Former New York Yankees ERA Champion Dies at 80

Former Major League pitcher Rudy May died this week at the age of 80.

Author Jeff Pearlman had the following information: Tik Tok.

May became the second former major league pitcher to throw a pass in the past few days, following Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela. The lefty and former Cy Young winner died Tuesday night at the age of 63 following complications from cancer.

Ironically, these two pitchers faced each other in the 1981 World Series when Valenzuela’s Dodgers were playing against May’s Yankees. The Dodgers won the World Series, but May had an excellent series overall, pitching 6.1 innings and a 2.84 ERA in three games. He scored five points in this edition of the Fall Classic.

May, a 16-year veteran, pitched for the California Angels, Montreal Expos, Baltimore Orioles and Yankees. He spent parts of seven years in California and New York, and two years each in Montreal and Baltimore. He was 152-156 with a 3.46 ERA over his lifetime.

He won the American League ERA title with the Yankees in 1980 with a 2.46 mark.

The Dodgers and Yankees will meet again in this year’s World Series, which begins Friday night in Los Angeles. The Dodgers will honor Valenzuela with a jersey patch and possibly a pregame ceremony, but it is unknown at this time whether May will also be honored.

May has reached the play-offs twice in his career Yankees. He pitched in the 1980 ALCS against the Kansas City Royals and in the 1981 playoff run.

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