Lee retires after 27 years as Frontier League commissioner
The Frontier League announced Monday that Bill Lee will be retiring after 27 years and assuming the role of “Commissioner Emeritus” effective March 1. Lee has served as commissioner of the Frontier League since its second season, in 1994, and will continue to serve as a consultant for the league and attend league functions.
“It has been my honor to serve the Frontier League for more than a quarter of a century,” Lee stated. “It is very gratifying to see how the league has grown to 16 teams and has a partnership with Major League Baseball. I will always treasure the many relationships that were formed over the years with league staff, owners, front office members, managers, coaches, umpires, media, broadcasters and other members of our industry. I mostly want to thank all of the players and fans that truly built the league.”
Frontier League president and Evansville Otters president John Stanley, added, “Bill Lee has done an outstanding job managing and growing the Frontier League. The league owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Bill for his 27 years of service, and it’s safe to say the league would not exist in its present form without Bill’s leadership and hard work.”
After graduating from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a degree in Mass Communications, Lee played in the Atlanta Braves farm system and the independent Lone Star League. After his playing days, Lee worked with the Birmingham Barons as their assistant general manager and public relations director before moving on to become the general manager of baseball’s Chattanooga Lookouts.
While with the Lookouts, Lee was the Southern League’s Executive of the Year in 1989. Before joining the Frontier League, Lee worked in minor league hockey as the vice president of sales and marketing for the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Hockey League. Lee was chosen as Marketing Executive of the Year of that league in 1991.
The Frontier League will begin a search for a replacement immediately.
The Frontier League is the largest and longest tenured MLB Partner League, with 16 teams stretching from St. Louis to Quebec City, Canada. When Lee became commissioner of the Frontier League, it had eight teams in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky.