"Not much was made of the winter trade that brought Lee Guetterman from Seattle to New York. What can you say? A 29-year-old lefty who has bounced the Mariners organization since 1981, and has less than two years experience in the majors is no headliner, not yet at least. What is impressive is that he's improving and could play a major role with the Yankees [in] 1988.
Guetterman started last year in Triple-A and joined the Mariners on May 21 without a major league win to his name (0-4). He got his first win in relief and his next four over five starts. His winning percentage (.733) was tied for first in the majors among pitchers with 15 or more decisions. He also had the Mariners' lowest ERA (3.81) and third best record (11-4).
And that's why he's a Yankee. Guetterman, who works as a starter and out of the pen, is one name that will become more familiar in 1988."
-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook
"Guetterman was acquired by the Yankees in December 1987 from the Seattle Mariners along with Clay Parker and Wade Taylor in exchange for Steve Trout and Henry Cotto. He was the third leading winner on the Mariner staff in '87 with a record of 11-4 in 25 games (17 starts) [1.34 WHIP] and posted a 3.81 earned run average, the best ERA among the club's starters. His winning percentage of .733 tied for first in the major leagues (among pitchers with 15 or more decisions) with Toronto's John Cerutti and Montreal's Dennis Martinez, who also were 11-4.
He was not on the Mariners' 40-man winter roster and did not attend major league spring training in 1987, and opened the season at Calgary, Seattle's AAA affiliate. He was purchased by the Mariners on May 21 when Edwin Nunez was placed on the 15-day disabled list. At that point Lee was 5-1 at Calgary with a save in 16 appearances (two starts) with a 2.86 ERA.
Lee won his first appearance after his recall to Seattle, a relief outing on May 27 against the Yankees in New York, pitching two hitless innings and giving up one run, and was credited with Seattle's 6-5 victory. He was moved into the rotation after that, and in his first five starts, from May 31 to June 21, he went 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA. Lee began that streak on May 31 at Baltimore, going 7.1 innings and giving up nine hits and five earned runs to gain credit for Seattle's 8-5 win. He concluded that streak on June 21 at Cleveland, pitching a 3-hit shutout against the Indians with one walk and two strikeouts in the Mariners' 5-0 victory; it was his first major league shutout and his second big league complete game.
At that point his overall record was 5-0 with a 2.65 ERA in six appearances (five starts), and his five-game winning streak was the longest by a Mariner in '87. He had his streak stopped in his next outing, in Kansas City on June 27, as Bret Saberhagen pitched a 3-hitter and Guetterman was charged with Seattle's 6-0 loss. He bounced back from that in his next start to pitch his second complete game of the season on July 2 against Detroit, giving up two earned runs on five hits with two walks and a season-high five strikeouts in Seattle's 5-2 victory. That started a three-game winning streak in three consecutive starts to raise his first half record to 8-1 in 10 games (nine starts) with a 3.36 ERA (64.1 IP, 64 H, 24 ER, 17 BB, 24 K) through the All-Star break.
In his first six starts after the All-Star break through August 15, however, Lee went 1-3 with a 6.29 ERA (24.1 IP, 17 ER) and was moved back to the bullpen. He made seven appearances in relief after that without a decision or a save with a 1.69 ERA (10.2 IP, 2 ER).
Lee was moved back into the rotation and finished the season by making two starts and winning both, including his final outing of the season on October 3 at Texas when he pitched eight innings and gave up four earned runs on six hits (including three home runs) and matched his season high with five strikeouts to gain credit for the Mariners' 6-4 victory. Overall in 17 games started he was 10-3 with a 4.05 ERA (45 ER, 100 IP).
He originally was selected by the Mariners in the fourth round (second selection) of the June 1981 free agent draft (with a choice from California as compensation for the signing of Juan Beniquez). In his first professional season in 1981 Guetterman ranked fifth in the [short-season A] Northwest League with a 2.68 ERA at Bellingham and posted a record of 6-4. In his first season at Bakersfield (Class-A California League) in 1982, he was 7-11 in 26 starts with a 4.44 ERA. His 3.22 ERA at Bakersfield in 1983 ranked him 10th in the league (and second among left-handers) and he finished with a 12-6 record in 25 starts.
Lee spent the 1984 season at AA Chattanooga, where he went 11-7 with a 3.38 ERA. He was recalled to Seattle after the minor league season on September 7 and made his major league debut on September 12 in relief against Texas in the Mariners' 8-1 loss, receiving a no-decision. He made two more relief outings for the Mariners that month.
He was assigned to Calgary from spring training in 1985 and spent the entire season there. He recorded a 5-8 record with a 5.79 ERA. 18 of his 20 appearances were starts and he tossed two complete games. Lee spent most of the 1986 season with the Mariners, going 0-4 with a 7.34 ERA in 41 games (four starts). He made his first major league start on June 7 (second game) against Texas, going the distance in the Mariners' 3-2 loss.
Lee graduated from Oceanside (California) High School in 1977, where he earned All-County honors as a first baseman. He graduated from Liberty Baptist College in Lynchburg, Virginia where one of his teammates was Sid Bream of the Pirates, and also pitched for La Romana (Dominican Republic) in winter ball.
His favorite team growing up was the San Diego Padres, his favorite ballpark is Texas Stadium and his most memorable moment in sports was 'throwing a 3-hit shutout against Cleveland on Father's Day last year.' His favorite entertainer is Bill Cosby."
-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide
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