If you want a lesson in perseverance, you don't have to look any further than the American League All-Star team.
It isn’t every year you have an All-Star that has battled back from tough times, so it must be really special when there is a group of them.
On the heels of Josh Hamilton's exhilarating performance in the 2008 Home Run Derby, Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Cliff Lee will try to battle some demons of his own.
No, he didn't rise up in a battle with drugs like Hamilton, nor did he face the constant media microscope that Milton Bradley did.
Lee had a battle against something much different. He had a battle against himself.
His first two years with the Indians were a bit of a tease to the Cleveland fans. He was acquired in 2002, and in September he made a two-game debut. He didn't win either game, but he gave up just one run in both contests.
Lee would be absent for most of 2003, not making a big-league start until late June. He'd finish his rookie campaign at 3-3, with a 3.61 ERA, a very good sign that the best had yet to come.
His first year in the big leagues was 2004, and his 10-1 record through the first 19 games left no doubt he would be a solid starter in the big leagues. Then came some growing pains, as he lost six times and failed to get a victory for a more than a month.
His emotions soon spilled out beyond his control.
After getting pulled in the fifth inning in a game at Toronto, in which he gave up six runs and 10 hits, Lee walked off the mound and fired his glove 20 rows deep into the stands.
"I didn't even realize I did it until a couple minutes afterwards when I was just sitting there."
From July 21, 2004 to Sept. 2, 2004, Lee carried a 10.51 ERA. He shook off the rough stretch for the most part, winning four of his last five games, but he didn't end the year with the success he had in the beginning.
2005 would be the year he put it all together. He finished the year as a legitimate Cy Young contender, winning 18 games and posting a 3.79 ERA. His control from the previous year improved vastly, as he cut down on his walk total. Cliff was in control and the best had yet to come.
2006 was a step back to reality, as not only did the Indians falter after a surprising 2005, so did Lee. His ERA bloated up around 4.40, and he couldn't pitch in a game without giving up a run.
He had six starts in 2005 in which he didn't surrender an earned run. In 2006, he did not go a single start without giving up at least one earned run.
Still, Lee signed a three-year, $14 million extension with Cleveland and was designated by Mark Shapiro as a core player.
His 2007 year would be thrown into a tailspin when he suffered an injury in Spring Training. He missed about a month of action, not making his debut until early May.
From there, it was an uphill battle. Lee couldn't hold a lead to save his life and his frustration was evident. It all boiled over one evening in Texas, after he hit Sammy Sosa in the head.
Lee's emotions spilled over and he and catcher Victor Martinez got into several arguments on the mound. Their public spat lead to a closed-door meeting the following day, but Lee's worst moment had yet to come.
We're going to send you the most entertaining Cleveland Indians articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
11 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete