Charlie Lea, a pitcher for the Montreal Expos in the 1980s who threw a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants in 1981, died of an apparent heart attack in his home in Memphis, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Former Expos Pitcher Charlie Lea Dead At 54
Lea was drafted in the ninth round by the Expos out of the University of Memphis in 1978 and was in the major leagues pitching for Montreal just two years later. He was a key contributor to the 1981 Expos playoff team, the only postseason club ever in Montreal, though he did not pitch in the postseason series against the Dodgers. He no-hit the Giants in the second game of a doubleheader on May 10, 1981 and later became one of the top starters in the National League. He started and won the 1984 All-Star Game for the NL, but after that, his career was derailed by shoulder injuries and he retired after the 1988 season with a career 62-48 record and 3.54 ERA.
In recent years Lea had been on the radio broadcast team for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in his hometown. His broadcast partner Steve Selby remembered Lea’s “easygoing style”:
“It was like you were sitting in a rocking chair on the porch,” Selby said. “And he was so unassuming. You would have never known he had played major league baseball unless you asked him. So many analysts are quick to tell you ‘When I played major league baseball . . .’ Charlie never did that.
“It’s obvious he had inside knowledge of the game and wanted to tell you what he knew. A lot of players distance themselves from the game because their careers may not have ended the way they wanted. Charlie was positive about everything. We became good friends. There’s a huge hole in my life right there.“Lea, who was born in France when his father was stationed in the US military there, was 54 years old.
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