The Big Man Johngy

It's not everyday that I meet 2 wrestlers and am bigger than both of them. This was before I really started working out, too.
Several years ago, while working at Lerner Newspapers, we sponsored a reading event at the Deerfield (IL) library. Terri Runnels was scheduled to be there, but the WWE substituted Spike Dudley and Scotty 2 Hotty instead. Actually, for that audience of kids, these two were probably the better choice.
In reality, they are Matt Hyson (5'5" and 150 lbs.) and Scott Garland (a questionable 5'9" and 200 lbs.). Thinking back, since this was an event for young readers, I was probably the biggest person there. Fortunately, I was acting in a formal, professioal capacity, otherwise I might (just might) have felt silly. Hyson and Garland seemed a bit surprised when I asked for a photo (strictly for the recap article...of course).

Spike Dudley, Scott Taylor and me in Deerfield, IL-late 1990's.

Seasons in the Sun

Jason Farber was a bit of a Mark DeRosa on the softball team. Farber played some outfield and some infield.
Farber was a good player, but on one particular day, he was smoking! No, really, he was literally smoking. Fortunately, Farber gave up the habit a few years ago, but at the time, it was not unusual for him to smoke in the dugout area when he wasn't on the field. I am not sure who came up with the idea for him to bat while actually smoking (it might have been me), but I know I certainly pushed him to do it (not that he needed much pushing).
Farber calmly walked to the batting box and went into his stance, with a cigarette perched in his mouth. The ump was confused, but quickly called time out and asked Farber to rid himself of the cigarette. The ump took it all in good fun though.
At the time of this event, Farber was a youngster at Lerner Newspapers. Despite his cigarette habit, he still beat me in sprints across the softball field (although I joked that I knew I could beat him in anything over a mile).

Jason Farber (was smoking) in Skokie, IL-Mid-1990's.

A Better Side of Joyce DeWitt

Recently, Joyce DeWitt (of tv's Three's Company) made the front pages for suspicion of DUI. The news outlets seemed more interested in her less-than-flattering booking photo.
The incident occurred at roughly 4:30 a.m. I can tell you for certain that at 4:30 in the morning, whether I am under the influence or not, my mug shot wouldn't have much eye appeal either.
I do not condone DUI (although, seriously we all have driven when we shouldn't have), but it seems the news blurbs were more fascinated with her picture, than with her offense.
I don't know DeWitt, although I just met her recently at the Motor City Comic Con. She was one of the friendliest celebrities I have ever met. While my photog fumbled with the camera, she stood patiently and even started some random small talk with me.
I do feel a bit of sympathy for DeWitt about this. When/if she ever releases any statement about the incident, will she have to apologize for the mug shot as well as the alleged DUI?

Joyce DeWitt and me in Novi, MI-May 2009.

The Battle of the Forearms

Herb Jefferson Jr. is a veteran actor, possibly most known for his role as Lt. Boomer on Battlestar Galactica. Jefferson has had a lengthy career of guest roles and supporting parts, but his role on BG is what really puts him on the autograph circuit.
Jefferson appeared in one episode of The Rookies (one of my first favorite shows), but I did not recall that until after I met him. For once, I did not bring up the most obscure role.
Jefferson wanted to compare forearms with me. I was probably at the peak of my workouts and he still had me beat, despite being 20 years my senior. He got a kick out of that.
Jefferson was a very nice man, happily greeting and talking with every fan. The autograph circuit could use more celebs like Jefferson.

Herb Jefferson and me in Rosemont, IL-early 00's.

R-r-r-r-r-robbie McAllister

He is a kilt-wearing pro wrestler and he is legitimately from Scotland. No, he is not Roddy Piper. He is Derek Graham-Couch (aka Robbie McAllister). Together with Russell Murray (aka Rory McAllister), they formed the Highlanders in the WWE.
The Highlanders seemed to be stuck in midcard limbo (sort of like the old Bushwhackers), before their release from the WWE. They came on the scene with some promise and hype, but quickly faded. I think this was another poorly executed story plan from the WWE management.
It didn't help Robbie's career when he was shown on TNA's tv broadcast while still under WWE contract. He was only shown in the crowd, but that is not exactly what the WWE likes to see.
I met McAllister accidentally while in Novi for the Motor City Comic Con. He happened to be at a convention in the same building. McAllister was appearing with another former WWE wrestler who also was mishandled, Kizarney (see earlier post). In fact, both men were the camera men for my picture with the other.

