Lee May

[linedrive]

Very sad. I never had a chance to see him play for the Orioles since I just started following the Orioles at the end of the 1980 season, but he's definitely one of the Orioles all-time great players.

[OFFNY]

o

 

Cincinnati Reds' Lee May: 'One of the Finest People I've Ever Known in Baseball'

(By C. Trent Rosecrans)

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/mlb/reds/2017/07/30/reds-lee-may-one-finest-people-ive-ever-known-baseball/523968001/

 

o

[spiritof66]

Those late '70s Orioles teams were my favorites for a few reasons. Reggie Jackson was gone. They surprised the experts. They never thought they were out of a game. They played pretty solid fundamental baseball. Three of our mainstays came over in a trade in which we fleeced the Yankees. They were a nice mix of veterans and young players, the old and the new, exemplified by the Bopper and Eddie, and by Brooks giving way to DeCinces with his customary grace and class. (Brooks retired in August so that there would be room on the 25-man roster for Dempsey when he came off the DL. Brooks insisted there be no gifts -- a decree that May violated by presenting him with a vacuum cleaner.) Thanks Brooks Day on September 18, 1977 seemed to segue right into Wild Bill and The Roar from 34.  

Most of all, those teams were an interesting and intriguing bunch of players, most of them likeable or interesting or both.  Aside from the Bopper, there were Dempsey, the Crow, the Bee, Pat Kelly, Billy Smith, the Blade, Eddie, Rich Dauer, the Martinez Brothers (Dennis and Tippy). There were a few great and near-great players, but also a lot of castoffs and one-dimensional talents, but Earl seemed to know how to put guys in position to contribute. I almost forgot Earl's buddy Jim Palmer, who broadcast games for ABC after he retired. I wonder what happened to him.

Lee May was one of my favorites before Eddie took over. When he was hot, he hit the ball about as hard as anyone, and you almost couldn't get him out. (Well, maybe Brooks could.) When he wasn't hot, he looked like blindfolded guy swinging really hard at a pinata. His helmet -- which, like his cap, always looked to me like it was too small for him -- would come flying off. Lee May wasn't what you would call a contact hitter.

Farewell, Big Bopper. Thanks for the memories. 

[OFFNY]

20 minutes ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

Cincinnati Reds' Lee May: 'One of the Finest People I've Ever Known in Baseball'

(By C. Trent Rosecrans)

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/mlb/reds/2017/07/30/reds-lee-may-one-finest-people-ive-ever-known-baseball/523968001/

 

o

o

 

This was posted 8 years ago, when May was inducted into the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2009:

 

 

 

 

o

[Maverick Hiker]

Lllllleeeeeeeee Maaaaayyyyyyyyy..The fans in section 34 used to draw out his name when they announced the big bopper coming to bat.  He was a good Oriole and a member of the class of "79, my favorite Orioles team ever.  We were all so much younger then...

Lee cost the Orioles a sweep in the 1970 World Series I recall hearing his HR for the Reds which beat us in game four on the bus going home from school.

RIP Big Bopper.

 

[OFFNY]

o

 

Final bump for the late Big Bopper.

 

o

[Tony-OH]

17 hours ago, spiritof66 said:

Those late '70s Orioles teams were my favorites for a few reasons. Reggie Jackson was gone. They surprised the experts. They never thought they were out of a game. They played pretty solid fundamental baseball. Three of our mainstays came over in a trade in which we fleeced the Yankees. They were a nice mix of veterans and young players, the old and the new, exemplified by the Bopper and Eddie, and by Brooks giving way to DeCinces with his customary grace and class. (Brooks retired in August so that there would be room on the 25-man roster for Dempsey when he came off the DL. Brooks insisted there be no gifts -- a decree that May violated by presenting him with a vacuum cleaner.) Thanks Brooks Day on September 18, 1977 seemed to segue right into Wild Bill and The Roar from 34.  

Most of all, those teams were an interesting and intriguing bunch of players, most of them likeable or interesting or both.  Aside from the Bopper, there were Dempsey, the Crow, the Bee, Pat Kelly, Billy Smith, the Blade, Eddie, Rich Dauer, the Martinez Brothers (Dennis and Tippy). There were a few great and near-great players, but also a lot of castoffs and one-dimensional talents, but Earl seemed to know how to put guys in position to contribute. I almost forgot Earl's buddy Jim Palmer, who broadcast games for ABC after he retired. I wonder what happened to him.

Lee May was one of my favorites before Eddie took over. When he was hot, he hit the ball about as hard as anyone, and you almost couldn't get him out. (Well, maybe Brooks could.) When he wasn't hot, he looked like blindfolded guy swinging really hard at a pinata. His helmet -- which, like his cap, always looked to me like it was too small for him -- would come flying off. Lee May wasn't what you would call a contact hitter.

Farewell, Big Bopper. Thanks for the memories. 

Nice recap. They were my first team I fell in love with as well.