the big puffy cheeks and I'm sorry. I'll say this right now is him. I'm sorry. You're a hampster. But that's a lovable affectionate term. It was not used in a derogatory sense it was used in a connotation of rodents. I was talking if we were talking Hock's I would have called. I would have called the list not been that one I would have called Billy Martin a shrike or something that would lay his eggs in another bird's nest and kick out the young and beat him to death with a mallet. And they said well what's Dawn Zimmer. I said well he's fat he's got big puffy cheeks he's a hoarder all. Right. You had to be there when you go back to the ballpark. Now you use him speak. I went there the other day. Well a month ago and Zimm saw me and immediately took a fungo bat and walked to center field and stood out there with his arms

crossed. And until I left he would not come back into the playing field. I should have stayed there the whole game would like to see him standing next to Bourke's. Would been better coaching third. Too many men on the field. No I see you can see I make levity of everything but I know you make levity of everything and one time during your career you sent the Boston writers looking over the state of Maine map you absented yourself from Fenway Park and said you had gone to the Al again. That's right. I wish I had. They didn't know whether Would you go. I know they you know what the allegation was. Now they've had Boston baseball writers calling me want to know what venture they thought I was up with you. I should have been. That was what a nice place the Allagash. Tell me where did you go during that when you have said to do so when I was in my house over in Belmont the press finally found me and they demanded that I come out of the house and they filled me and I gave it my power salute to Bernie Carbo and they said then done

Zimmer saw me in Haywood Sullivan and they sent me a telegram to my house saying you better get back to Fenway Park or we're going to take desperate action and stuff like that. So I got on my Army fatigues I ran to the ballpark. I ran six miles of the ballpark. Came into Haywood Sullivan's office and I said yeah hey what do you want. And he says well you walked out on the ball club you jumped the ball club I said you sold one of your children to Cleveland for half the waiver price. He said we don't make policy we make policy. You can't you're not running this ball club. He says we're going to find you. Five hundred dollars and I said Haywood. I said why don't you find me 1300 and give me the weekend off. He really like me. Then he left and they take me down and Zim makes fun of me in front of all the players saying this guy's got no respect for the Red Sox and for me hates you guys. He jumped the ball club and I went down and they said where's Bernie Carbo. I said you're going to miss Bernie Carbo. I said you're going to miss this day the day you die. And what

happened in that year not one red sox pitch hitter drove in a run after Bernie Carbo left Bob Bailey was up against Gossage in the last game and Carbo could come in and pitch it for him. He could have made a switch right there. And you look back at the records we did not. It's in the book. That's all I can say. And look it up and that was the 78 season and I was sold or traded on December. December 7th. A day that will live in infamy with all of us for it to knock down. I had four teeth knocked out four different times. Now who did this. First time sidewalk. Second time my brother's baseball helmet. Third time. Ellie Rodriguez is brother and his cousin and a steel pole. The fourth time a guy's shoulder in a basketball game the fifth time I was driving Melissa on her bike and she put her feet in the spokes and I went over and lost my teeth on the sidewalk. But I didn't fumble the girl.

Tell me about Ellie Rodriquez. It was a pretty good badla. Ellie Rodriguez. I was in my bag was pitching and I. Gave up a three run homer to Willie Montanez Willie Montanez hit it. Nicks hit her up was Rodriguez. I drilled Rodriguez right in the hip intentionally hit him with a slide or not a fastball because my fastball doesn't hurt so I hit him with a slider and he charged the mound and when he got to the mound I stayed on the rubber like you're supposed to do stay on the rubber hold up your glove and I hit him with a left hook that Keller says was one of the best left to exceed I ever seen. I knocked Rodrigues out. Next day in the papers it says Mayaguez loses but Lee Lancer's order though he says Puchong don't former light heavyweight Golden Gloves champ Elliott Rodriguez. So here I am I knock out the number one light heavyweight in the state of Puerto Rico or the province or the Dominion or whatever it is. So they jumped me the next day and cogwheels and beat me within an inch of my life. Where were you getting off a bus got off a bus.

It was a weird situation. The bus got bogged down and then the bus lurched forward and I had an avenue amongst all these people and they said take it Bill I took it and I took it and then I got surrounded and I got pushed into a steel pole. So I was brave to get off the bus first and. I should of got off later. But then I might have to hit him again with another pitch. I hit him in Boston the following year hit him with a slider right in the same hip and he charged the mound and Montgomery pulled him in. No fight. We didn't get expelled or anything. And then he went to first base and then I take it home picked him off of first base and we picked him up picked him off for the second out of the inning. He came back in and he was putting on his uniform his pads and I threw a change up to the next hitter down and in and he got out in front and hit a line drive into the Brewers dugout and hit Rodriguez right in the chest. And I said one of my better pitches you get a Christmas card from him and you know he's.