Robbie McAllister and me in Novi, MI-May 2009.

Old Times at Home

I decided to take a left turn from the usual sports related 'Old Times' posts to present one of my favorite pictures of all time. The picture features my brother-in-law Scott, my nephew Matt (pre-Big Money days) and me.
About 20 years ago, for reasons we can't remember, my friend/coworker Louie Atsaves and
I became known as the 'Bash Brothers' around the office. It might not have been original, but it was humorous (at the time and in that place at least). As a joke, I drew caricatures befitting the name and even printed a couple tshirts for Louie and me.
This is when the fun really started. The tshirts became a hit with everyone else. We have no idea why, but before the craze was over, we had sold over 75 tshirts to others around the office. Bash Brothers wear was the rage.
I made a few extra and gave them to my family as a joke. One day, Scott and Matt surprised me by donning the shirts for a family get-together. That cracked me up. Fortunately, my sister snapped the picture for posterity.
Wow...that's a lot of purple.

Scott Parker, Matt Parker and me in Matteson, IL-Summer 1990.

Friendly Encounters

This is another in a series of meetings of my friends and celebs.

Peter and Christopher Atsaves are the 2 oldest boys of my friends Louie and Effie. It's hard for me to believe that I have known these boys all their lives and even harder to believe I have known their parents for over 20 years.
Recently, Louie was invited by another friend for a day at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet (IL). It was a day of fun and speed as the 3 Atsaves men got to hang on the track and meet a few of the drivers and crew.
I must admit I am a bit surprised that Louie didn't end up taking a car for a few laps. Maybe he didn't want to upstage the pro drivers.
Peter and Christopher were excited to meet the drivers. Were 2 new racing fans created that day? Time will tell.

Christopher and Peter Atsaves and Carl Edwards in Joliet, IL-May 2009.

Hall of Famer David Clyde

Congratulations to David Clyde on being inducted into the Hall of Fame. No, the former major league phenom wasn't immortalized in bronze at Cooperstown. Instead, he was enshrined into the National High School Hall of Fame.
Last year, while working on an online piece for Global Traveler magazine, I interviewed Clyde at the Miracles Baseball Academy. I have since uploaded parts of that interview here and the GT piece ran Wednesday, on Clyde's induction day.
Clyde was one of my childhood baseball favorites. The Texas Rangers brought him to the big leagues almost right out of high school. He endured some injuries and some questionable management decisions. He retired at the young age of 26, but he didn't leave baseball or success behind. After some time in the lumber business, Clyde became a coach at the Miracles Baseball Academy.
I called Clyde last summer and asked for an interview. He graciously accepted and we met in December. I was fascinated by this man. What would have crushed many (or at least embittered them), didn't dim Clyde's spirit. He was funny, introspective, serious, warm and a lot more, but never negative or vengeful.
Meeting and talking to Clyde was one of the best experiences I have had. I really appreciate Clyde's time, willingness and openness.
I also appreciate my brother-in-law Scott and my nephew Matt for their time and patience on the trip. Thanks, too, to Laurie for helping me sort my thoughts and put together a solid interview.

David Clyde and me in Houston, TX-December 2008.

Rick Monday, David Stein and Johngy

As has been well-documented here, I contribute a weekly online piece for Global Traveler magazine. Last July 2, I wrote a piece which made GT history.
In keeping with a patriotic theme, I wrote about former Cubs outfielder Rick Monday saving the United States flag from being burned by 2 protesters during a game at Dodger Stadium in 1976. I had recently interviewed Monday at Dodger Stadium about the event.
That night, I got home from work very late (actually very early the next morning) and checked email to relax before heading to bed. A couple minutes later, I was shocked to hear David Stein of Sporting News Radio start to read my piece on nationwide radio.
To say I was shocked is a bit of an understatement. I have been previously published in national and local publications and online, but to have something I wrote being read on nationally syndicated radio was just really wild.
Of course, my massive ego demanded that I shoot a quick email to Fran Gallagher, big cheese at GT. Gallagher had regularly ribbed me about writing bubblegum pieces. I was now vindicated and would have some ammunition for the future. Seriously though, it was a big moment for me and for GT. Somebody was reading us!
It's funny, because I vividly remember Monday saving the flag. Of course, I had no idea back then that 32 years later, that event would play a part in a big moment in my life, too.

