May having wonderful September

By BRETT PAPE
Valley Press Staff Writer

May started the Cal League season with the San Bernardino Stampede before being cut by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Stampede's parent club, in early May. Soon after, the Seattle Mariners signed May and, on May 12, sent him to Lancaster.

Ever since the move, May has made the Stampede pay for the Dodgers' decision to let him go.

Saturday's game against the Stampede was no different as the JetHawks' designated hitter had a run-scoring single and scored a run in Lancaster's four-run first inning. The inning propelled Lancaster to a 9-6 win Saturday to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

The fact that May was a contributor in a win over the Stampede should not be a surprise to anyone. He has done it all year.

In 15 regular-season games against the Stampede, May hit .411 with five extra base hits and 11 runs batted in. In 76 games played for the JetHawks, May hit a respectable .306 with two home runs and 36 RBI.

Those numbers are an improvement on the ones he had in his 10 games with the Stampede. May was hitting just over the Mendoza Line, batting .207 with six hits in 29 at bats.

For the Stampede, he had only one extra base hit - a double - and three RBI.

Despite the strong play against his former teammates, May says he doesn't play with revenge on his mind.

"I don't think bad against those guys," May said. "I just have had good success against them.

"It does feel good, though, to play well against them," May continued. "You always want to perform against a team that doesn't believe in you."

With the way May has played in his designated hitter role for the JetHawks, Lancaster manager Mark Parent certainly believes in him.

"Freddy has done a tremendous job for us in the DH role," Parent said. "It's obviously something that drives him. He steps up against them because they released him earlier in the year."

In Saturday's game, May gave the JetHawks a 3-0 lead by lacing a line-drive over second base to push Craig Kuzmic home. Kuzmic had reached base on one of three first-inning RBI doubles by Lancaster.

After the single, May moved to third on a two-base throwing error from San Bernardino catcher David Ross. He scored on Peanut Williams' double off the center-field fence.

May walked twice in Saturday's game. In Friday's series opener, May had an RBI in the JetHawks 4-2 win.

With the way this season started for May, he probably would have never imagined having the type of season he's had.

In a two-month period, May was cut by two different organizations. The 1995 ninth-round choice of the Pittsburgh Pirates was cut loose by the Bucs during spring training.

May had played five years in the Pirates' minor league system. For four different Pittsburgh minor league clubs, May hit .263 with 25 home runs and 199 RBI.

His best season in the Piarates' organization was last year when he played Class-A ball in the Carolina League at Lynchburg. In his second season at Lynchburg, May hit .295 with 32 extra-base hits and 56 RBI. He also was one of the team's leaders in stolen bases with 17.

Uploaded September 10, 2000