I talked to a lot of guys. Felix Miyan friends of mine Cheo Cruz you know people that I know in Puerto Rico when they say that L.A. Rodriguez is a bad old race. He's looney. I was crazy but he was nuts. Listen before we start taking telephone calls from our viewers out there tell me about the New England great Sox. Well. Thank you it's it. We had a senior league down in Florida which folded because we charge too much for the fans. It was overpriced. It was the wrong time of the year. And the owner of the team Jim rustic liked the idea of having all Red Sox together. He was the general manager and I said get all Red Sox. I said you can market it well in New England. People love to see the old Red Sox player so we decided last year we played two games in Connecticut and six thousand fans came to see McAuliffe me Fidrych Stanley Bill Buckner and. Dalton Jones played third and I had a we couldn't get a catcher. Ex Red Sox catcher I quit

could get Haywood's Sullivan son Mike back. But I got Ozzie Virgil Jr. He catches for us. George Foster who is not a Red Sox but he's a New England boy plays the outfield and he's a friend of mine. And we have Bobby Bonds play one game but he's not going to play anymore because he doesn't want to play. So we're getting old Red Sox players and we were touring New England like summer stock theater and we're playing a game in the. First one to Nashua New Hampshire Pittsfield Massachusetts Lin and after Lynne on Wednesday we're driving up and we're going to spend three days in the Bangor area. We're going to play on Stephen King's field and we're going to play a collegiate all star team over it or no. At the university the university we're going to play at the elite team and we'll probably get beat because we're going to be tired slow. Now we have we beat the number one champs in the England hardball 13 to one last year and seven to one we've only given up to run Stanley still throws extremely well. I threw well last year I had four bone chips out but the New England grey Sox we go around we've raised we

raise money for local charities each ballgame we donate part of the ticket price to the charities so we were funding amateur baseball in Pittsfield we're. Funding the challenger league of handicapped players in the Lin area and we haven't picked out a charity for Nashua in Burlington Vermont. We're raising money for the long trail long trail ale is giving us all of their beer and we're selling it all over the ballpark and the money goes to securing the long trails so people can hike for free. You know I'm one of the most beautiful trails part of the northern extension of the Appalachian Trail. And we haven't decided what we're going to do here. You know stinkingly What are you doing with your time these days outside of this little baseball game. I'm going to Boston tomorrow I'm playing four ball games over the weekend. Charity Ball games. I am running for president of the rhinocerous ticket. I think I can really throw a scare into age.

On the way things are going right now you might. When I started that Perros just taking these plagiarizing my platform. You know and I. Besides that I'm doing that I build my own house. I planned a lot of apple trees this spring and. I'm. Just the Johnny Appleseed. I just. People call me up and I come and that's the way I've always run my life and I don't expect to change and I would love the New England. This one dealership to give me free mileage because I've got 72000 miles on my Pathfinder and that's a year old and I can I can book a day when I talk to the house you are in San Francisco. And you've been really ever day a date every day. I've got one weekend free and that's taken up because I'm coming up on July 4th and I'm playing against Stephen King's All Stars. And he challenged me to a ballgame and I accept all challenges and I'm going to go pick on the town's lead off. Yeah I'm not going to hit him. Well you're not going to hit No I don't drill people. I just throw in

changeups and little garbage. I do my mike Quair imitation. Here's a cauliflower. Here's a cabbage. You can't hit a cabbage far you know. All right. We'll take your calls now any time. Are we ready. All right. Yes when you're ready. You mentioned Dick Williams. You're one of the few people supportive addict would have just been admitted to be a great manager. But he's tough. He's tough. You have to be tough to be a good manager these days. You cannot cater to everybody's little whim. You know in the old days it used to be twenty five different individuals trying to satisfy one man. Now you have one man trying to satisfy 24 different individuals all writing in different limousines. You cannot do that and have a good ballclub. You have to have the cohesiveness that the respect that is gained by the guy in Pittsburgh the guy in Minnesota the guy in Oakland you know and. The guy in Toronto must take command a lot of respect

too. I don't know their good manager. I'm not saying Butch Hobson isn't a good manager. He's too young he hasn't paid his dues in the managerial scene. The Red Sox brought him up too much. That plus everybody like Joe Morgan Joe Morgan did nothing wrong. He won more ball games than any other Red Sox manager. He took a club that was notoriously slow and snuck him through the back door you know and they almost beat Toronto. They shouldn't have been in the same ballpark. They can't play on Astroturf. They can't play in big ballparks. You ever hear of Monika's Maloka. Yes. Well you're going to talk to a man from Milan because right now come in. But how are you doing. Good. Hello. Hello. Yes I said Wow. Listen listen to this the leap off the the that is going to be playing and when he comes up was going to be August 2nd as far as we know right now. Well that used to mean amateur baseball. Oh really. I just want so many citizens on my block list travel in that league a lot of kids travel and want to travel as you know.

You've been polo and maloka not yet belong you in the ribs. No. No. You may not remember by the couple of years ago one son of mine played against you when he was playing for months and he played for Woodstock. He a home run off you up there in Woodstock. Yeah. Really. He was a catcher you. You beat him two to one. Well he got the only run up me got to gradually And I think he said to you you hit a home for a whole month and two. Yeah. What I wanted to say. I remember that ball game I entice the guy from third to try and second I was at second base trying to get him to pick me off. He tried to pick me off threw the ball centerfield we had a winning run at third base and the winning run from third came in and I said I knew you shouldn't try to pick me off. We got another call. Anyway I don't think we're playing on that I think we're playing on this sorry it's not the second it's the eight. OK that's what it is. All right. Where are you calling from. Yes from Winnifred Maine Littleford. I don't want bar. I love your show. Keep up the good work. Listen I've got a question for Bill. Bill I watch you a lot. OK.