Rick Monday and me at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA-June 2008.

Skater, Boxer (?) and Singer (??) Tonya Harding

Tonya Harding has had an interesting career. Harding was a very talented skater, who won over 12 medals at various competitions. Unfortunately, she has also been involved in various controversies over the years, culminating in the attack on skater Nancy Kerrigan.
After the Kerrigan incident basically ended her skating career, Harding entered the world of boxing, but retired after a mediocre 3-3 record. She had an even shorter musical career. On the plus side, Harding did help revive an 81 year old woman through the use of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
I met Harding at a Hollywood Collectors Show. Harding is one of the newest guests on the celebrity appearance circuit. Harding seemed to really go out of her way to make each fan happy. Hopefully, she will keep that attitude if she continues to do appearances.

Tonya Harding and me in Rosemont, IL-Summer 2008.

Bob Sirott Salutes Literacy

Bob Sirott grew up in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago (right in the heart of Lerner Newspapers territory). I grew up listening to Sirott on WLS radio and later watched him on the various morning tv shows that he hosted. Sirott is a big fan of the Chicago Cubs and a long-time softball player.
Sirott is a local guy who succeeded but stayed pretty much local. He has worked for CBS, WMAQ, WGN, WTTW and Fox in Chicago. How has he missed ABC? He has been successful everwhere he has worked.
I was happy to land Sirott for the NIE ad series. He was a perfect fit. Sirott is Chicago. He knew Lerner Newspapers and the readers definitely knew him. His career spanned generations, from the parents who listened to him play songs in the '70's to younger fans who watched him on tv for many years.
Later, I also managed to get his wife, Marianne Murciano (also a veteran of the Chicago airwaves) to appear in the series. If the series had still continued, I am sure I would have sought Judd Sirott, Bob's nephew and a local sports announcer.

Two Radicalz

Eddie Guerrero came from a wrestling family. Perry Saturn started wrestling after a 4 year stint in the U.S. Army. Their careers intertwined for a while in the later years of WCW and their early time in the WWE.
Wrestlers like Guerrero and Saturn were too often overlooked in the modern era. They lacked the huge (often unnatural) size that many promoters desired. Together with Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko, they were teamed as the Radicalz upon their entry into the WWE.
After that angle, Guerrero's career seemingly was initially more successful. Guerrero became a champ multiple times, while Saturn stayed at the midcard.
Unfortunately, Guerrero died of heart failure at the young age of 38. As always, there were rumors of steroid abuse, but in Guerrero's case, there was also a history of other drug and alcohol abuse. Guerrero was said to have conquered his demons and was living clean and happily at the time of his death.
Saturn drifted in and out of wrestling and has apparently drifted out of view entirely. Nobody is really sure where he is or what he is doing.
I met the pair at the Pillman Memorial Show many years ago. I rode in an elevator with them and there wasn't much room left for me. Saturn was quiet, but Guerrero was his usual outgoing self. He joked with everyone.

Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn and me in Cincinnati, OH-May 2000.

Richard Kline Questions Larry Dallas's Success

Larry Dallas certainly got a lot of chicks. Or did he?
When I was talking to Richard Kline at the 2009 Motor City Comic Con, a fan asked him who got more chicks, Larry or Jack. This was a reference to the 70's tv show Three's Company.
Kline flashed a bit of a wry smile and asked the fan if he really thought Larry got any women. The fans didn't seem to get the joke and repeated his question. Kline simplified his answer a bit and stated that he really didn't think Larry got many women.
It was especially interesting to heard Kline's answer and wording. Usually, such questions would get (joking) macho answers. Kline chose a different route, which was even funnier. I also noted that he said 'women' instead of 'chicks'. It is all subtle stuff, but I think it shows Kline is a quick and funny guy who is respectful.
I really enjoyed my chat with Kline. I came away with a little new-found appreciation for the veteran actor-comic.

Richard Kline and me in Novi, MI-May 2009.

Friendly Encounters

This is another in a series of meetings of my friends and celebs.

