Jakie May, baseball player, 1917-1932

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

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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

Career ERA 3.88 vs. league average 3.97 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1917 STL NL 0 0 15 1 0 0 0 29.3 29 11 11 18 3.38 2.69 (-26%) -
1918 STL NL 5 6 29 15 6 0 0 152.7 149 65 69 61 3.83 2.83 (-35%) -
1919 STL NL 3 12 28 19 8 1 0 125.7 99 45 87 58 3.22 3.09 (-4%) -
1920 STL NL 1 4 16 5 3 0 0 70.7 65 24 37 33 3.06 3.45 (+11%) -
1921 STL NL 1 3 5 5 1 0 0 21.0 29 11 12 5 4.71 4.02 (-17%) -
1924 CIN NL 3 3 38 4 2 0 6 99.0 104 33 29 59 3.00 4.13 (+27%) 1996.4
1925 CIN NL 8 9 36 12 7 1 2 137.3 146 59 45 74 3.87 4.55 (+15%) 2147.7
1926 CIN NL 13 9 45 15 9 1 3 167.7 175 60 44 103 3.22 4.11 (+22%) 4533.2
1927 CIN NL 15 12 44 28 17 2 1 235.7 242 92 70 121 3.51 4.08 (+14%) 4515.8
1928 CIN NL 3 5 21 11 1 1 1 79.3 99 39 35 39 4.42 4.13 (-7%) 1004.1
1929 CIN NL 10 14 41 24 10 0 3 199.0 219 102 75 92 4.61 4.60 (avg) 2685.0
1930 CIN NL 3 11 26 18 5 1 0 112.3 147 72 41 44 5.77 4.80 (-20%) 76.2
1931 CHC NL 5 5 31 4 1 0 2 79.0 81 34 43 38 3.87 4.10 (+6%) -
1932 CHC NL 2 2 35 0 0 0 1 53.7 61 26 19 20 4.36 4.13 (-6%) -

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 -1680.6

Career AVG .171 vs. league average .278 across their career seasons — 38.5% below league average.

Career OBP .221 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — 35.0% below league average.

Career SLG .226 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 41.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.447 vs. league average 0.726 across their career seasons — 38.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS 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 — — — — -313.2
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 — — — — -389.3
1927 CIN NL 44 76 6 14 3 1 0 5 0 3 19 0.184 .282 (-35%) .344 (-35%) .392 (-36%) .736 (-36%) -490.8
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 .289 (-30%) .353 (-43%) .415 (-40%) .769 (-41%) -487.3
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