C. C. Lee

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = C. C. Lee

| image = C. C. Lee pitching for the Cleveland Indians in 2014 (Cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Lee pitching for the Cleveland Indians in 2014

| team = CTBC Brothers

| number = 34

| position = Pitcher

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|10|21}}

| birth_place = Penghu, Taiwan

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

| debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = July 14

| debutyear = 2013

| debutteam = Cleveland Indians

| debut2league = NPB

| debut2date = March 26

| debut2year = 2016

| debut2team = Saitama Seibu Lions

| debut3league = CPBL

| debut3date = July 25

| debut3year = 2018

| debut3team = Chinatrust Brothers

| statleague = MLB

| statyear = 2015 season

| stat1label = Win–loss record

| stat1value = 1–1

| stat2label = Earned run average

| stat2value = 4.50

| stat3label = Strikeouts

| stat3value = 33

| stat2league = NPB

| stat2year = 2016 season

| stat21label = Win–loss record

| stat21value = 0–0

| stat22label = Earned run average

| stat22value = 6.48

| stat23label = Strikeouts

| stat23value = 13

| stat3league = CPBL

| stat3year = April 27, 2025

| stat31label = Win–loss record

| stat31value = 16–10

| stat32label = Earned run average

| stat32value = 3.00

| stat33label = Strikeouts

| stat33value = 309

| teams =

Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|2013}}–{{mlby|2015}})
Saitama Seibu Lions ({{npby|2016}})
Chinatrust Brothers / CTBC Brothers ({{by|2018}}–present)

| awards =

;CPBL

3x Taiwan Series champion ({{by|2021}}, {{by|2022}}, {{by|2024}})

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{TPE}} }}

}}

{{Infobox Chinese

| t = 李振昌

| s = 李振昌

| p = Lǐ Zhènchāng

| w = Li³ Chen⁴-Ch'ang¹

| bpmf = ㄌㄧˇ ㄓㄣˋㄔㄤ

| mi =

| poj = Lí Chìn-chhiong

| j =

}}

Lee Chen-ch'ang ({{zh|c=李振昌|w=Li³ Chen⁴-Ch'ang¹|p=Lǐ Zhènchāng}}; born October 21, 1986) is a Taiwanese professional baseball pitcher for the CTBC Brothers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Saitama Seibu Lions. Lee throws from a sidearm slot, and his fastball sits at 92–94 MPH and max out at 97 MPH.{{cite news |last=Lastoria |first=Tony |date=July 18, 2013 |title=Getting to know your prospects: Chen-Chang Lee |url=http://www.foxsports.com/ohio/story/getting-to-know-your-prospects-chen-chang-lee-071713 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140814013555/http://www.foxsports.com/ohio/story/getting-to-know-your-prospects-chen-chang-lee-071713 |archive-date=August 14, 2014 |access-date=September 7, 2014 |work=FOX Sports Ohio}}

Career

=Cleveland Indians=

Lee began playing baseball while a student at National Pingtung Senior High School.{{cite web |last=Lin |first=Hon-hai |date=12 October 2013 |title=Strong motivation key to Taiwanese pitcher's MLB success |url=http://focustaiwan.tw/news/apst/201310120031.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131013003148/http://focustaiwan.tw/news/apst/201310120031.aspx |archive-date=13 October 2013 |access-date=12 October 2013 |website=Focus Taiwan |publisher=Central News Agency}} He competed for the Chinese Taipei national baseball team in the 2008 Summer Olympics, and had a 2.00 earned run average (ERA) and 11 strikeouts in two appearances. After appearing in the Olympics, the Cleveland Indians signed him as a free agent.{{cite news |date=September 16, 2008 |title=Indians sign RHP Chen-Chang Lee to Minor League free agent contract |url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/cle/y2008/m09/d16/c3486920.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320083350/http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/cle/y2008/m09/d16/c3486920.jsp |archive-date=March 20, 2014 |access-date=September 7, 2014 |work=MLB.com}}

After joining the Indians organization, Lee competed in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.{{cite web |last=Axisa |first=Mike |date=12 July 2013 |title=The Indians are calling up a pitcher named C.C. Lee – seriously |url=http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/22734363/the-indians-are-calling-up-a-pitcher-named-cc-lee-seriously |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131013003145/http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/22734363/the-indians-are-calling-up-a-pitcher-named-cc-lee-seriously |archive-date=13 October 2013 |access-date=12 October 2013 |work=CBS Sports}} He began his stateside professional career with the Kinston Indians in 2009, finishing the year with a 4–6 win–loss record and a 3.35 ERA in 45 appearances. He spent 2010 with the Akron Aeros, and had a 4–5 record and a 3.22 ERA in 44 games. The following year, Lee split the season between the Aeros and Columbus Clippers. With the Clippers, he had a 4–0 record and a 2.21 ERA in 25 appearances.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=lee---001che|title=C.C. Lee Minor League Statistics & History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference, LLC|access-date=September 7, 2014}}