I have been a customer of Sarah's Pastries and Candies in Chicago (IL) for several years. The funny thing is, I am not even a big fan of chocolate or sweets in general.
I originally stumbled into the Oak Street store in search of a fountain Coke. I didn't get the Coke, but I picked up an incredibly tasty slice of bread (pumpkin, I think).
When I started doing reviews for Global Traveler magazine, I had to include Sarah's. Of course, in the review (archived on 3/25), I gave it 5 stars out of 5 stars (only because GT wouldn't let me give it 6 stars).
Sarah Levy opened her first store in 2005. Levy has met some celebrities over the years. I asked Levy to share one experience on Johngy's Beat.
In 2007, Martha Stewart was in Chicago to light the holiday tree at Macy's. It was the same day that Sarah's store inside of Macy's opened. Stewart and her associates enjoyed breakfast at Sarah's Oak Street store the following day.
After the review, someone asked me for my favorite cake from Sarah's. I immediately said the pumpkin creme brulee. Then I changed it to the lemon curd...then to the pistachio creme brulee...then to passion fruit. Finally, I just said all of them! Seriously, you can't go wrong at Sarah's.
I appreciate Sarah's willingness to share her story here. I appreciate her baked goods even more though!

Martha Stewart and Sarah Levy in Sarah's Pastries in Chicago, IL-November 2007.

Salvatore Bando, My Paisano

When I was growing up, the Oakland A's ruled the baseball world (until free agency destroyed the team). On a team filled with superstars and super characters, third baseman Sal Bando was the Captain and my favorite.
Bando was a 4 time All-Star during his 16 year career. He hit .254 with 242 home runs, 1039 RBI's and 982 runs scored. Those are pretty good numbers, especially for that era. Bando finished his playing career with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he also served several years as GM.
I met Bando at Waukesha Sports, where he was appearing with Ted Simmons, another of my childhood favorites. There are very few times I would drive 60 miles to meet a ball player, but I could not pass this combo.
Bando was extremely friendly. Much like I felt about Tony Esposito when I met him, I felt that Bando was like an Italian father. He was respectful and commanded respect by his mere presence, but he was also nice and talkative. He spoke fondly of the old A's. He seemed genuinely touched at the things people said while greeting him. It was a great experience meeting Bando.

Sal Bando and me in Waukesha, WI-Summer 2007.

Seasons in the Sun

Connie Leander was Chris (Leander) Connole's younger sister. Much like Chris, Connie was a very good player. Connie usually batted 2nd and played 3rd base and she did both well.
Connie never worked for Lerner Newspapers. Therefore I have no work stories about her. I can tell you that having the Leander sisters comprising half of our infield certainly solidified our defense. When the Leander sisters brought their friend Cindy (aka Ninja Cindy), we had our best female portion of the lineup.

Connie Leander at Laramie Park in Skokie, IL-mid-1990's.

Sunny Days in Midlothian

As reported here earlier, Tammy 'Sunny' Sytch has had an interesting career. Sytch has been involved in wrestling since 1993, reaching her peak in 1996, as AOL's most downloaded female. Personal problems and tragedies plagued her life and stalled her career.
In recent years, Sytch has made a bit of a comeback. Appearances with the WWE (especially recently at WrestleMania 25) and other indy groups have put Sytch back on the wrestling scene. Sytch has also gained new fans from her appearances at various celebrity conventions.
When I met Sytch at a PCW event last year, she was in a great mood. She goofed around a bit as she posed and signed photos and generally left everyone more than satisfied.
PCW is a great place to meet wrestlers because they get some big names and they always do things the right way. The wrestling stars, like Ric Flair, Christian and Sytch, always seem happy to be there.

Tammy Sytch and me in Oaklawn, IL-January 2008.

Kizarny was a Dizasaster

In pro wrestling 'kayfabe' is the portrayal of events as legitimate. Kayfabe has its roots in carnivals. While on the road, Carnies would call collect to their homes, stating 'Kay Fabian' as their name. The call recipient would deny the call, but know that the loved one was safe and sound at the new destination.
Vince McMahon (of the WWE) likes to create interesting characters. I am surprised it took him so long to create a character based on a carny.
Nick Cvjetkovich was Kizarny, a carny-talking wrestler for the WWE. As Kizarny, he actually had more promo-vignettes than televised matches. After 2 televised matches, the Kizarny character was dropped and Cvjetkovich was released by the WWE.
Cvjetkovich was a decent worker, but he was given an albatross of a character. A carny-talking wrestler just had nothing going for him. I doubt anyone under 25 could even relate at all to the concept. This was a case of McMahon getting a bit too cute.
I stumbled upon Kizarny while in Novi for the Motor City Comic Con. There just happene dto be a sports collectors show in another area of the building. I went there to meet Ted Lindsay and I saw Kizarny and fellow ex-WWE wrestler Robbie McAllister.
We talked for a bit and we all agreed that the WWE dropped the ball with Cvjetkovich (and with McAllister's Highlanders, but more on that in a future post). As an added piece of trivia, the picture below was taken by McAllister (and McAllister's picture with me was taken by Cvjetkovich.