But I want to know what one of your teammates if you don't mind Jim Rice was he is physically imposing as everybody thought he was. Like I've heard stories of when he came through a door. You really love to do a frame well. And if you did have a chance to pitch against Mr. race what would you think of being a pitcher just sort of a dirty hack at it. Sawyer a lot of bad pitches and I couldn't pull the ball. You know he hit the ball away from a real good you could just kind of like Move-On you could throw the ball by him inside when he was younger he was quick but after hurt his knee couldn't turn on the ball. And I'm a carpenter now and he wouldn't scare me if he filled up the frame. But I that 10 years the man was imposing. I mean he was probably the one of the best homerun RBI man in the business. It sure was. He sure was. He was imposing all I'm not saying anything bad against him. He said you know. I didn't get along with him but I'm I'm not saying he could have been great. I mean he was great. He played good defense behind me. He did everything. That. I mean he played well behind me. You know he liked me I still like Jim Rice and everything buddy. He

had a surly manner that kind of got him upset. And once the salary got up to the big bucks and he started kind of waning what happened because of the new market scale in baseball they just get rid of you now they don't drop your salary because you complain and you have your agents and you call discrimination or whatever you call it you know and age discrimination. Bill we have another excellent bill. Yeah. You know know he's all right. Why are you calling from. From mine from when I was wondering are you going to be able to get any California came on you. Great talk. Bernie Carbo's plan. It. Let's put it this way. He's going to go out in the field but the guy tends to kill grass when he's out there. I might play the outfield. I'll let him hit. He's still a character and he's in good shape. He's quit drinking. He's really turned over a new leaf. He married a girl looks like Blaze star. So he's got his hands full. What about the rooster. The rooster is coaching second base for the Red Sox if you ever watched the TV.

Oh I didn't know. OK. I don't why. Oh that's quite a long game. Sorry. Joe Joe why are you always coming up with us still bringing his bone spurs along in a separate bus come in. Why are you calling from that. All right. I'd like to ask Mr. Murray how many games he runs for Boston and how is he. Well I'll tell you what you want off the record. Let me look. No. I'm six foot three away 225 pounds ten pounds overweight. I won 97 or 94 games last 56 or something like that I had a pretty good record for the Red Sox. I would have had a better record. My arm was broken in 76. Too much water too. Thank you. Thank you. I enjoyed pitching there. Come in. Hello. Yes. Where are you calling from. Space. The final frontier. All right. We'll take this call. Where are you calling from.

Yes. Monckton who runs the Neubrunn. How are you doing. Who's this John McDonald from Monk in New Brunswick. John McDonald I didn't play with you. Now you play with the monkey net. Yeah. And we really enjoyed it. I thought Ros kidney was going to be calling me bring the kidney. No I used to keep playing and we go to you and you and your antics or you know. So I think saying down here is we were in Montreal and everything else. Heck I had a good year there once I had no real point. Five six I mean Rielle called me a we were good. Yes I know you'll credit some of his major league. I didn't credit his last game too. I guess he's not happening that he'll be back when he got lit up second time around. You got to change your stuff you've got to be able to trick guys. And he went out there and someone just pounded his ears back. But you've got to learn to come back from that and he will no doubt. All right well we got another question on the line. Take care. OK. Hello. Where are you calling from calling from from Brar or I can use the games.

Yeah I just wanted to say hi. I used to watch them in the bleachers. I met them one time and No-Name restaurant. Really. Boston that's a good place for fish. Yeah it sure is. Good place. Quick two quick questions one I'd like to know if you'd like to be major league manager for a book club some day. And to put it what would it take to get you to make a personal appearance somewhere. Well you've got to do is find me ok i do i find your craft very Vermont. OK. I'm in the book. OK. And as far as what was the first goal will be a major league manager. Yes. I would love to manage the Red Sox or the Expos you know especially the Red Sox but they don't tend to hire pitchers. To do jobs around there. When I buy at the Ritz that I've got a catcher with bad fingers it's a general manager. Right. Right. And you got a whole bunch of guys that are hitters and stuff around there and they just don't seem to hire pitchers in that order and pretty fleet of foot too and they're pretty fleet of foot. OK. When they when they have good pitching and good defense which is something Boston has never seen before when I

wouldn't show up when you buy the I it when I buy the Red Sox will you be the manager. Well thank you I'd appreciate it. I learned from the best. Why are you calling from. Hello. Hello. Hi. How are you today. Good. Why are you gonna run. Went to port. All right. Good. Yeah. Bill how are you. I'm great. Thank you. My question is well first of all just a little statement I went to school actually a little behind but with Bob Montgomery in high school he went to really. Down in Nashville Tennessee. Sure. That's where he's from. Yeah. And anyway what I'm trying to do. He didn't like the kids then did it. But he just wanted to hit. Probably. But anyway what I'm trying to do is to get into baseball I'm. Is there any Maybe you could give me so I could follow in his footsteps maybe you've got to donate your own time you've got to find a place and send in your play by play of high school games and college games and work your way up the ladder and do a lot of sweat equity.