After five games with the Clippers in 2012 and 19 in 2013, Lee was called up by the Cleveland Indians from their Triple-A affiliate Columbus Clippers on July 12, 2013, and became the tenth Taiwanese player to play in the MLB.{{cite web|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/minor-details/2013/07/tribe-calls-up-lee-options-salazar.html|title=Tribe calls up Lee; options Salazar|first=Jim|last=Massie|work=The Columbus Dispatch|date=July 12, 2013|access-date=July 12, 2013|archive-date=July 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130716075919/http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/minor-details/2013/07/tribe-calls-up-lee-options-salazar.html|url-status=dead}} In his debut on July 14, Lee pitched 1.1 innings in relief of Ubaldo Jiménez, allowing no hits and 1 walk. He was optioned back to Columbus on July 23 and finished the season there, ending it with a 2.37 ERA. Lee started the 2014 season in Columbus, but was brought up to the majors and had several stints with the Indians during the 2014 season.{{cite news|url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140807&content_id=88432018&vkey=pr_cle&c_id=cle|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808133350/http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140807&content_id=88432018&vkey=pr_cle&c_id=cle|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 8, 2014|title=Indians recall RHP CC Lee from AAA Columbus|work=Indians.MLB.com|date=August 7, 2014|access-date=September 7, 2014}}

=Saitama Seibu Lions=

On November 20, 2015, the Indians sold Lee's contract to the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball.{{cite web |date=November 21, 2015 |title=新外国人選手保有権譲渡合意のお知らせ |trans-title=Notice of Agreement on Transfer of Ownership Rights for New Foreign Players |url=http://www.seibulions.jp/news/detail/10880.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20151125131049/http://www.seibulions.jp/news/detail/10880.html |archive-date=November 25, 2015 |access-date=December 9, 2018 |work=Seibu Lions |language=japanese}}

On November 8, 2016, he became a free agent.{{Cite web |url=http://npb.jp/announcement/2016/pn_released.html |title=自由契約選手 | work=日本野球機構公式サイト | language=Japanese | date=November 8, 2016 | access-date=December 9, 2018 }}

=Colorado Rockies=

On December 23, 2016, Lee signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies that included an invitation to 2017 spring training.{{Cite web |date=2 February 2017 |title=Rockies' C.C. Lee: Invited to Rockies camp |url=http://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/rockies-cc-lee-invited-to-rockies-camp/ |website=CBS Sports}} In 27 appearances for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, Lee registered a 5.54 ERA with 53 strikeouts in {{fraction|37|1|3}} innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on November 6.{{Cite web|title=Minor League Free Agents 2017|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/minor-league-free-agents-2017/?amphtml|access-date=2023-06-03|website=baseballamerica.com|date=7 November 2017 |language=en}}

=Los Angeles Dodgers=

On January 1, 2018, Lee signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. In 22 appearances for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers, Lee had a 3.91 ERA with 41 strikeouts in {{fraction|25|1|3}} innings pitched. On June 1, Lee exercised an opt-out clause in his contract in order to return to his home country of Taiwan and declare himself eligible for the 2018 Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) draft.{{cite tweet|number=1002646896039505920|user=GOCPBL|title=Rumour #Dodgers Triple-A reliever 李振昌 (C.C Lee) to exercise his escape clause and return to Taiwan to participate i… |date=1 June 2018}}

=Chinatrust / CTBC Brothers=

Lee was selected first overall in the 2018 CPBL draft by the CTBC Brothers, and on July 10, 2018, signed to a 3.5 year deal with an annual salary of $248,000 USD plus $34,000 USD per season in incentives.{{cite web|url=http://cpblstats.com/2018-cpbl-draft-signing-tracker/|title=2018 CPBL Draft Signing Tracker|date=July 10, 2018|access-date=July 30, 2018}}

On May 3, 2023, Lee suffered a broken collarbone after being involved in a traffic collision, and later underwent successful surgery.{{Cite twitter |number=1654046139593945088 |user=GOCPBL |title=CTBC Brothers' reliever 李振昌 (C.C Lee) broke his collarbone yesterday in a traffic collision. According to the team, Lee underwent a successful surgery today, it is still unclear at this stage whether Lee will be able to return to the mound this season. #CPBL |author=CPBL STATS |date=May 4, 2023}} He only made 11 appearances on the year, and struggled to a 6.75 ERA over 8 innings. Lee made 42 appearances out of the bullpen for the Brothers in 2024, compiling a 3–1 record and 4.70 ERA with 27 strikeouts across {{fraction|38|1|3}} innings pitched. With the Brothers, Lee won the 2024 Taiwan Series.{{Cite web|title=CTBC Brothers win their 10th Taiwan Series Title|url=https://www.wbsc.org/en/news/ctbc-brothers-win-their-10th-taiwan-series-title|access-date=November 11, 2024|website=wbsc.org|language=en}}