When Lemle was drafted by the Mets organization, he was just 17 years old. There was no doubt he was going to sign, as his goal had been to use baseball as a way to get a way from the violent neighborhoods he grew up in. Because of his age, it was understood that it was going to take some time for Lemle to become major league ready. He had started out playing for Kingsport of the Appalachian League and spent part of 1988 there as well. He moved on to the New York Penn League's Little Falls Mets (who would now be the Brooklyn Cyclones). Similar to playing in the Appalachian League, Lemle took a little bit of time to adjust to the NY Penn League. In 1987, he made his debut in the South Atlantic League, playing for the Colombia Mets (who are now the Savannah Sand Gnats).
After a full season in Colombia in 1988, Lemle seemed ready to take the next step in 1989. Unfortunately, during the off season, he was shot near his home in a drive-by shhoting which resulted in two loss of life. Lemle survived with a bullet lodged in his left knee and another in his buttocks. This did not stop him from making his 1989 season his most successful to that point. The 21 year old was back at Colombia with a promotion in the Mets chain on the horizon. Never a power or extra base threat, he had stole 38 bases before being hit by a pitch on his left arm, breaking it in three places. This ended his season prematurely.
On November 24, 1989, Lemle was involved in an altercation outside a liquor store in his home city of Compton. It became physical before a gun was pulled by one of the two Lemle was fighting with and Lemle was shot to death. Lemle was 22 years old when his life was taken. His goal had been to use baseball as a way to get out of Compton and the gang life that the city was associated with. Unfortunately, he was never able to get away from it completely. We are coming close to the 25th anniversary of his death. RIP