Lee ‘Buzz’ Capra, former Mets pitcher and Braves All-Star dead at 78

Nypost · May 15, 2026 · 284 words · By Dylan Svoboda

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/15/sports/lee-buzz-capra-former-mets-pitcher-and-brav…

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Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

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9 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 4

info Single Source 3

verified Verified By Reference 2

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“Former MLB All-Star Lee “Buzz” Capra died on Monday, Illinois State University, his alma mater, confirmed.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources, including pennlive.com, Cumberland Chapels, and MLB Trade Rumors, confirm the death of Lee 'Buzz' Capra and that Illinois State University announced it.

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web search NEUTRAL — Lee William Capra (born October 1, 1947), is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, from 1971 to 1977.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzz_Capra

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web search NEUTRAL — Lee “Buzz” Capra, age 78, passed away on May 11, 2026. Buzz was born on October 1, 1947, in Chicago to the late Peter and the late Jane Capra.
https://www.cumberlandchapels.com/obituaries/lee-capra

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web search NEUTRAL — Former Major League Baseball pitcher Lee “Buzz” Capra has died. He was 78. Illinois State, where Capra starred during his college career, announced his death. Capra played at Illinois State from 1966 …
https://www.pennlive.com/sports/2026/05/former-atlanta-brave…

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“He was 78.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and the Cumberland Chapels obituary both state he was 78 years old at the time of his death (born Oct 1, 1947, died May 11, 2026).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lee William Capra (October 1, 1947 – May 11, 2026) was an American professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, from 1971 to 1977.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzz_Capra

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Flight is a 1929 American pre-Code adventure and aviation film directed by Frank Capra. The film stars Jack Holt, Lila Lee and Ralph Graves, who also came up with the story, for which Capra wrote the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_(1929_film)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is a 1936 American comedy-drama romance film directed by Frank Capra and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur in her first featured role. Based on the 1935 short story "Opera Ha…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Deeds_Goes_to_Town

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“Capra was a 27th-round pick by the Mets in the 1969 draft after his time at Illinois State.”

CORROBORATED

Baseball-Reference and Newsweek both confirm he was drafted by the New York Mets in the 27th round of the 1969 MLB draft from Illinois State University.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2021 New York Mets season was the franchise's 60th season, their 13th season at Citi Field, and their first season under new majority owner Steve Cohen. The Mets began the 2021 season 35–25 and he…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_New_York_Mets_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 New York Mets season was the franchise's 63rd season in Major League Baseball, their 16th at Citi Field, and their fourth under majority owner Steve Cohen. After a dismal 22–33 start to the s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_New_York_Mets_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Mets

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“Capra made his big league debut with the Mets in 1971, making appearances in three seasons before having his rights sold to the Braves before the 1974 season.”

CORROBORATED

MLB Trade Rumors explicitly states the Mets sold his contract to the Braves in Spring Training 1974. Wikipedia and pennlive.com confirm he played for both teams between 1971 and 1977.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following notable deaths occurred in 2026. Names are reported under the date of death, in alphabetical order. A typical entry reports information in the following sequence: Name, age, country of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2026

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — George Arthur Foster (born December 1, 1948) is an American former professional baseball player and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1969 through 1986, most notably as a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Foster_(baseball)

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“making the National League All-Star team for Atlanta while posting a 16-8 record and winning the NL ERA title with a 2.28 mark.”

CORROBORATED

Wikipedia and a web search result specifically mention he was a 1974 All-Star, the NL ERA leader with a 2.28 mark, and had a 16-8 record.

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web search NEUTRAL — All-Star (1974). NL ERA leader (1974). Lee William Capra (born October 1, 1947), is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzz_Capra

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web search NEUTRAL — Former Braves, Mets All-Star, 1974 ERA Champion Dies. A veteran of seven MLB seasons with the Braves and Mets who won an ERA title and made one All-Star team died at 76.
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/former-braves-mets-all-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — Lee 'Buzz' Capra, a former Major League Baseball All-Star and Illinois State baseball standout, has died.That season, Capra went 16-8 with a 2.28 ERA to capture the NL ERA title. Over parts of seven m…
https://fanbuzz.com/mlb/a-70s-mlb-all-star-has-died-buzz-cap…

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“limiting Capra to just 62 more big league appearances after his All-Star campaign.”

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While sources confirm his All-Star season and total career span, none of the provided evidence specifically counts '62 more big league appearances' following 1974.

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web search NEUTRAL — Lee “Buzz” Capra, age 78, passed away on May 11, 2026. Buzz was born on October 1, 1947, in Chicago to the late Peter and the late Jane Capra.In 1974, he was honored as a National League All-Star and …
https://www.cumberlandchapels.com/obituaries/lee-capra

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web search NEUTRAL — Former All-Star and ERA champion Lee “Buzz” Capra passed away on Monday at age 78.The Mets sold his contract to the Braves for $25K in Spring Training 1974. Atlanta used Capra in a relief role for the…
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/05/buzz-capra-passes-awa…

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“Capra retired after being released by the Braves before the 1978 season, finishing his career with a 3.87 ERA across 544 ⅓ innings.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results about a film and a clothing brand. No evidence was found regarding his release date or specific career ERA/innings in the provided snippets.

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web search NEUTRAL — Lee is a 2023 British biographical war drama film directed by Ellen Kuras in her feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Liz Hannah, John Collee and Marion Hume, and story from Hume, Collee an…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_(2023_film)

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web search NEUTRAL — Shop the official Lee online store for a variety of designer jeans, shorts, shirts and more. Experience why Lee has been a popular brand since 1889.
https://www.lee.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Implementing classical French cooking that has been taken on a South East Asian spice route. Susur Lee’s flagship restaurant for over two decades, offers a menu inspired by refreshing bright flavors w…
https://leerestaurant.com/

verified

“After his playing days, Capra would coach baseball at Northeastern Illinois University”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The BR Bullpen (Baseball Reference) explicitly states he was a pitching coach at Northeastern Illinois University in 1981-1982.

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web search NEUTRAL — Lee William Capra, is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, from 1971 to 1977.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzz_Capra

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web search NEUTRAL — Lee William Capra (Buzz).Buzz was pitching coach at Northeastern Illinois University in 1981-1982, then spent over twenty years as a professional pitching coach in several minor league systems, most r…
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Buzz_Capra

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“later served as a minor league pitching coach for various organizations, including the Braves, Mets, Expos, Phillies and White Sox.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The BR Bullpen source mentions he spent over twenty years as a professional pitching coach in several minor league systems, including the Phillies and New York (Mets), but the provided evidence for claim 8 specifically says 'No evidence found after searching' in the prompt's evidence section, yet the BR Bullpen snippet in claim 7 actually contains this info. However, since it's only one source (BR Bullpen), it is single_source.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.

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Lee ‘Buzz’ Capra, former Mets pitcher and Braves All-Star dead at 78

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