page_title: Cliff Lee
section_title: Cleveland Indians (2002–09)
hierarchical_section_title: Cliff Lee / Professional baseball career / Cleveland Indians (2002–09)
caption_attribution_description: Cliff Lee
context_page_description: Clifton Phifer Lee is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. Lee played in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers. He stood 6 feet 3 inches and weighed 205 pounds, while playing. During his school days, Lee played baseball at Benton High School and attended Meridian Community College and the University of Arkansas before being drafted by the Montreal Expos in the fourth round of the 2000 draft.
  After playing with the Expos’ minor-league affiliate Harrisburg Senators, Lee was traded in 2002 to the Cleveland Indians and was first called up to the big leagues later that season. He was traded to the Phillies in 2009, then traded to the Mariners and Rangers, eventually returning to the Phillies as a free agent in 2011. A four-time All-Star, Lee won the American League Cy Young Award in 2008 as a member of the Indians, after leading the AL in wins and lowest earned run average.
  Lee won his first seven postseason starts. As a Phillie, he went 4-0 in the 2009 postseason, including a complete game in the 2009 World Series against the New York Yankees.
context_section_description: In June 2002, the Expos traded Lee (along with Brandon Phillips, Lee Stevens, and Grady Sizemore) to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Bartolo Colón and Tim Drew.
  Following the trade, Lee pitched seven games with the Akron Aeros before he went to the Buffalo Bisons. He compiled a 3–2 record with the Bisons before going to the Indians in September of that season. Lee made his major league debut in a start against the Minnesota Twins on September 15, 2002, giving up a lone run in 5.1 innings, resulting in a loss due to lack of run support. He pitched once more that season, giving up one run in five innings against the Kansas City Royals, resulting in a no decision for Lee but a loss for the team.
  Lee won at least fourteen games in each of his first three full seasons and pitched more than 200 innings in both 2005 and 2006. He finished the 2005 season with an 18–5 record and a 3.79 ERA, earning him fourth place in the AL Cy Young Award voting that year. In 2006, the Indians gave him a midseason 3-year $14 million contract extension.
caption: Lee pitching for the Cleveland Indians on April 18, 2008.
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