Former New York Yankees ERA champion dies at age 80

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

Author Jeff Pearlman had this information Tik Tok.

May is the second former big league pitcher to pass away in the last few days, joining Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela. The lefty and former Cy Young winner died Tuesday night at the age of 63 from complications from cancer.

Ironically, these two pitchers faced each other in the 1981 World Series when Valenzuela’s Dodgers played May’s Yankees. The Dodgers won the World Series, but May had an excellent series as a whole, throwing 6.1 innings and posting an ERA of 2.84 in three appearances. He hit five in this version of the Fall Classic.

With 16 years of experience, May has played for the California Angels, Montreal Expos, Baltimore Orioles and Yankees. He spent parts of seven years in California and New York, and two each in Montreal and Baltimore. For his career, he was 152-156 with a 3.46 ERA.

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

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 uniform patch and a likely pregame ceremony, though it’s unclear whether May will also be honored this time.

May reached the playoffs with the team twice in his career Yankees. He played in the ALCS in 1980 against the Kansas City Royals and in the 1981 playoffs.

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