of Florida Shands Hospital with a blood clot in his abdomen. He was discharged after almost four weeks of treatment. In December 2001, he underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic to have his spleen removed. Career statistics Lemon recorded 400 or more outfield putouts in five different seasons, an American League record. He also had a unique ability to be hit by a pitch; in the 1980s, he was second only to Don Baylor by getting plunked 108 times. He also had a penchant for diving headfirst into first base. Personal life Lemon was married to Valerie Jones. They had four children, Geneva (born c. 1972), Chester Jr. (born c. 1977), David (born 1981), and Marcus (born 1988). David and Marcus both followed their father into baseball. Marcus played minor league baseball from 2006 to 2017. Lemon was divorced from his first wife in 1990. He married Gigi Partee in the early 1990s. They had a daughter, Brianna, born in 1998. Lemon became a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses while playing in the minor leagues in the 1970s. He was introduced to the religion by Jerry Hairston Sr. while they were teammates in the Chicago White Sox organization. Due to his religious faith, Lemon declined to stand for "The Star-Spangled Banner", a point for which he was sometimes criticized. In a 1987 interview, Lemon explained: I believe in God's kingdom. I acknowledge God's kingdom over earth. I give my allegiance to him and not to the flag. I am grateful to be in the United States, grateful to be able to live in the U.S. and have the opportunity to have my beliefs and go door to door to share them. But the national anthem is a ritual. You have to think about what's being said -- rockets' red glare, bombs bursting in air? We do not believe in nor do we salute war. In 1993, Lemon established the Chet Lemon Baseball School in Lake Mary, Florida. He coached two successful AAU teams, Chet Lemon's Juice (18 and under) and Chet Lemon's Juice II (14 and under) in Eustis, Florida. He was also the head coach for Eustis High School, where he led the Panthers to the 2003 state championship. See also List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders References External links 1955 births Living people Major League Baseball center fielders Baseball players from Jackson, Mississippi African-American baseball players