Roy Lee

Roy Edwin Lee

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 11½", Weight 175 lb.
• School Bowling Green State University
• Debut September 23, 1945
• Final Game September 29, 1945
• Born September 28, 1917 in Elmira, NY USA
• Died November 11, 1985 in St. Louis, MO USA

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Biographical Information

New York state native Roy Lee spent ten active seasons in professional baseball, playing in the minor leagues from 1937 to 1953, with time out while serving with the United States Navy from 1942-1945 during World War II.

On his return from the service, he appeared in three games for the major league New York Giants, making his debut on September 23, 1945. Roy pitched seven innings during his short stay and rang up two losses and a 11.57 ERA. He made his last appearance for the Giants, and in the major leagues, on September 29, 1945.

During his first three seasons in the minors, Roy performed his chores as a first baseman but turned his time to pitching in the 1939 season for the Hopkinsville Hoppers of the class D Kitty League. Roy would go 10-6 in 21 games with a 3.92 ERA and remained on the mound to do his work for the rest of his career.

1939 was the first of four double-digit winning seasons for Roy. He would win 10 times again for Hopkinsville in 1941 and ring up 12 wins for the Richmond Colts of the class B Piedmont League in 1946, then would duplicate that number with the Denver Bears of the Western League in 1948.

He was out of baseball for four years (1949-1952), tried a short comeback attempt in 1953 with the Mount Vernon Kings of the class D Mississippi-Ohio Valley League and closed out his minor league carer at the age of 35 with a 53-59 record while appearing in 183 games.

Roy served as the head baseball coach at Saint Louis University from 1961 until 1967, and at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville from 1968 until 1978. Lee retired as associate professor of physical education at SIUE in 1984. He died from a heart ailment on November 11, 1985 at Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO.

Related Sites

• BR Minors page