I've done that I'm going to the new school broadcasting. Well you're working your way up don't be in a hurry and go down to Red Barber's door in Tallahassee and genuflect on his first step and have him come out and bless you if he blesses you right. Maybe you made you are made. Well hopefully when you come up here for that ball game I'll get to see you and talk to you then. Well I'm telling you you've got that Southern accent you're living on the main coast. Yes. You're a lucky guy. Come on where are you calling for. Must love him. Hello. I am going for Mango. Yes. How are you. Billy met you earlier today at the movies. I going to go again. Right. And they just want to invite you back tomorrow and I'll buy you a coffee and a donut. Well I've just got another commercial and then I'm heading out of town. You know I only bought half a tank of gas. I'll take that too. I just didn't see that. Charge it to see OK. OK. OK. I know him well he's a personal friend of mine. I hope come in. I am calling from Portland. Yes. Bill I was listen to a couple of weeks ago on the radio. I believe you're in San Francisco. Yes I was. And you

mentioned the work by I believe it was Buckminster Fuller. Buckminster Fuller. What was the title of that book I'm very interested in operating manual for space ship Earth. That's what I thought it was I wrote about it like this. I was on my way driving right there and you put your hand on Madagascar and you throw it back and forth and then you're driving along through Earth doing fifty five minute miles per second at the equator and all of a sudden you're tilting your axis 23. In other words you learn how the earth works in the scheme of things. And once you learn that it's like Archimedes said you give me a lever and a fulcrum and a place to stand. I can move the earth. Trouble is I couldn't find the place or understand how the thing's been in space. Well we're all traveling you have to realize. See that's the concept we're all as we're sitting here right here. Thank God we are rotating on our axis and thank God we are tilting or we wouldn't have change of seasons. We're not doing real gods not doing a good job this year because we're a little late and salmon haven't come up but we're traveling like this. And once you read Buckminster Fuller and you understand Buckminster

Fuller H. Ross Perot has to read Buckminster Fuller and the first one who reads it first I will vote for Perot Clinton or Bush if all of them read that book whoever reads it first can understand it and sees the light and not the light from the night light in the bathroom you know sees the real light. Then I will vote for him and support him as president of the United States. Come on. All right. If you like at book it's operating manual Spaceship Earth thank you. You bet got a question. Yes sir yes. How are you doing Bill. A conference call of all time. All right good. Pretty good. As you can who can who. Bill you said you'd like to manage the Red Sox right. Yes. OK. Now if I want if I remain as the Red Sox My first move would put Jack Clark on the bench for your own good. We'd put him on a plane would do better than here. Now wouldn't you agree with that. I would agree with that in a heartbeat.

The guy comes up in quotes for two reasons either strikes or ground a. He was a mighty Joe Young. Would you put him on a plane. Joe who we would. I would yeah. We're talking about this. You're the guy who's got the difference between Matt Young and. Someone said what's the difference. I said you see that mirror over there. I said I can hit that mirror and we'll break it that young can't hit that mirror but no I would bring up Zarooni I would set that young down for a while until he got his control I would run Matt Young six miles every day. There's nothing wrong with the pitching staff that was you know with the pitching staff has done remarkably well in the hitters. They're just slow and they they mad young kids run six miles. That's true. He can't run six. No way in the world any more than I can. First thing we would do we would have two years ago we would have had his check and send him on the road we would have traded bogs for Joe Carter straight up baby you put Cooper in that deal that wouldn't that wouldn't be a bad idea. We had that deal made or the other deal we had we had a kid named Avery.

They wanted the Red Sox could have got Avery from Atlanta from Atlanta. But a guy named Brady Anderson. Oh yeah. Brady Anderson learned learned about lifting weights I know Schwarzenegger came and visited him in the offseason. Now he is 14 home runs for Baltimore. And how about the guy in newstand on first base and first base Rookie of the year. All right. Question Let's go shoot the general manager with your question where are you gonna run for it. Rouxville Yes. I was wondering if Mr. Lee had any idea why when Boston gets rid of pitches they tend to pitch a lot better. Well you know there's two reasons. I don't think the management handles pitchers real well up there. I think they get a shorthand the stick in Second once you leave Fenway Park every is easier to pitch. And once you've done your penance at Fenway Park you go to another park. You breathe a lot easier. I'm out of Fenway Park. You know you're relaxed and you throw better. They bring pitchers up too fast in Boston they throw him to

the wolves right away. They did that with Herst and Herse was benched and Zimmer said he had no guts and he couldn't pitch. Now he's with Premier lefthander National League. You had a guy named tooter you had a guy named ohi that you had a guy named Lee who did a pretty good job for him and they got rid of me because I spoke my mind. You know they don't treat pitchers with a great look at Roger Marette. They got a call from Visy call from peasey. Oh really. Yes. What do you get all this. You get on I get a mind reader. You know me. Hello Spencer. I answered the VC I did. Are you sure. We didn't get any flies but we did our whistle the know coffee. Hey what's your question Spencer. Well I wanted to find out how you think you voted for you. What do you think about Ted Williams. I think Ted Williams is a character and I think he's the luckiest guy in the world to have that body in the quickest swing he had the greatest eyes that was ever bless the guy he was

