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On this day in 1943 Dave May was born in New Castle, Delaware. He was 18 when the Giants signed him as an amateur free agent in 1961, but had already moved on to the Orioles and waited nearly six years by the time he made his major league debut in 1967.
May's first real opportunity in the big leagues came with the Brewers, who acquired him from Baltimore in a June 1970 trade and immediately installed him in the outfield. May played 698 games as a Brewer over five seasons in his first stint with the team and was a 1973 All Star, hitting .303/.352/.473 in the best season of his career.
May is best known, of course, for being the player that went to Atlanta when the Braves traded Hank Aaron back to Milwaukee in 1974. May played four more major league seasons as a member of four teams (including the 1978 Brewers) before calling it a career. May's son Derrick would later go on to be a 1995 Brewer.
May passed away in October, or he would have turned 69 today. With help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, we'd also like to wish a happy birthday to:
- 2012 Wisconsin Timber Rattler Mitch Haniger, who turns 22.
- 2008-09 Brewer Brad Nelson, who turns 30. We covered his birthday in this space last year.
- 2009 Brewer Jesus Colome, who turns 35.
- 1985-86 Brewer Tim Leary, who turns 54.