Kizarny and me in Novi, MI-May 2009.

'Johngy' Isn't Quite as Good as 'Mudcat'

Exactly when did baseball nicknames become so lame? It doesn't take much creativity to come up with IRod, ARod, DLee or any of the other 'first name-last name abbreviated combos'. If I may borrow a line from old Man Haggerty, "Back in my day, we had real nicknames like 'Blue Moon' Odom, Jim 'Catfish' Hunter, 'Tom Terrific' Seaver, Pete 'Charley Hustle' Rose and Jimmy 'The Toy Cannon' Wynn."
Seriously, baseball nicknames are horrible now. Any Rodriguez immediately becomes an 'XRod' and any Ramirez becaomes an 'XRam'. Is DeRo the best anyone can do for Mark DeRose? Thank goodness Frank 'The Big Hurt' Thomas made his debut before this trend started. Otherwise he might be FThom.
Charley Finley (former owner of the Oakland A's) knew the value of a good nickname. He was responsible for 'Catfish' and he reportedly offered a bonus to Vida Blue if he would change his first name to 'True'.
I don't want to spend this whole post complaining though. I want to celebrate a good nickname. Make that a great nickname. Mudcat!
That nickname belonged to Jim Grant, a pitcher from 1958-71. The story goes that early in his career, Grant was rooming with Larry Doby, his childhood idol. Doby named him 'Mudcat', saying that Grant was "ugly as a Mississippi mudcat".
Now that is a great story to go with a great nickname. Grant got his nickname from a Hall of Famer!
I had the pleasure of meeting Mudcat at a small card show. I talked to him for several minutes and mentioned that I loved his nickname and thought baseball could use more colorful monikers like his. He laughed and said he agreed.

Mudcat Grant and me in Willowbrook, IL-May 2008.

The Rick Stelmaszek Saga:Part 11

After a decent 1977 season at AAA Tucson in the Texas Rangers organization, Rick Stelmaszek joined the Wisconsin Rapids Twins (the single A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins) as a player-manager. At the age of 29, Stelmaszek's playing career was near the end, but his coaching career was just beginning.
Stelmaszek had 55 at-bats in 23 games for the Twins. More importantly, he guided them to a 62-76 record.
The WR Twins did not have a lot of promise. In fact, only Mark Funderburk ever even made it to the majors (and only for 31 games in parts of 2 seasons).
Stelmaszek's 1978 TCMA card (courtesy of TwinsCards.com) shows just how much things have changed in 30 years. Black and white pictures are generally only used in 'throwback' type cards now. Not only is the picture colorless, the card itself appears to be a simple black + 1 color (green). It is hard to tell from the scan, but this card has a non-glossy front.
One last thing to note is the very boring cap. Any good marketer knows you won't be selling many souvenir caps with WR block letters.

Rick Stelmaszek's 1978 TCMA Wisconsin Rapids Twins card.

Friendly Encounters

This is another in a series of meetings of my friends and celebs.

As featured a couple weeks ago, the Parker family recently went to Disney World. While my sister and brother-in-law taunted me by posing with the Schwab, my niece had an unexpected 'friendly encounter' of the mallard variety.
While sitting down and enjoying a good breakfast, Sam got squished by Donald Duck. Fortunately, she lived to tell about it (and fortunately someone snapped the photo of it).
I am sure Sam will say she did nothing to induce this behavior in the Donald, but I have a feeling she might have been taunting him. Either way, if Donald would have hurt Sam, I would have made sure we all would have enjoyed a big pot of duck soup later!

Samantha Parker and Donald Duck in Orlando, FL-March 2009.

Big Kevin Nash

Before wrestling, Kevin Nash was a good basketball player for the University of Tennessee, helping them reach the Sweet 16 once. Nash briefly played pro ball in Europe, but a torn ACL ended his career.
He eventually found his way into pro wrestling. He has bounced from WCW to WWF to WCW to WWE to TNA, always finding himself at the top of the card. He has enjoyed great success (winning 18 titles).
He was a founding member of the NWO, a groundbreaking group (and angle). Unfortunately, this soured as it was overplayed and became repetitive. Currently, he is a member of the Main Event Mafia, a stable of wrestlers in TNA.
When I met Nash for the first time at the Pillman Memorial Show, he appeared to be a bit 'woozy'. Maybe the wrestlers had a big night out the previous evening.
I have met Nash several times since then and he has always been very friendly. He is open and honest about his career and wrestling in general.