the best fighter pilot with the exception of Yeager. He he was blessed with remarkable tools and he was the best by far the best ballplayer that ever played the game. Statistically if he had played those extra five years he would have surpassed all the records you know. And I like him when he has a little branch water and stuff he can fling a poo poo platter across the table and crack him against it. You know he's a one of a kind. He I'll tell you John Wayne spent a whole career trying to imitate Ted Williams. I love him. Yeah. Good luck to you. All right Spencer here you are worthy of comment from. I'm come from Bangor. I'm right and I'm a displaced Vermonter fellow Vermonter. Well thank you. Actually no I played in a 4th of July game. I get there with you about three years ago was accidental river. That's right. Right. We'd be Brattleboro. You had a clutch of big leagues and Brattleboro. Yeah it was a big game. We were the state champs the team I played for used to be right.

That's right. Yeah. Anyway I was just curious what you thought of this. Carlton Fisk. He was like all those guys along Bortle along the Connecticut River. He was like that his mother must have gone out and dipped him in the Connecticut River up to his ankles. And. He's just that's the only thing that's giving him trouble this year. He's like Achilles. He is he is the consummate New Englander. Stick to it have a.. Hard working and he would never have been as great as he was in Chicago if he hadn't. Every time the ball came in it didn't look like he would Sullivan's head. And every time he sees it it gets bigger and bigger and bigger and he waits and just rips it. Look at all the home runs he's hit against the Red Sox. He's amazing ballplayer but you'll think about it. He's caught more games for Chicago hit more home runs for Chicago but he played his best years for Boston. And he should be the manager of the Red Sox right now player manager. All right. Come in with your call where are you calling from Bangor. Yes. Well I just want to say that you know how to fill up a salmon boat. I see you a few

times. Oh is that right. My guy. Go ahead. What's your question. Well I just want to tell Bill first of all he was probably the second best left handed catcher that I ever saw in a Red Sox uniform who was the best. Well I think Bruce probably was the best coach the Boston fans got the best of him. Well Hurst Hurst Pitt won one less game than I did in Boston for him and I thank him everyday he left and went to that great St. George Utah where the air is fresh and full of uranium and and now he's playing in San Diego and who cares. A lot of out. Right. He won five in a row. Who cares to go in with you know call worried and run. Where are you from. Hello. West Fremont was on. Yeah. One comment. Mr. Lee you're greatly appreciated in this area. You're one of the most colorful and interesting baseball people in New England. And I have

just one question. I think that the Red Sox gave up on Eckersley too quick. Why didn't they make him a relief pitcher instead of trading him. Well they don't know how to handle people. His wife saved his career. He was he was the chief of police's daughter I believe. She videotaped him after he got drunk on New Year's Eve and showed him the videotape and he hasn't had a drink since. That's what changed anchors Lee's career. Red Sox couldn't handle him. They don't know really how to handle players. There's there's tons of them they can get them all over the you know and then we have the buffalo heads. That was the delegation. Oh we had tons of. You're right we had Eckersley me all those guys down the line. We were good. If you treat it as bad. We went out and do a little harder. You know and. We were hurting ourselves and. You know but Eckersley you look at his statistics I know they're great guys coming with you. Carl where are you coming from. So cool. Southpoint Yes. Bill Yeah. What do you think about

Roger Clemens do the best that you see. Roger Clemens is a great pitcher. He doesn't have a lot of heart he doesn't win big games at the end of the season. And. He took himself out of a ballgame with a one left lead against Oakland last year. First game the series and Anderson came in and they lost it and then they lost the next three in a row. You know day in and day out he's a horse. He is a horse but he hasn't proven it to me that he should with his ability and with this staff if they get into a playoff situation he's got to win the first game he's got to come back and win the fourth game. He's got to win the seventh game. When he does that I will change my opinion. Of the big guy. He's a great guy great stuff and everything else. But. I've seen him in big games and he hasn't done it. He didn't beat Toronto in the clutch. I will you good come in with the car. Where are you calling from off when I'm not. Yes.

Oh Bill I'd like to make a small comment then a quick question. First of all I watched your pitch many times down to Fenway Park and I have your guts and your determination. I mean I mean I know that means a lot. But the question I want to ask you is all the time you've been playing baseball What do you think is the toughest gutsiness there is you know hard work and every day often that you ever played with or again. And I thought you were a comment on my shirt. Where did you get that shirt. I got it from Eddie Haskell from Leave It to Beaver show. Very nice. Yeah. The toughest gutsiest hardest nose player I ever played against in one of the meanest individuals. And I didn't like him a bit. With Thurman Munson really Thurman Munson was the hardest nosed toughest day in day out. Carlton Fisk was the other guy that I think played hurt. It was tough. I mean you know and. As far as hard work and gutsy ballplayer I've played with a lot of them you know and. No one more net Andre Dawson. Another guy the hawk the hawk.

