| Jerry May | |
|---|---|
 May in 1966 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born:(1943-12-14)December 14, 1943 Staunton, Virginia, U.S. | |
| Died: June 30, 1996(1996-06-30) (aged 52) Swoope, Virginia, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 19, 1964, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 3, 1973, for the New York Mets | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .234 |
| Home runs | 15 |
| Runs batted in | 130 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Jerry Lee May (December 14, 1943 – June 30, 1996) was an American professionalbaseball player. He played as acatcher inMajor League Baseball (MLB) from 1964 through 1973 for thePittsburgh Pirates,Kansas City Royals, andNew York Mets. May was notable for his defensive skills and ability to handle a pitching staff.[1]
Originally apitcher and anoutfielder, May threw sixno hitters inAmerican Legion Baseball.[2] In1961, he was contracted as an amateurfree agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates, who converted him to a catcher.[2] The scout who signed him for the Pirates organization wasSyd Thrift, who would later serve as general manager of the Pirates andBaltimore Orioles.
May began his playing career as a reserve catcher toJim Pagliaroni, before becoming the Pirates' regular catcher from1967 to1969. May was the Pirates' catcher on June 12,1970, when pitcherDock Ellis threw ano-hitter against theSan Diego Padres.[3] By the 1969 season,Manny Sanguillén had taken over as the Pirates' regular catcher. May was traded along withFreddie Patek andBruce Dal Canton from the Pirates to theRoyals forJackie Hernández,Bob Johnson andJim Campanis at theWinter Meetings on December 2, 1970.[4]
In a ten-year major league career, May played in 556games, accumulating 357hits in 1,527at bats for a .234 career batting average along with 15 home runs, 130runs batted in and a .307on-base percentage.[1] While May wasn't a stronghitter, he was valued for his defensive skills, posting a .990fielding percentage over his career.[1] He threw out 42.57% of thebase runners who triedsteal a base on him, ranking him 11th on the all-time list.[5] May ledNational League catchers in1970 with a 50% baserunnerscaught stealing percentage.[6]
May was born in Virginia to Kit and Norine May and attendedAugusta County'sNorth River High School. He had a son and daughter from separate marriages. His daughter was born in 1995, just a year before he died.[7]
May died in a farming accident where a tractor fell on him on June 30, 1996, at the age of 52.[8]
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