Son of Phillies third baseman
Pinky May, Milt was signed as an infielder by the Pirates,
who made him a catcher. He was a good handler of pitchers and a lefthanded line-drive
hitter who rarely swung at a bad pitch, but also was reputedly the slowest runner
in the majors for much of his career. At age 21, he drove in Pittsburgh's winning
run in Game Four of the 1971 World Series. The Astros gave up
Jerry Reuss for May
after the 1973 season, making him their everyday catcher. On May 4, 1975, he drove
in
Bob Watson for ML baseball's one millionth run. Traded to Detroit, he played six
games in 1976 before a broken ankle sidelined him for the season. With the 1981 Giants,
he batted .310 - the highest mark ever for a San Francisco catcher. He was re-acquired
by the Pirates late in 1983, and was made a coach for 1987.
(AJA)