Played on bad knees on the Astroturf in the day he went to Chicago. I said you. He did the right thing. You're going to add years to your career and it certainly has. And he got to play in the pennant there for a while and just loved It's good to have in operations when he looked nice and then the Red Sox you know sure would be nice. And it doesn't mean he's a god he would have been four years ago his legs are as old as the wind though mine soon. Too bad his legs is sneezers old his buds. That's what happens. All right. That's what happens when we get old Bill. Just what happens when we get all 12. Like us we're drinking black coffee drinking water. He's good he's coming me. Thanks Bill. My knees are going fast. Yeah. Come in with you I'll call. Where are you calling from calling from Charlottetown Prince Edward Island in Camden Town Prince and I lay there against the generals and we say a couple of time. I was a kid I grew up I spent my summers in Malden just north of Boston there when I was growing up. Right. And I was really really enjoyed watching a plane full thing and

watching the show watching the show now for about 20 minutes. No one's mentioned just Stransky what a ballplayer the favorite of mine. A couple of comments on him and I really concur with your remarks about Jack Clark he's got to go. And who would be your pick to manage the Sox now. Besides myself. Besides you know Johnny Pesky. Johnny Pesky because he's happy he's lovable and it's his time. You know oil lead them from the doldrums they'll come on and win it for him. And then you know he can retire and be happy as a lark. There's no more fun in those dressing rooms. You're right. No laughs. There used to be gags and everybody was a trickster and you know and would come in there oh you keep you laughing all game long all the time. You know there's no levity in this situation and you Stransky was kind of a sourpuss even though you liked him and he was a great guy. He he was the world's worst dresser. Wore the same raincoat all the time and we would constantly throw it away and he'd always fish it

out of the trash bin and we would throw it away and the fish are back. He dressed like Colombo you know and he was the world's worst bridge player but he was a hard worker and he was a tough guy. And by the way if you had a late spring in PIII. Yeah real late. It's been a tough one. It's like it's going down to about three degrees Celcius here tonight. Wow. Yeah we've had of late spring time of frost than you. Yeah yeah. Frost warning tonight. It's been a real late. Can you believe this good will up here. Good luck here. One final comment. Mount Pinatubo Billy and the Sox have a lot of a lot of fans happy. Well thank you very much. I've got a lot of fans Antigonish good compared with you I'd call a flurry of conference call from Bangor. Yes I bet. One phone call from telco communications I feel for you. Sure do I want you you're up here up here trying to get us some green. Well good. How are you then.

I'm doing fine now. What is this. What do you think would match you. Oh I'm playing with him this year healthy. I'm playing with him tomorrow night down in Millet's mass. Right. Yeah but where are you staying. I'm at the red carpet in Angola. I'll give you a call at the show. All right. And we'll we'll find out when we're going to do strategy wise a plan for what we're going to play Stephen King on his field but we're going to play hardball. That's fine. Fine. Oh you know me. OK. You are mountainbike Clennell I called before we should get them. I play Thalys up there but at least yeah. And we have some great baseball games. All right you guys we're going to get on the telephone. I just wanted to say hi. Yeah I don't get a call and have a cup of coffee. OK. Thank you. Bye. And where are you calling from Waterloo Waterville. Yes. I've been to water. I did Nightmist League Baseball. MRS. TERENCE good like you. I appreciate when you pitch. Well thank you. I just I wanted the character I just played hard and then maybe they made me into a character but I haven't changed from the days in the Little League you know.

Yeah I played with Tim Foley remember Tim Foley. And he was crazy. I was one of the senior guys he'd strike out. He'd sleep at second base because his friend's dad had beat him. You know I just he just gave it everything at all times. Well appreciate it. Well one question what do you think. One of my favorites Rick Burleson what you think of him as playing shortstop tough tough cooking gave a day's work every ball good. Well I don't try too hard though he can wind up throwing too I said Rick save your arm you only get one arm you know and eventually threw it out there and he just did everything. Does everything too intense. How do you think the Red Sox may treated him the way they released him. The angels brought him back in. You know let him recuperate and you see more season with him. I think it did more for him you know mentally wise guys. The Red Sox beating him. Yeah. The Red Sox hated Burleson. They hated Fisk. They hated the land. They hated all the guys that had kept Dean as their agent back in that time. See the party line of

all the owners was. Don't sign your own free agents. Let them go let them go. They'll never get more on the free market. And so they let them go. Every owner that had deep pockets would go. To hell with the other owners I'm going to give them. I'm going to buy this guy for this amount of money I'm going to buy this guy. All of a sudden prices escalate and they blame it on Burleson. They say damn Burleson he goes and free agent. He goes out there we get to hate him and stuff. But they brought him back as a coach. They brought Zimmer back as a coach. They loved those tough those little leprechauns. He gave his son the play next client. Please where are you calling from. Hello. Hello. Yes. What are you calling from. I'm calling from East Sullivan. Sullivan all right. Beautiful place. Well not bad. Hey what is it. Yeah. I'm like dog that boy. Hey you got to vote. And very often it is always I'm surprised the Brits don't want to pick them up because they never seem to want to get any pasty. I tell you he's one of the he's got the source legs and he's still one of the fastest guys in the Red Sox

