Jerry Thornton explains to readers of his Thornography blog:
WCAX in Burlington is reporting that Red Sox and Expos pitcher/beloved screwball Bill “Spaceman” Lee is running for governor of Vermont:
“I’m a pragmatic, conservative, forward thinker,” said Lee, Liberty Union candidate for governor. …
Lee is believed to have played more professional baseball games than any other person, playing semi-pro and minor league games well into his 60s. …
Lee famously quipped that marijuana sprinkled on his pancakes immunized him from Boston bus fumes as he jogged to Fenway Park during his nine years with the club.
He argues for legalization and taxation of pot in Vermont, along with single-payer health care, paid family leave and bringing the Expos back to Montreal.
In 1988 he ran for president under the Canadian Rhinoceros Party which touted positions like bulldozing the Rocky Mountains so that Alberta could receive a few extra minutes of daylight and a ban on deadly guns and butter. …
“If things don’t go our way, if we get Trump as president, I’m out of here and I’ll take Vermont with us,” said Lee.
You know, I probably agree with Bill Lee on very little. Socially I bet we’re about the same, kind leaning small “l” libertarian, who don’t want the government messing with individual liberties. Fiscally, he seems to be into the government messing with individual liberties. But to hell with it. He’s got my endorsement.
I’m not going to rest on ideology. Democracy is broken. And we need more guys like Lee. Flaky but impassioned nutjobs who are colorful, smart and interesting, instead of bland, corrupt and controlled like we have now. Plus, Spaceman had a loyalty that is rare among politicians. He walked off two different teams because they got rid of someone he was tight with. And nobody but nobody was more willing to drill a batter in retaliation for one of his own getting hit or throw down the glove and land a couple of haymakers when the benches emptied.
When it comes to Bill Lee stories, I’ll leave that to his radio biographer/friend Mikey Adams. But I will retell this one, which is my favorite. When the commissioner fined him $500 for admitting marijuana use, Lee sent MLB a check for $512.37, just to mess with their accounting. That is the leader Vermont needs.
