| Jerry May | |
|---|---|
| Catcher | |
| Born: December 14, 1943 Staunton, Virginia |
|
| Died: June 30, 1996 (aged 52) Swoope, Virginia |
|
| Batted: Right | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| September 19, 1964 for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 3, 1973 for the Kansas City Royals | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .234 |
| Home runs | 15 |
| RBI | 130 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Jerry Lee May (December 14, 1943 in Staunton, Virginia – June 30, 1996 in Swoope, Virginia), was an American professional baseball player who played as a catcher in the Major Leagues from 1964 to 1973.[1] He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, and Kansas City Royals. May was known primarily for his defensive skills and ability to handle a pitching staff.
Contents |
Originally a pitcher and an outfielder, May threw six no hitters in American Legion Baseball.[2] In 1961, he was contracted as an amateur free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates, who converted him to a catcher.[2] The scout who signed him for the Pirates organization was Syd Thrift, who would later serve as general manager of the Pirates and Baltimore Orioles.
May began his playing career as a reserve catcher to Jim Pagliaroni, before becoming the Pirates' regular catcher from 1967 to 1969. May was the Pirates' catcher on June 12, 1970, when pitcher, Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter—a game in which Ellis would claim to have been under the influence of LSD.[3] Ellis, unable to feel the ball or clearly see the batter or May, claimed that May wore reflective tape on his fingers to enable the pitcher to see his target. By the 1969 season, Manny Sanguillén had taken over as the Pirates' regular catcher, and in December 1970, May was traded along with Fred Patek to the Kansas City Royals.[4]
In a 10 year career, May played in 556 games, accumulating 357 hits in 1527 at bats for a .234 career batting average along with 15 home runs, 130 runs batted in and a .307 on base percentage.[1] While May wasn't a strong hitter, he was valued for his defensive skills, posting a .990 fielding percentage over his career.[1] He threw out 42.57% of the base runners who tried steal a base on him, ranking him 11th on the all-time list.[5] May led National League catchers in 1970 with a 50% baserunners caught stealing percentage.[6]
May died in a farming accident on June 30, 1996 at the age of 52.[7]