organization. They get him in that organization and they feed him slow pills. They give it to him down there because they put some Jipson in with their Vitamin C or something. I don't know what they put in it. They all turn into like Lot's wife pillars of the home with the organization where I am calling from. Hello. Hello. Hello. Yeah I'm calling from Windham right 1 2 1 0 0 0 to reflect on the best moments of the second form I can about doing Munson's stuff. I remember brought back what he can do come up with a bum shoulder. Well I get beat up that game 76 first game against the Yankees after we beat him in 75. And they had changed managers from Lot's wife which was Bill Verden to a little pugnacious son of a gun named Billy Martin. And we got in a big fight and I hurt my arm and. It never really healed properly after that. But I still continue to pitch as hard as I could. I

just. I actually had a better sinker on days. I had a better slow curve I had to have a better slow curve. I lost my hard braking curve ball. And. You know but I was smarter in injured Beaver is a smart Beaver he avoids a lot of traps. The Indians have a high respect for the injured animal because they they have to use their smarts and guile to get by and that's what I became I became a lame Beaver and I worked hard but my best moment in a red sox uniform would have to be the first day I ever got to put it on. You know because those were good flannels nice polished they weren't the double nets. You know I looked good. I got the strips he was over here. Tony could they clear all was in his prime. You know Rico Petrocelli was young. Mike Andrews was still playing. And. You know it was a nice time to come up in the late 60s and you know and when I get gotten that Red Sox uniform I wasn't in a trench over in Vietnam. And that was the highlight of my life and that's why I played hard because I didn't want to go to Nahm And

you know and I was blessed. I was lucky I had a low number. I was drafted and I got into a reserve unit. And the Red Sox for six years I played hard. It kept me out of the army. The regular army you know and I didn't have to get my rear end shot off. So it was it was the early late 60s early 70s. You know you ever watch that show on TV called oh whatever it is. I can think of it now dear I'll is waiting to talk. Yeah come in there I'll. Hello. Hi Bill. A lot of people died and revolution civil war and here I'll. They sure did. You know first I have a question but I also want to thank you Bill for your insights into the red sox will baseball and fascinating night. Well thank you very much. The question I have is I know how I felt as a fan when the Red Sox lost to the Mets a few years ago and the World Series. That is a former player. How did you feel at the time and it seemed like the Red Sox had it but they just lost it. How did you feel.

We had just won one of our last playoff games for the Monkton and Mets. We were sitting in a in a bar up there are a whole team and I remember we were sitting there gathered around the TV and. They brought in Sherer all the. And he had Carter all into and he made a bad pitch and he got to base it then he had the next guy. Oh and to him made a bad pitch and he just. Was brain dead out there and all of a sudden they bring in Stanley and then he throws the ball and Gedmin goes over and I'm. Holy cow. Here they go again. I'm sitting there and then that ball went through Buckner's legs and. We're just talking the other day he was down in Phoenix Arizona and he got despondent and he jumped out in the street tried to commit suicide jump in front of a bus between his legs. I got it. You got it. Come on where you. And I like this. That's nice. Hello. Hi there. Hello. Where are you calling from. I'm calling from South Portland Maine. Yes. Let me just ask you just as Eddie Griffin Eddie Griffin Eddie Griffin is fine. I couldn't answer that.

I believe you still strapping on the boxing gloves when you get down in the basement putting on the old boxing gloves. There is a wonderful Archie Moore imitation probably better than Larry Holmes anyway. I think he is better Larry. Go ahead. No don't. I want to. I've never had a satisfactory answer to this question was. Tom Yawkey was a creature of the Red Sox as. You know was he a racist. Because you look at you know when you look at Louis and you look at you start guys have been trying to get jobs for years now the other guys I just want to because I don't know. I just know Tommy didn't have a racial bone in his body his best friend was his buddy on the South Island right. You know he. You know Tom didn't know he was white for a long time. I just wonder why they never seem to bring back. It's not his doing. He doesn't have a say so in the hiring practices. I'm telling you. And what happened with George. GEORGE. No one could understand it. And Louis I could understand him. The funny thing is about white people in New

England people they could not understand. These guys talk and I am I'm a ballplayer. I can understand every word that George said I could understand him perfectly you'd be a great manager Louis to be a great Louis team is a pitching coach in odds are very bright very bright intelligent in. He's in the Dodger organization and he's helping out with the Latin players. What happened is you have to do your parents you have to get out and then make it you're hungry the economic system of this planet is to get guys when they're hungry because you can get them for less price and they've got to you now as a coach. And he's struggling and he's working his way up. He'll be a major league pitching coach shortly. But I think you should have your best coaches in your lower level of your minor league operations you shouldn't have them at the major league operations because they're not going to listen to you anyway. One day I was traveling with the Red Sox we play in the Yankees at the stadium we went from the hotel the stadium and I said we St. Louis. This was before his dad was able to come to Boston recently fairly recently and he was telling me all about his love for his father who was in Cuba and he

