RIP Lee May

[Steak Snabler]

Helluva hitter for some great Reds and Orioles teams in the 1970s. He was 74.

 

[exmediahack]

A Royal of my youth. RIP to the big hitter.

 

[DanOregon]

Was the inspiration for Sam Malone's nickname in Cheers. I miss players like him. They could have a different uni on every year, but they always had the bat.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Pretty impressive resume. I always date the Big Red Machine as mid-70s, but many of the pieces were in place at the start of the decade and he helped win the NL pennant in 1970. His trade brought Joe Morgan and Cesar Geronimo to Cincy from the Astros. Later, he was dealt for Enos Cabell, a mid-talent but very popular Astro for a few years. Won a ring as a coach with the Royals (thanks to Don Denkinger).

Member of the Hall of Very Good.

 

[SpeedTchr]

Back when baseball was fun, May was one of those guys you just knew was a bad-ass. He was mighty large for the time (but midsize in today's juiced world), and gave the Astros some of the power hitting they previously lacked.

RIP to the Big Bopper from Birmingham.

 

[playthrough]

Was the inspiration for Sam Malone's nickname in Cheers. I miss players like him. They could have a different uni on every year, but they always had the bat.

Didn't know that about Malone's nickname. Love it. RIP to a great Red.

 

[poindexter]

It's funny, I always thought of him as an oriole. Rip.

 

[CD Boogie]

354 dingers in that era is pretty damn impressive. Seven seasons in the top 10 in taters. Never hit 40, but had 11 straight seasons of 20 or more home runs, and nearly 12 (with 19 HRs in 1979).

Really nice career.

 

[DanOregon]

There were some great players like May in the 70s and 80s that always hit. Brian Downing always used to kill the A's. Harold Baines, Edgar Martinez..players who were more than journeyman, but not maybe not HOFers.

 

[Corky Ramirez up on 94th St.]

He might have been the difference for the Orioles in '79 against the Pirates. Because the DH rule went by opposite years, the pitchers batted in odd years. Thus, May and his 19 homers saw only two at-bats in the World Series.

 

[Sea Bass]

Because the DH rule went by opposite years, the pitchers batted in odd years.

Had no idea that was the case back then.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Had no idea that was the case back then.

The rule changed in 1987. I remember it being an issue in 1985 as well, when Hal McRae had to sit for the three games in St. Louis.

 

[Joe Williams]

RIP to a great slugger.
And yet, unable to match his less-accomplished brother Carlos in one department: Carlos managed to wear his birthday on the back of his jersey.
May 17

 

[Sea Bass]

The rule changed in 1987. I remember it being an issue in 1985 as well, when Hal McRae had to sit for the three games in St. Louis.

Maybe that's what got him so pissed off all those years later.