"He became the only pitcher in history to lead his team in victories without the benefit of a start. That says much about his importance.
Guetterman was almost untouchable early in the season, permitting only one earned run in 22 appearances covering 25.2 innings from April 27-June 15. He added nine consecutive scoreless outings from August 13-September 6.
He has led the Yankees in appearances the last two years. He set a relief record for scoreless innings at the start of a season with 30.2 innings in 1989.
Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Guetterman was acquired from Seattle for pitchers Clay Parker and Wade Taylor for pitcher Steve Trout and outfielder Henry Cotto after the 1987 season."
-John Shea and Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1991 Edition
"Who would have thought in 1987 when little-known Lee Guetterman arrived in New York that the lanky lefty would someday be the ace of the Yankee bullpen?
With the departure of relief artist Dave Righetti to San Francisco and Guetterman's own success, the Yankees can feel quite comfortable with the six-foot-eight reliever emerging from the bullpen during a game's critical juncture.
Last season Guetterman achieved the unusual when he became the first reliever in Yankee history to lead the pitching staff in wins (11).
As the role of the middle reliever becomes more specialized and more recognized, it's the unheralded Guetterman who is quietly becoming one of the premier set-up men in baseball.
Last year his 64 appearances led the club and his 93 relief innings were eighth in the league. While Guetterman has proven to be tough on all hitters, his intimidating size on the mound has been especially effective against lefties, who have not hit a homer off him since September 26, 1989.
In addition to his role in the middle innings, the Yankees' lefty could see time as a closer. With the signing of right-handed reliever Steve Farr, the Yankees' one-two punch in the bullpen could be a knockout combination."
-The New York Yankees Official 1991 Yearbook
"1990 was Lee's second straight season as the most consistent of Yankee relievers. He was 11-7 with two saves and a 3.39 ERA over 64 games.
Lee had a rough April, as over seven appearances he was 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA (13.0 IP, 6 ER). He threw five scoreless innings in his first two appearances but allowed six runs over his next three. Guetterman took the loss on April 20 at Texas, giving up three runs on a Ruben Sierra three-run homer. On April 25 against Seattle, over 3.1 innings, he fanned a career high seven batters but allowed two runs.
He picked up his first win on April 27 against California (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R). That game started a string of nine straight scoreless outings (13.1 IP), and Guetterman allowed one earned run over 22 outings (20.2 IP) from April 27-June 14.
May was his finest month- he pitched in 11 games, going 1-1 with a 0.63 ERA (14.1 IP, 11 H, 1 ER). His only earned run was on May 21 against Chicago- he walked the one batter he faced, picking up a loss and a blown save.
Lee did not allow an earned run through his first nine appearances in June and then allowed five in his final 16.1 innings. His final scoreless game came on June 14 against Boston (1.0 IP, 1 H), reducing his ERA to a season low 1.80. For the month, Lee was 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA (24.0 IP, 5 ER).
July was a month of inconsistency. He allowed seven runs in 10.2 innings (7.88 ERA) raising his season ERA from 2.10 to a month-ending 2.76 and was 1-2 with a blown save. At the break he was 6-3 with a 2.83 ERA and in his final appearance of the month on July 18 strained a muscle in his right rib cage. Lee was on the 15-day disabled list from July 19-August 3.
His first game back was August 3, with Lee picking up a win against Cleveland. On August 9 at Seattle, he picked up the first of two saves in 1990, pitching 0.2 scoreless innings. The other save was on August 21 against Toronto (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER). Lee did not allow a run in his final eight August appearances (11.0 IP) and for the month posted a 3-0 record and had a 2.60 ERA (17.1 IP, 5 ER) with three walks and nine strikeouts.
He had an ERA of 2.72 through August, but a September/October ERA of 7.24 raised his season mark to a final 3.39. He picked up the Yankees' final 1990 win on October 2 at Detroit (0.1 IP).
