Jerry May: Short Time Member of The 1973 N.L. Championship Mets Team (1973)
The six foot two right-handed hitting May, was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1961. He hit 21 HRs batting .284 in the A ball NY Penn League in 1962. He never hit that well again, playing three more seasons in the minors.
MLB Career: Jerry May would play behind Pirates main backstop Jim Pagliaroni with the Pirates for the 1964-1966 seasons.
May had a strong throwing arm and was excellent at gunning down base stealers. In 41 games in 1966 he threw out 63% of would-be base stealers. Over the next five years he would throw out over 40% of base stealers attempting to steal.
May had a strong throwing arm and was excellent at gunning down base stealers. In 41 games in 1966 he threw out 63% of would-be base stealers. Over the next five years he would throw out over 40% of base stealers attempting to steal.
He became the Pirate regular catcher in 1967 batting .271 with 3 HRs 13 doubles & 22 RBIs in 110 games.
In 1968 he played a career high 137 games but fell off to a .219 average with 15 doubles, one HR & 33 RBIs.
In 1969 he was back as the starting catcher playing into July batting .232 in 62 games.
In 1968 he played a career high 137 games but fell off to a .219 average with 15 doubles, one HR & 33 RBIs.
In 1969 he was back as the starting catcher playing into July batting .232 in 62 games.On July 14, 1969 he crashed into the dugout in Montreal's Jarry Park. May had to be taken to the hospital & on the way his ambulance got into an accident, injuring his right shoulder. He was replaced by rookie Manny Sanguillen, who remained at the Pirates catchers' position for the next eight years batting over .290 six times.
In 1970 May would only catch 51 games but he threw out 50% of would-be base stealers, the best percentage in the league. He only hit .209 overall on the year.
That day Ellis forgot he was supposed to pitch & was tripping on LSD when the team finally got hold of him. They got him to the ballpark & Ellis He went out tossing a no hitter that day against all odds.
That December May was traded to the Kansas City Royals with shortstop Freddie Patek in a six-player deal. He battled injuries again playing in the American League, batting .252 in 71 games but dropped off to .190 in 53 games the next season.
Mets Career: In the early part of the Mets 1973 NL Pennant season, the Mets were short on
catchers as injuries set down Jerry Grote & Duffy Dyer. The team needed catching help & some insurance as a backup. They purchased May’s contract from the Royals on May 12th, and he briefly spent time with the 1973 Mets.
He made his Mets debut at Dodger Stadium catching Tom Seaver & getting two hits against the Dodgers in his first Mets game. He & Seaver were both long gone when the game ended 19 innings later in a 7-3 Mets win.
May only appeared in four games as a Met, going 2-8 with a walk. He was released on July 10th then resigned with the Pirates, but never resurfaced on the major league level.
Career Stats: Jerry caught in 525 career games with a .990 fielding percentage, throwing out 43% of would-be base stealers. He is ranked in the top twenty all time in that category.
At the plate he batted .234 lifetime with 357 hits 15 HRs 63 doubles 10 triples 130 RBIs & a .307 on base %.
In 1970 May would only catch 51 games but he threw out 50% of would-be base stealers, the best percentage in the league. He only hit .209 overall on the year.
Catching A No Hitter: On June 12th, May was behind the plate wearing reflective tape on his fingertips so Doc Ellis could see the signs as well as the target.
That day Ellis forgot he was supposed to pitch & was tripping on LSD when the team finally got hold of him. They got him to the ballpark & Ellis He went out tossing a no hitter that day against all odds.
That December May was traded to the Kansas City Royals with shortstop Freddie Patek in a six-player deal. He battled injuries again playing in the American League, batting .252 in 71 games but dropped off to .190 in 53 games the next season.
catchers as injuries set down Jerry Grote & Duffy Dyer. The team needed catching help & some insurance as a backup. They purchased May’s contract from the Royals on May 12th, and he briefly spent time with the 1973 Mets.
He made his Mets debut at Dodger Stadium catching Tom Seaver & getting two hits against the Dodgers in his first Mets game. He & Seaver were both long gone when the game ended 19 innings later in a 7-3 Mets win.
May only appeared in four games as a Met, going 2-8 with a walk. He was released on July 10th then resigned with the Pirates, but never resurfaced on the major league level.
Career Stats: Jerry caught in 525 career games with a .990 fielding percentage, throwing out 43% of would-be base stealers. He is ranked in the top twenty all time in that category.
Retirement: In retirement he served on the Augusta Board of Supervisors.
Family: Jerry was married twice & had three children.
Passing: On June 30, 1996, May was killed in a farming accident in Swoope Virginia, at the age 52. He had jacked up a rotary brush cutter to remove some wires that were tangled up in the blades. The hydraulic jack slipped as May was working under the machine & it fell on him killing him.
Passing: On June 30, 1996, May was killed in a farming accident in Swoope Virginia, at the age 52. He had jacked up a rotary brush cutter to remove some wires that were tangled up in the blades. The hydraulic jack slipped as May was working under the machine & it fell on him killing him.
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