I was very impressed with what I saw from Lee earlier this month and I talked with Greeneville Manager Josh Bonifay about the young lefty. Bonifay became rather animated when discussing Lee, "Oh, that’s an amazing arm. It really is. He’s got a very live arm, a very live fastball. He’s still working on command of all of his pitches. Once all of that comes into play, I think you’re going to see one heck of a big leaguer. That’s just my own personal opinion. It’s just live. It’s live. Hitters have a tough time. It’s a quick little arm stroke. Poof. And it gets on you so fast. He’s got to learn to slow the game down a little bit. There’s some things that he has to learn how to do. Holding runners and making sure he’s doing all the fundamentals, where he supposed to be on cutoffs and relays, where he’s supposed to be on bunt plays, and just slow the game down. He’s still a very young kid, but he’s just got a very bright future in my mind. A real bright future. Once he pitches more, more experience on the mound, more experience with everything taking place, how fast the game is, he’ll slow it down and then once he slows it down, then you’re really going to see him take off. He’s got an amazing arm."
Chris Lee - August 2013
Photo by Jayne Hansen
I sat down and talked with Lee when I was in Greeneville earlier this month and this is what he had to say (edited for brevity and clarity) ~
WTH: You got shut down after only a few innings in 2012. What was the issue?
CL: I ran into a little tightness in my shoulder which I was working out, and the manager and I decided that it was better for the team for me to go down to rehab it and get it stronger and come back the next year.
WTH: Can you tell me a little about your pitch repertoire?
CL: I think my best pitch is my fastball. I sit between 93-94 and run up to 96. My other pitches that I like to throw are a hard slider, curveball and change up.
WTH: What do you feel like you've accomplished so far this season and what do you still need to work on?
CL: I accomplished getting more innings in, throwing more strikes and not as many walks like I did my first two years. I’m just adjusting better to the game and everything is coming together piece by piece. Just keep focusing, training hard, pounding the strike zone.
WTH: What do you bring to the game?
CL: I’m really competitive. I can be in a situation, trying to get out of it and I just try to pound the fastball in or out. I’ll try to beat you with my fastball and then go to my off-speed. I have a lot of confidence in my pitches.
WTH: What Astros pitcher has a pitch you'd like to steal?
CL: I don’t know that there’s any I’d like to steal really, just try to be my own person. [I pressed Lee further on the question.] Jarred Cosart is a great pitcher, has a great fastball. Anyone would want to throw 100 miles an hour.
WTH: What Astros hitter would you least like to face?
CL: I’ll face anyone, actually. It doesn’t matter. It’s all about hitting your locations. If you have a good location when you pitch, you’re unhittable. Pitching is a numbers game.
WTH: Is there anyone who you particularly like to have behind you in the field when you're playing?
CL: I trust all my fielders. I have all the confidence in the world in my fielders. Once I get a ground ball, I know they’re going to make the play, and if they can’t make the play, the ball was hit too hard. I need to make a better pitch.
WTH: Who on the team makes you laugh?
CL: I’d say Chase McDonald. He’s a funny dude. He gets mad. If you see him hit a home run, he gets mad at that ball. But once he’s in the dugout, he’ll pick you up when you’re down. Good man to be around.
WTH: Can you tell me something about yourself that most people don't know and might be surprised to hear?
CL: I really love video games. To get my mind off baseball, relax, I’ll be on video games all day. [What's your favorite game?] Madden '13 Football.
WTH: What would you do if you couldn't play baseball?
CL: I probably would have kept playing football back in high school, just kept on grinding at it. I played my junior year and I was on Blue Chip. I was a prospect. I had a few small D2 schools looking at me for full scholarship, but then I decided to quit that and focus on baseball. I figured I’d have a way better chance of making it in baseball than football. [What did you play?] Safety.
WTH: What do you think about the changes to the Astros system in the three years you've been in the system?
CL: I believe that they’ve changed for the better. We got new colors, new people upstairs, new coaches, everyone in the right spot. Everything’s coming together and were going to be up there in a few years, one of the top teams.
WTH: How do you feel about the increased competition with the influx of lefty pitchers into the system?
CL: I think of myself as one of the best people in the organization, so I just keep grinding. Train hard off-season, come back spring training pounding the fastball, throwing harder, doing all the little things right.
WTH: What Astros hitter would you least like to face?
CL: I’ll face anyone, actually. It doesn’t matter. It’s all about hitting your locations. If you have a good location when you pitch, you’re unhittable. Pitching is a numbers game.
WTH: Is there anyone who you particularly like to have behind you in the field when you're playing?
CL: I trust all my fielders. I have all the confidence in the world in my fielders. Once I get a ground ball, I know they’re going to make the play, and if they can’t make the play, the ball was hit too hard. I need to make a better pitch.
WTH: Who on the team makes you laugh?
CL: I’d say Chase McDonald. He’s a funny dude. He gets mad. If you see him hit a home run, he gets mad at that ball. But once he’s in the dugout, he’ll pick you up when you’re down. Good man to be around.
WTH: Can you tell me something about yourself that most people don't know and might be surprised to hear?
CL: I really love video games. To get my mind off baseball, relax, I’ll be on video games all day. [What's your favorite game?] Madden '13 Football.
WTH: What would you do if you couldn't play baseball?
CL: I probably would have kept playing football back in high school, just kept on grinding at it. I played my junior year and I was on Blue Chip. I was a prospect. I had a few small D2 schools looking at me for full scholarship, but then I decided to quit that and focus on baseball. I figured I’d have a way better chance of making it in baseball than football. [What did you play?] Safety.
WTH: What do you think about the changes to the Astros system in the three years you've been in the system?
CL: I believe that they’ve changed for the better. We got new colors, new people upstairs, new coaches, everyone in the right spot. Everything’s coming together and were going to be up there in a few years, one of the top teams.
WTH: How do you feel about the increased competition with the influx of lefty pitchers into the system?
CL: I think of myself as one of the best people in the organization, so I just keep grinding. Train hard off-season, come back spring training pounding the fastball, throwing harder, doing all the little things right.
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As you can see from Lee's answers, he is a very confident young man. But he doesn't come across as the least bit cocky. For him, it's all just a matter of fact. And the fact is that he is a very talented and exciting young pitcher who is having a break-through season. Some of you may have temporarily forgotten about him, but he's doing his best to remedy that.
Thank you for your time, Chris, and the best of luck to you. I really look forward to seeing you on the mound again.