Guetterman led Yankee pitchers in games (64) for the second straight year and his 93.0 relief innings were eighth in the league. He led the club in wins (11), becoming the first pure reliever in Yankee history to lead the team in wins. After getting saves in 13 of 14 opportunities in 1989, Guetterman was 2-for-7 in such situations in '90. He pitched at least three innings seven times (26.2 IP, 19 H, 6 ER) and posted a 2.03 ERA. Over the past two seasons he has pitched three-plus innings 13 times (46.0 IP, 30 H, 8 ER) with a 1.57 ERA.
Among full-time Yankee relievers, he stranded a team-leading 50 of 67 (75%) of inherited baserunners and got the first batter out upon entering a game 48 of 64 (75%) times. He entered the game with the bases loaded twice and stranded all six runners. Over the past two seasons, Lee has left the bases full six times out of eight and allowed only three of 24 inherited runners to score.
Lee allowed six home runs, an average of 0.6 per nine innings pitched. He did not allow a home run to a left-handed hitter, last allowing one to Mike Greenwell at Fenway in 1989. Lee has allowed only 34 career homers and only three to left-handers, the other two to Lou Whitaker at Detroit in 1986 and Wade Boggs at Boston, also in 1986.
He signed a one-year contract in January 1991.
The most consistent of Yankee relievers in 1989, Lee had an outstanding season. He was 5-5 with 13 saves and a 2.45 ERA over 70 games.
Lee started the season on fire, going 20 outings before allowing a run. On April 12 at Toronto he pitched one inning in a 5-3 Yankee win for his first major league save. He registered his second save two days later. Guetterman pitched 10 times in April, allowing 12 hits and no runs over 14.2 innings. He pitched nine more scoreless games (15 innings) in May with four more saves before allowing a run; on May 24 against the Angels, he pitched a scoreless inning before allowing a leadoff home run to Chilli Davis in the ninth inning to break his scoreless inning streak at 30.2. Guetterman pitched in 22 games through May and was 0-0 with seven saves and a 1.24 ERA.
He pitched in nine games in June and had a 4.15 ERA (13 IP, 6 ER). He earned his first win of the season on June 14 at Baltimore, pitching 2.2 scoreless innings and allowing four hits in a 2-1 Yankee win. Through June, Lee had a 2.01 ERA. He picked up a save on July 4 at Detroit with two scoreless innings, and through the break was 1-1 with 10 saves and a 2.05 ERA.
Lee had a rocky beginning after the break. On July 14 (second game) against Kansas City he allowed four runs on five hits over 0.1 innings, including a three-run homer to Danny Tartabull. On the next road trip, he pitched in five games and was 0-3 with a 14.73 ERA (3.2 IP, 6 ER), boosting his ERA from 2.61 to a season-worst 3.32. On July 30 against Toronto, Guetterman got back on track, pitching a season high 3.2 innings, allowing one hit and no runs and picking up the win.
He pitched in 16 games in August with a 1.31 ERA (20.2 IP, 3 ER), dropping his ERA from 3.14 to 2.70. Guetterman had a string of nine consecutive scoreless outings (10.0 IP) from August 8-23. In September, he had a 1.10 ERA (16.1 IP, 2 ER), with a span of eight straight scoreless outings (12.0 IP) from August 27-September 16. From August 8 through the end of the season, he compiled a 0.86 ERA (31.2 IP, 3 ER), dropping his ERA from 3.15 to a season-ending 2.45.
With 30.2 scoreless innings at the start of the season, Lee now holds the major league record for scoreless innings at the beginning of a season by a relief pitcher. It was also the longest scoreless innings streak by any pitcher since Harry 'The Cat' Brecheen started the 1948 season with 32.0 scoreless innings for the Cardinals.
Lee had a team low 2.45 ERA and a team high 70 appearances, the most by a Yankee pitcher since Dave Righetti pitched in 74 in 1986. He was fifth in the American League (10th in the majors) in games and his 103.0 innings were seventh among AL relievers. He had 13 saves in 14 opportunities.
