An excellent young starter for the Expos for several seasons, Lea was the NL's starting
and winning pitcher in the 1984 All-Star Game, then saw his career ruined by arm
problems that forced him to miss the entire 1985 and 1986 seasons. He began the 1980
season at Memphis (Southern League) for the third consecutive year, but after a 9-0,
0.84 start he was in Montreal by mid-season, where he went 7-5. Lea won only five
games in the strike-shortened 1981 season, but one of them was a 4-0 no-hitter against
the Giants May 10, and in 1982 he cracked double figures in wins for the first time
in his pro career, finishing 12-10. In 1983 Lea won a career-high 16 games, and in
1984 he was 15-10, 2.89 to earn his All-Star Game start but was hurt shortly thereafter.
He could not pitch at all in 1985 or 1986. Lea spent most of 1987 rehabilitating
in the minors and endured one dreadful inning with the Expos before his comeback
as a starter for the Twins in 1988, finishing 7-7 with a 4.85 ERA.
(SCL)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»May 10, 1981: Montreal's Charlie Lea, a native of France, no-hits the Giants 4–0, walking four and striking out eight in the 2nd game of a doubleheader. It is the first no-hitter at Olympic Stadium, which opened for baseball in 1977.
»April 16, 1983: Montreal's Charlie Lea pitches the ML's 2nd one-hitter in as many days, shutting out the Astros 2–0. The only Houston hit is Terry Puhl's pinch single with two out in the 8th inning.