Lee Andrew May (March 23, 1943 – July 29, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman and designated hitter from to for the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and Kansas City Royals.
Nicknamed "The Big Bopper" for his power hitting, May produced at least 20 home runs and 80 runs batted in (RBI) for 11 consecutive seasons, and is one of only 11 major league players to have 100-RBI seasons for three different teams. He was a three-time All-Star player and was the American League (AL) RBI champion in 1976. May appeared in the postseason three times, including the 1970 World Series for the Reds and the 1979 World Series for the Orioles as well as the 1981 postseason with the Royals.
After his playing career, May spent several years as a hitting coach at the major league level for the Royals, Reds, Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays organizations. May was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 1998 and into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2009 he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. He was the older brother of former professional baseball player, Carlos May.
High school
May was a standout in both baseball and football at A.H. Parker High School in Birmingham. May played fullback on the varsity football team and was offered a scholarship at the University of Nebraska. However, the Cincinnati Reds organization was also interested in him, and the team signed May to an amateur free agent contract with a $12,000 bonus on June 1, 1961.
Minor league
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. May's emergence in 1964 allowed him to be promoted the following year to the San Diego Padres of 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.
Major league
Cincinnati Reds 1965–71
May made his major league debut on September 1, 1965, as a pinch hitter against the Milwaukee Braves. On September 24, 1966 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, he hit his first major league home run against Bob Shaw of the New York Mets. It turned out to be the game-winning homer. May broke camp as a full-time member of the Reds in 1967. That season, May was named NL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News. He was also named to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team. The next two years saw much of the construction of the future The Big Red Machine. Along with Johnny Bench, Tony Pérez, and Pete Rose, May helped power arguably one of baseball's great offenses. In 1968, he hit 22 home runs and drove in 80 runs. Despite only walking 38 times and striking out 100 times, he still had an OPS of .805 which was remarkable during the Year of the Pitcher.
In 1969, he finished the year with 38 home runs, third in the National League. He also had 110 RBIs which was fourth in the league. May was also second in extra base hits, fourth in total bases, sixth in slugging percentage and sixth in doubles. Also in 1969, May had three consecutive multi-home run games, a feat that has only happened three other times in major league history.
Teammate Tommy Helms nicknamed May "The Big Bopper from Birmingham" which later was shortened to "The Big Bopper." During his time in Cincinnati, May was one of the clubhouse leaders for the Reds. With his pragmatic personality and comic sense of timing, manager Sparky Anderson often called on May to put out clubhouse fires.
In 1970, the Reds pounded nearly everyone into submission. Batting in the fifth slot, May delivered 94 runs batted in. On June 24, 1970, May hit the last home run in the history of Crosley Field during the park's final game. The game-winning shot came in the eighth inning off San Francisco Giants pitcher Juan Marichal.