Lee May
| Lee May | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First baseman | |||
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Born: March 23, 1943 Birmingham, Alabama |
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| MLB debut | |||
| September 1, 1965, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 24, 1982, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .267 | ||
| Hits | 2,031 | ||
| Home runs | 354 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,244 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Lee Andrew May (born March 23, 1943 in Birmingham, Alabama) is a retired American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman and designated hitter who played 18-seasons for the Cincinnati Reds (1965–71), Houston Astros (1972–74), Baltimore Orioles (1975–80), and Kansas City Royals (1981–82). He batted and threw right-handed. He is the older brother of former Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees outfielder Carlos May.
May, nicknamed "The Big Bopper", hit 20 or more home runs and 80 or more run batted in (RBI), in 11 consecutive seasons. He led the American League (AL) in RBI in 1976. May also made three All-Star Game appearances including being named the starting first baseman for the National League (NL) team in 1972.
May was a standout in both baseball and football at A.H. Parker High School in Birmingham. A fullback on the varsity football team, May was offered a scholarship at the University of Nebraska. But the Cincinnati Reds organization were also interested in him and signed May to a contract with a $12,000 bonus on June 1, 1961 as an amateur free agent.
May began his professional career in 1961 with the Tampa Tarpons in the Florida State League, a D-league affiliate of the Reds. He played two years in Tampa before moving up to the Rocky Mount Leafs in the Class A Carolina League. The following year he was again promoted, this time to the Macon Peaches in the Class AA Southern League. At all three stops, May, like many black players, endured racist taunts not only from an opposing team's white fans but from the fans of his own team as well. May hated his time in Macon, Georgia the most. Not only did he hear racist epithets, but he also had to avoid thrown bottles. Fortunately, May's emergence in 1964, allowed him to be promoted the following year to the San Diego Padres, who were then in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. During his only season with the Padres, May was one of the best players in the league. He hit 34 home runs while driving in 103 runs and hitting .321. He was called up briefly to the Reds at the end of season but then moved to the Reds new Class AAA International League team, the Buffalo Bisons in 1966. A solid AAA season at Buffalo led to his permanent major league promotion.
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