He prevented a club best 52 inherited runners from scoring. Guetterman entered the game with the bases loaded six times and four times left them full (15 of 18 runners stranded overall in such situations). He pitched at least three innings six times and allowed two runs on 11 hits over 19.1 innings (0.93 ERA) in such situations.
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 made two starts and 20 appearances in 1988, finishing with a record of 1-2 and a 4.65 ERA. In his 18 relief appearances Guetterman retired the first batter he faced 11 times (he was 7-for-11 retiring the first batter he faced when runners were on base) and prevented 12 of 16 inherited runners from scoring.
He came north with the Yankees at the beginning of the season, making his Yankee debut in a relief outing on April 8 against Milwaukee, giving up one run (a solo homer by Robin Yount, one of the two home runs he would give up all year) in one inning pitched. In his first stint with the Yankees, Lee made eight relief appearances without a decision with a 2.45 ERA (14.2 IP, 4 ER), with his last relief appearance coming on May 6 at Texas before being optioned to Columbus for the first time on May 13.
Lee made 16 starts with the Clippers, going 8-6 with a 2.88 ERA (106.1 IP, 34 ER). He was named Yankee Minor League Pitcher of the Month for July, going 5-1 with a 1.52 ERA (6 G, 6 GS, 4 CG, 47.1 IP, 27 H, 11 R, 8 ER, 12 BB, 23 K [0.82 WHIP]).
He was recalled to New York on August 5. In the second game of a doubleheader that day against Minnesota, Lee made the first of two starts as a Yankee, losing 11-2 while allowing five runs on six hits in just three innings and giving up a solo homer to Greg Gagne, the second of the two home runs he allowed all year. After that start, he made five relief appearances, going 0-0 with a 7.36 ERA (11.0 IP, 9 ER) before being optioned on August 21. Included in those relief appearances was an outing on August 16 against California when he gave up six runs (earned) in just 1.1 innings in the Angels' 15-6 win.
Guetterman made two starts in his second tour with the Clippers, going 1-0 with a 1.88 ERA (14.1 IP, 3 ER). Overall in his two stints at Columbus, he posted a combined record of 9-6 in 18 games (all starts) with a 2.76 ERA and a .237 batting average against while averaging just one homer every 53.1 innings pitched. Guetterman finished sixth in the International League in ERA.
He was recalled a second time by the Yankees on September 5. On September 24 against Boston, Lee pitched a scoreless inning of relief and was credited with his only win of the year in the Yankees' 5-4 victory. It was his first major league win since October 3, 1987, when he was a member of the Seattle Mariners. In his next appearance, September 28 at Baltimore, he made his second start of the year and was charged with the Yankees' 2-0 loss, giving up seven hits and two runs (earned) with two walks and two strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched. Lee made one outing after that, a relief appearance on October 1 at Detroit, when he registered his only blown save of the year, going one inning while giving up four hits and one run (earned), allowing a runner inherited from Tommy John and runner of his own to score and letting the Tigers tie the game 5-5. Guetterman received a no-decision in Detroit's eventual 6-5 win. He has three career complete games, with his last coming on July 2, 1987 in Seattle against Detroit in a 5-2 Mariner win.
He was originally 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, Guetterman ranked fifth in the [short-season] class-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) at Texas, going the distance in the Mariners' 3-2 loss. He finished third on the club in appearances and also was 1-0 in Calgary in four starts with a 5.59 ERA.
He was the third leading winner on the Mariner staff in 1987 with a record of 11-4 in 25 games (17 starts) 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 concluded that streak on June 21 at Cleveland, pitching a 3-hit shutout against the Indians 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. After having his streak stopped in Kansas City on June 27 (losing 6-0 on a Bret Saberhagen 3-hitter), Guetterman pitched his second complete game of the season in his next start, on July 2 against Detroit, recording 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.
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) before being moved back into the rotation. Lee finished the season by making two starts and winning both. Overall in 17 games started he was 10-3 with a 4.05 ERA.
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' in 1987. His favorite entertainer is Bill Cosby."
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
