After 27 heartfelt years, Frontier League Commissioner Bill Lee has stepped down and will be assuming the role of Commissioner Emeritus effective March 1, 2021. He will serve as a consultant for the league and attending league-based functions. The news officially came in a press release earlier this month along with the league’s announcement of the 2021 schedule.

“It has been my honor to serve the Frontier League for more than a quarter of a century,” Lee said in the release. “It is very gratifying to see how the league has grown to 16 teams and has a partnership with Major League Baseball. I 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.”

After receiving his degree in Mass Communication from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Lee played in the Atlanta Braves organization and the independent Lone Star League – which folded in 1977. He then went on to work for the Birmingham Barons as the Assistant General Manager and Public Relations Director before moving on to become the General Manager of the Chattanooga Lookouts.

During his time with the Lookouts, Lee was the Southern League’s Executive of the Year in 1989. Before joining the Frontier League, he also took on the role of the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Seattle Thunderbirds Hockey Club in the Western Hockey League. And in 1991, he was chosen as Marketing Executive of the Year for the hockey league.

Lee took the role of Frontier League Commissioner in 1994 and has been with the league ever since. Per the league, they have begun the search for his replacement. No word on how the search is currently going.

The league will start its 28th season on May 27, 2021, and end on September 12, 2021. With the addition of the Ottawa Titans and Tri-City ValleyCats, the Frontier League will play in two conferences of two divisions. Each will have four division winners advancing to the playoffs.

The Can-Am Conference will consist of Quebec, Trois-Rivieres, New York, Tri-City, Ottawa, Washington, Sussex County, and New Jersey. The Midwestern Conference will be made up of Lake Erie, Windy City, Joliet, Schaumburg, Evansville, Florence, Gateway, and Southern Illinois.

Photo Credit: SLBJ