Pinky May
| Pinky May | ||
|---|---|---|
Home runs 4 | | |
| Runs batted in | 215 | |
| Teams | ||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
Merrill Glend "Pinky" May (January 18, 1911 – September 4, 2000) was an American
Biography
Early life and education
Born in Laconia, Indiana, May threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and weighed 165 pounds (75 kg). His nickname stemmed from his reddish hair. Tommy John, who played under May in the minor leagues, recalled "Pinky was a short man with glasses, a ruddy face, and a sunny disposition."[4]
New York Yankees (1932–1938)
May signed with the
Philadelphia Phillies (1938–1946)
Finally, on October 4, 1938, May was drafted out of the Yankee system—but by the Phillies, the worst team in the National League in 1938 with a dismal outlook for their immediate future. During May's five seasons in Philadelphia, the Phils averaged 104 losses a season; they finished eighth and last four times, and seventh once.
May held down the Phillies' regular job at the
Player-manager career (1946–1972)
Released by the Phils in May 1946 after his discharge from the Navy, May became a
Death and legacy
Elected to the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame, he died in Corydon at age 89 on September 4, 2000.
Tommy John recalled that "He knew the game. Pinky was a good field manager, and could scream and yell at the umps with the best of them. But he never blasted his players. He could get into a player when the situation called for it, but he never did so vindictively. He was a family man who knew how to handle young men."[4]
References
- ^ a b c Pinky May at Baseball Reference
- ISBN 978-1-4027-4771-7.
- Baseball in Wartime
- ^ ISBN 0-553-07184-X.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference
- Cohen, Alan, Pinky May, Society for American Baseball Research Biography Project
- Pinky May at Find a Grave
Further reading
- Van Blair, Rick (1994). Dugout to Foxhole: Interviews with Baseball Players Whose Careers Were Affected by World War II. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company Publishers.