Monday, December 11, 2017

no. 733 - lee maye


Who is the man: Lee Maye played most of the 1970 season with the Senators. He was acquired off of waivers by the White Sox in September of that year.

Can ya dig it: This is subtle airbrushing compared with some of the other final-series airbrush jobs.

Right on: This is Maye's final card of his career.

You see that cat Maye is a bad mother: Maye's best season came in 1964 with the Braves when he led the National League in doubles with 44.

Shut your mouth: Maye also tried to hold down a singing career while playing baseball. His song "Half Way (Out of Love)" that came out in 1963 sold nearly 500,000 copies. Maye said he would go home from the ballpark and sing into a tape recorder. That's how he wrote songs.

No one understands him but his woman: Maye struggled to find a job in baseball after his playing career ended. He had several fights with teammates and disagreements with others in the game and he encountered racism as well.


(A word about the back): One of the more interesting write-ups in 1971 Topps, but I don't think Maye was actually a member of the Platters. He sang with friends of his, a few of which went on to become part of the Platters, the Penguins, and other singing groups.

4 comments:

  1. You're right that he wasn't actually in the Platters, but I know R&B fans have a lot of respect for his singing. Apparently he sings background vocals on the original version of "Louie Louie". (To be clear, the version by Richard Berry, who wrote it, not the hit version by the Kingsmen).

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  2. Pretty sure that those pics of him on both sides of the card are from when he played for the Milwaukee Braves and Topps did their usual airbrushing job

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  3. Airbrush on the back is one of Topps better efforts in this series.

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