Here's a Curveball: Pacifics Sign Bill 'Spaceman' Lee, 65

Pitch in a professional baseball game at the age of 65? You'd have to have a screw loose. You'd have to be from outer space.

It's not too wacky for Bill Lee, who was known as "the Spaceman" during his major-league career. The left-hander, who spent much of his life living in San Rafael and still owns a home in Terra Linda, has been signed by the upstart San Rafael Pacifics to pitch in a game Aug. 23.

Over his 14-year career in the major leagues, Lee had 119 wins, 90 losses,  a 3.62 earned-run average and 713 strikeouts. A native of Burbank, Lee won 17 games each season from 1973-75, was selected to the 1973 American League All-Star team and in 1975 helped the Boston Red Sox clinch the American League championship.

This won't be his first venture into minor-league stunts. The former Red Sox and Montreal Expos pitcher picked up a win for the Brockton Rox in a Can-Am League contest in 2010. With the victory, Lee reportedly set a record becoming oldest pitcher to win a professional baseball game.

Lee will look to break his own record as he gets the start for the Pacifics against the Maui Na Koa Ikaika as part of a six-game, season-ending series. The two teams — in first and second place respectively — are battling for the North Division championship.

Lee surrendered only two earned runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings as the Rox defeated the Worcester Tornadoes in that 2010 outing. The southpaw threw 63 pitches — 41 of them for strikes — on his way to striking out one and walking none.

"It felt good out there," the Spaceman told reporters at the time. "Everything was where I wanted to be. I got pulled before I could use all of my pitches today. I was hoping to be able to break out my Juan Marichal screwball."

Mike Shapiro, the Pacifics' team president and general manager, approached Lee with an offer to sign on for a start during the season, but had no idea it would be in the heat of a pennant race.

"Because of Bill's connection to this community and his great pitching career, I thought it would be a treat for our fans to get to see a local legend pitch,” Shapiro said. “It's even more special that he has a chance to help us win the division.”

Believed to be the oldest pitcher to earn a victory in a professional game, Lee is among other golden greats like Satchel Paige; who was 59 when he pitched three innings for the Kansas City Athletics in 1965. Another longtime Negro Leagues player, the legendary Buck O’Neal, batted twice in the Northern League All-Star Game in 2006 at age 94. He swung at one pitch and walked in both at-bats. Earlier that year, Jim Eriotes, 83, led off the game for the Sioux Falls Canaries and struck out. He did foul off a pitch.

Tickets to the game are available at Pacificsbaseball.com. Follow the Pacifics on Twitter.com @SRPacifics, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sanrafaelpacifics.