Jakie May
Born: 11/25/1895 in Youngsville, NC, USA
Died: 6/3/1970 in Raleigh, NC, USA
MLB Debut: 1917-06-26 | Final Game: 1932-09-25
Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 5'8" | Weight: 178 lbs
Full name: Frank Spruiell May
Biography
Jakie May was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1917 to 1932. Born in 1895, May's career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more offensive-oriented game. Over his 15-year career, he compiled a record of 72 wins and 95 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.88. His durability and skill on the mound allowed him to accumulate 765 strikeouts and secure 19 saves, showcasing his ability to both start games and finish them effectively.
May was known for his competitive spirit and tenacity, traits that endeared him to fans and teammates alike. He played for several teams throughout his career, contributing significantly to the pitching rotations of those clubs. His performance during the 1920s positioned him as a reliable pitcher in the league, helping to elevate the standards of pitching during an era that increasingly favored hitters. Jakie May's legacy in baseball is marked by his contributions to the game and the resilience he displayed on the mound throughout his career.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 95 | 410 | 161 | 70 | 7 | 19 | 1562.3 | 1645 | 673 | 35 | 617 | 765 | 3.88 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | STL | NL | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29.3 | 29 | 11 | 11 | 18 | 3.38 | - |
| 1918 | STL | NL | 5 | 6 | 29 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 152.7 | 149 | 65 | 69 | 61 | 3.83 | - |
| 1919 | STL | NL | 3 | 12 | 28 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 125.7 | 99 | 45 | 87 | 58 | 3.22 | - |
| 1920 | STL | NL | 1 | 4 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 70.7 | 65 | 24 | 37 | 33 | 3.06 | - |
| 1921 | STL | NL | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21.0 | 29 | 11 | 12 | 5 | 4.71 | - |
| 1924 | CIN | NL | 3 | 3 | 38 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 99.0 | 104 | 33 | 29 | 59 | 3.00 | 2212.4 |
| 1925 | CIN | NL | 8 | 9 | 36 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 137.3 | 146 | 59 | 45 | 74 | 3.87 | 3100.7 |
| 1926 | CIN | NL | 13 | 9 | 45 | 15 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 167.7 | 175 | 60 | 44 | 103 | 3.22 | 4397.6 |
| 1927 | CIN | NL | 15 | 12 | 44 | 28 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 235.7 | 242 | 92 | 70 | 121 | 3.51 | 4551.0 |
| 1928 | CIN | NL | 3 | 5 | 21 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 79.3 | 99 | 39 | 35 | 39 | 4.42 | 1141.1 |
| 1929 | CIN | NL | 10 | 14 | 41 | 24 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 199.0 | 219 | 102 | 75 | 92 | 4.61 | 2982.5 |
| 1930 | CIN | NL | 3 | 11 | 26 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 112.3 | 147 | 72 | 41 | 44 | 5.77 | 411.6 |
| 1931 | CHC | NL | 5 | 5 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 79.0 | 81 | 34 | 43 | 38 | 3.87 | - |
| 1932 | CHC | NL | 2 | 2 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 53.7 | 61 | 26 | 19 | 20 | 4.36 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 410 | 468 | 33 | 80 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 28 | 120 | 0.171 | 0.221 | 0.226 | 0.447 | -1674.1 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | STL | NL | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1918 | STL | NL | 29 | 45 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 17 | 0.067 | -308.9 |
| 1919 | STL | NL | 28 | 37 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0.162 | 0.0 |
| 1920 | STL | NL | 16 | 22 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0.227 | 0.0 |
| 1921 | STL | NL | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.333 | 0.0 |
| 1924 | CIN | NL | 38 | 27 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0.111 | 0.0 |
| 1925 | CIN | NL | 36 | 43 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0.186 | 0.0 |
| 1926 | CIN | NL | 45 | 48 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 0.146 | -385.7 |
| 1927 | CIN | NL | 44 | 76 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 0.184 | -492.1 |
| 1928 | CIN | NL | 21 | 27 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.296 | 0.0 |
| 1929 | CIN | NL | 41 | 64 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0.203 | -487.5 |
| 1930 | CIN | NL | 26 | 39 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0.128 | 0.0 |
| 1931 | CHC | NL | 31 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.227 | 0.0 |
| 1932 | CHC | NL | 35 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.125 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | WS | CHN | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 11.57 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | WS | CHN | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 11.57 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 410 | 0 | 53 | 321 | 9 | 17 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | SLN | P | 15 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 1918 | SLN | P | 29 | 0 | 6 | 33 | 2 | 0 |
| 1919 | SLN | P | 28 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 1 | 0 |
| 1920 | SLN | P | 16 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 1921 | SLN | P | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1924 | CIN | P | 38 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | CIN | P | 36 | 0 | 5 | 30 | 0 | 2 |
| 1926 | CIN | P | 45 | 0 | 6 | 30 | 1 | 5 |
| 1927 | CIN | P | 44 | 0 | 6 | 51 | 0 | 2 |
| 1928 | CIN | P | 21 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| 1929 | CIN | P | 41 | 0 | 6 | 40 | 1 | 2 |
| 1930 | CIN | P | 26 | 0 | 6 | 23 | 1 | 1 |
| 1931 | CHN | P | 31 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 3 |
| 1932 | CHN | P | 35 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 410 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 13th | 6.0 | 80 | 0 |