August 30, 1978

Left-handed major league baseball player Clifton Phifer (Cliff) Lee was born in Benton (Saline County). Following graduation from Benton High School, Lee was drafted by the Florida Marlins; however, he decided to attend Meridian Community College in Mississippi instead. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1998 but, again, deferred, this time to attend the University of Arkansas (UA) in Fayetteville (Washington County). Abandoning his college career in 2000, Lee had a slow climb in the minor leagues before being called up by the Cleveland Indians, where he remained until he was traded to the Phillies in 2009.