Kevin Nash and me in Cincinnati, OH-May 2000.

Seasons in the Sun

Jerry Tiberi joined Lerner Newspapers as a graphic artist. He joined our softball team as an outfielder.
Tiberi grew up on the south side of Chicago, in an area called South Deering. I grew up just north of that area, but my grandmother lived there and I spent a lot of time there. While at Lerner, Jerry and I would often wax nostalgic about the great cookies at Calumet Bakery (they are still awesome, by the way) down there.
Tiberi was a solid softball player, but he did contribute one funny moment. Tiberi laid down a drag bunt down the third base line that would have made Rod Carew proud. The only problem was that bunts (of any kind) are not permitted in softball. Tiberi said he just didn't know. Undaunted, he stepped back to the plate and singled.
That was a good example of Tiberi. He is a lot of fun and a solid guy on and off the field. He didn't take softball as life or death, but he played to win.
Below is a great shot of Tiberi showing his excellent batting form. I love this shot because of that and because you can see most of the team in the background. Jay Riley is far left. Michelle Schermerhorn and Connie Leander (sister of Chris Connole) are above Tiberi's left arm. Farther down are Teresa and John Zgonina, Cindy Dzien, Chris Connole and Faye Leander (Chrissy's mom and our biggest fan).
Tiberi is also a fine jazz musician. I had the pleasure of hearing him play several years ago. He plays in several different combos, usually around the Chicago north shore area. To hear samples of his music or to check for his performance schedule, you can go to Tiberi's website.
Recently, I reconnected with Tiberi. He is working at Pioneer Press and is doing good. He remembers softball fondly and Calumet Bakery cookies even more so!

Jerry Tiberi at Laramie Park in Skokie, IL-mid 1990's.

Tina Clayton Lord Roberts Roberts Roberts Rogan Vickers

I have to send out belated birthday wishes to Andrea Evans, actress formerly on tv's One Life to Live. As a teenager, I had a bit of a crush on Ms. Evans. I was heavily into autographs at the time, but I could never get a signed picture of Evans, much to my frustration.
In the late 90's, I met Evans for the first time at a local mall, where she was doing a product promotion. I finally got my autographed photo after so many years.
A couple years later, I learned that Evans was involved with the Walk for Hope (to cure breast cancer). There are several Walks nationwide and Evans participates in a couple every year, usually doing the Chicago one with her mom, a cancer survivor.
As the Marketing Manager at Lerner Newspapers, I worked out a deal where Lerner became a sponsor of the Walk. Later, Evans would become one of our celebrity spokespeople for the NIE ad series.
Global Traveler magazine has also been a sponsor of the Walk. Last year, I did an interview with Evans for a piece on the Walk for the GT website.

Andrea Evans and me at Northbrook Mall in Northbrook, IL-late 1990's.

Carlos May Beat the Odds

Carlos May is another of those players who will always be special to me. I grew up on the south side of Chicago and as a White Sox fan. May was a solid performer during my first several years of following the Sox.
My played briefly in 1968, then suffered a possible career-ending injury while in the Marine Reserves in August of '69. A mortar misfired and blew off most of May's right thumb. May worked extremely hard to recover and overcome the obstacle. May came close to winning the Rookie of the Year Award (finishing behind Lou Piniella).
In 1970, he rejoined the Sox and proceeded to have another 6 solid seasons. May's numbers were very good for that period, highlighted by 20 homers and 96 rbi's in 1973. In mid-1976, May was traded to the New York Yankees and finished his mlb career with the California Angels before playing in Japan for 4 seasons.
One interesting piece of trivia regarding May revolves around his number 17. May's birthday was 5/17. Therefore, he literally wore his birthday on his jersey...May 17.
May's brother Lee was an even better player player for a lot of years. The brothers never played on the same team together.
When I met May at AU Sports, we reminisced about his former teammates (and my former favorites), like Pat Kelly, Buddy Bradford, Ken Henderson and Dick Allen. Those are some great memories.

Carlos May and me in Skokie, IL-Early 00's.