Merrill May
Merrill Glend May
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11½", Weight 165 lb.
- School Indiana University
- High School Laconia (IN) High School
- Debut April 21, 1939
- Final Game October 3, 1943
- Born January 18, 1911 in Laconia, IN USA
- Died September 4, 2000 in Corydon, IN USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Pinky May played five seasons in the majors, all with the Philadelphia Phillies. He is one of the few players who played at least five seasons and had at least 100 games and 400 at-bats in each season.
May signed with the New York Yankees in 1932 out of Indiana University and was drafted by the Phillies in October 1938. He broke into the majors in 1939, playing in 135 games and leading the National League in sacrifice hits. He made the All-Star team in 1940.
He was in the Navy during World War II after his major league baseball career. He married the niece of long-timer minor-leaguer Art Funk who was a teammate at Louisville.
After his playing career ended, Pinky May was a minor league skipper, managing more than a dozen clubs. He compiled a record of 1658-1560 over 27 seasons (1947-1972) in the minors. Outside of baseball, he owned a farm and then worked for a liquor store chain.
In 1970 his son, catcher Milt May made it to the majors. His grandson Scott May played in the minors.
He was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- NL All-Star (1940)
Year-by-Year Managerial Record[edit]
May also managed the Cleveland entry in the 1959 and 1960 Florida Instructional Leagues, per 1960 and 1961 "Sporting News Baseball Guides".
Further Reading[edit]
- Alan Cohen: "Pinky May", in Bill Nowlin, ed.: Van Lingle Mungo: The Man, The Song, The Players, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2014, pp. 123-129. ISBN 978-1-933599-76-2
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