About Watty Lee
Lived 1879 – 1936 (aged 56). Watty Lee was an American baseball player.
Wyatt Arnold "Watty" Lee (August 12, 1879 – March 6, 1936) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and pitcher. He played all or part of four seasons in the majors, from until , for the Washington Senators and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Lee broke into the major leagues with the ascension of the American League to major league status in 1901. Playing for the Senators, Lee won 16 games, second on the team to Case Patten's 18 wins. He also played 7 games in the outfield and batted .256.
In 1902, Lee was moved to the outfield full-time, playing 96 games there. He batted .256 again and set career highs in every other major statistical category. He hit all four of his career home runs this season. Lee also pitched in 13 games with a record of 5–7.
1903 saw Lee splitting his time more evenly between pitching and the outfield. Lee played 47 games in the outfield and 22 games as a pitcher. His batting average slipped to just .208, but he had a career-best ERA of 3.08 while posting a record of 8–12.
Lee jumped to the National League in 1904, playing for the defending NL champion Pirates. He appeared in just 8 games, 5 as a pitcher and 3 as a pinch hitter. Although he went 4-for-12 at the plate for a .333 batting average, his pitching record was not nearly as good, as he posted a bloated 8.74 ERA while winning 1 game and losing 2.
While this was the end of Lee's major league career, he went on to a long career in minor league baseball. He continued to split his time between pitching and the outfield until , when he became a pitcher only. He finished his career in with the Richmond Virginians of the International League, with at least 142 wins in the minor leagues over a 16-year span.
Lee died of cardiac disease on March 6, 1936, in Washington, D.C. He was interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Watty Lee's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Watty Lee?
American baseball player (1879–1936)
When was Watty Lee born?
Watty Lee was born on 12 August 1879 in Lynch Station.
When did Watty Lee die?
Watty Lee died on 6 March 1936 in Washington, D.C..
What was Watty Lee's occupation?
Watty Lee was a baseball player.
What nationality was Watty Lee?
Watty Lee was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Watty Lee. https://biography.guide/watty-lee/
MLA: "Watty Lee." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/watty-lee/.
Chicago: "Watty Lee." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/watty-lee/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:31 UTC