was unable to bring him to America and I got a different side of Louis and a very bright man. And you listen to every word he had to say and he was such a he's such a lovable man. Oh funny too funny. You bet he is. He's got the best one I ever heard. And there's no racial bones and time on his body no. I think the organization is very southern oriented and patriarchal which is not to say it's not racist. Is there a subconscious racist in the south where they feel that they are a little more superior to the people that were their slaves for all those generations. But the trouble is you don't like Alabama as a football team. I hate it at all but I like Bear Bryant I shot quail with Bear right here. Come in with your clothes. If you put 50. Yes. I brought a wire. Good good. Hi dad. Yeah. You've had a lot of easy fixes to handle tonight. I just wanted to comment on your pitch to correct 75 right. I thought it was a dreadful

mistake. You defend it. Hell no. Why should I defend a bad pitch. I made a bad pitch but then I kept going. You know life is like that. What happened on the pitch before the hitter before Paris. Do you know. No I don't. Johnny Bench hit a two hopper to Burleson Burleson threw at the Doyle. Doyle jumped over the bag and threw it in the dugout. He didn't make the play that would have been the third of the inning Perez doesn't even come up. I don't have to face him until the leadoff hitter of the next. People don't remember that. They only remember the bad pitch I threw to Perez but everything in life is in its context what happened in the third inning. We had Brunner's the second and third nobody out. I was a runner at third. I got a base that's driving a run. I'm standing over there and we got the top three hitters coming up the wheedles score another run. We could have blown them out of the water and we would have had a six six run lead going into the fourth inning. We didn't have a killer instinct that the plate we hung on and we came back but we didn't have the kind of club that could put people away. And it was very it's

shown up very distinctly in the seventh game. We were content to just keep playing but we didn't have that killer instinct and they didn't really either. I pitched pretty good. I got a blister on my thumb I had to come out the following inning. I couldn't throw strikes but you know. We had Willowby Willoughby hadn't given up a run in the world series game to this day. And they pitch it for Willoughby with two outs. They brought in Cecil Cooper swung it three high fastball see you later. Pisces Baltimore I mean one. Yeah. Well that's it. That's you know come in with your question it was a bad pitch Jehane curveball. Hello. Hi down. Yeah I was her boyfriend your face. I'd like to make just one comment. Man I get so much Jim Rice play and I would like to hear these comments on him right now. Hang on let me answer. All right. Thank you. OK. Jim Rice was one of the great all time hitters of all time he could hit the all fields and get hit

with power. He could run he could do everything. Everything came very easy to Jim Rice and he got very high got very falutin he made a lot of money and then he got sloppy and he got old in his career and they cut him loose for one reason and that was because he wasn't really nice. And if he hadn't been nicer to the people on the way up. I was always told be nice to the people on the way out because you're going to see him again on the way down. And what happened is when he got up here and his money was big bingo they cut him and he fell very fast. But now he's a hitting coach and he's he's mellowed he's gotten much better and he should have done those little things to stay around. He's Hall of Fame material. He should have been. He was. By far one of the great hitters of all time in all 20 years for 10 years is a great record. All right we got down to a couple of minutes. You a question. Hello. Oh yes.

Yeah I'd like building plant in stock on the Red Sox. Get rid of Bernie Koppel I've already covered that. They got rid of carbo when that was when I was on the strike day or not the strike that the day that I walked out and I got mad at him and stuff and. Held Bernie Carbo hit three 10 had 25 home runs and 125 games for the Cincinnati Reds. He made nine thousand dollars. They offered him a $1000 raise for the next year. Here he was rookie of the year or close to it in the National League. And he walked out of spring training he held out. They punished him he came back had a terrible year they sent him to St. Louis and. He's just always wanted to be wanted and he never felt wanted in life. He was always dealt and he always had that feeling and it was a sad sad state of affairs. He was a great hitter you know and he had a lot of problems. Final question where do you call him from now. And now let's have it. I was the eruption.

Oh we don't have a volcano here now. How do you think a minor league ball team would do here in Bangor minor league ball club with Stephen King's fielded draw 15:00 every game. But. The problem is with minor league ball here is you're at the far end of the earth. Everyone's got to come all the way from easy made the earth or the Earth would be fine. You've got to realize that people got to drive all the way. The other Eastern League clubs or rookie league clubs it's far away. If the transportation if you can get Northwest Airlines in here to fly people to all these minor league fields Bangar would draw great. You could play it or know what the college field but that's committed to a lot of other other events. You'd have to have a field. Stephen King's would have to add bleachers down the sides and then you would draw 3000 every game. It's a perfect place logistically right now with the prices it's a bad place. But Phil will get 25 seconds. I'll be playing here anyway August night. You don't have to see anybody else. Listen old friend. You've been a joy and a delight. Thank you. Enjoyed having you and

we'll be looking forward to when you come with a great song. Well the gray beards and that is our final program for the summer. Wish you well have a safe and happy summer. And perhaps this fall we'll see you again. Many many thanks for being our viewers and our friends we bid you good night.