Lucas May
Encyclopedia
Lucas James May is an American
professional baseball
catcher
.
May graduated from Parkway West High School
in Ballwin, Missouri
. From there, he skipped college and entered the Major League Baseball draft in 2003
. He was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers
in the 8th round as the 241st overall pick.
May began his professional career after he signed with the Dodgers. He played at the rookie level for the Gulf Coast Dodgers
in 2003. He played shortstop
and batted .252 with no home runs in 48 games. In 2004
, May stayed at the rookie level, playing for the Ogden Raptors
. Playing in only 34 games, he had a .286 batting average
with 5 home runs.
He was promoted to Single-A in 2005
, playing for the Columbus Catfish
. He played shortstop as well as beginning to play in the outfield
. His bad defense had prompted the organization to make the switch as he committed 18 errors in 46 games in 2003, 18 errors in 34 games in 2004, and 26 errors in 46 games. May played for the Catfish again in 2006
, this time seeing all his action in the outfield. In 119 games, he had a .273 batting average and showed some power, hitting 18 home runs.
In 2007
, May was promoted to the next level. He played for the Advanced Single-A Inland Empire 66ers. Switching positions again, he played the whole year as a catcher and displayed tremendous power in his 128 games played. His 25 home runs were tied for second in the California League
and his 89 RBIs were good enough for 10th in the league. His slugging percentage was little more than 200 points higher than his batting average and his strikeout totals went down from 130 to 107 from the previous year. He was named to the California League
All-Star team and went 1 for 4 with two runs scored in the All-Star game.
Following the season on November 20, 2007, May's contract was purchased by the Los Angeles Dodgers, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft
. The Dodgers assigned May to the Double-A Jacksonville Suns
for the 2008 season where he hit .230 with 13 home runs in 392 at bats.
In 2009, May played for the Dodger's new AA affiliate, the Chattanooga Lookouts
. He was named to the Southern League
mid-season All-Star team and after the season played for Team USA
in the 2009 Baseball World Cup
where he hit 3 home runs, playing in all games as a starting catcher.
After starting 2010 with Chattanooga, he was shortly promoted to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
and was selected to the Pacific Coast League
all-star team.
On July 28, 2010, the Dodgers traded May, along with pitcher Elisaul Pimentel, to the Kansas City Royals
for outfielder Scott Podsednik
. He was assigned to play for the Omaha Royals
.
He was called up to the Royals on September 1, 2010 and made his Major League debut on September 4 against the Detroit Tigers
, where he was hitless in three at-bats. On September 12 against the Chicago White Sox
he recorded his first major league hit, a single to left field off of Matt Thornton
.
On June 1, 2011, the Royals traded May to the Arizona Diamondbacks
for Andrea Pizziconi.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
.
May graduated from Parkway West High School
Parkway West High School
Parkway West High School is a fully accredited public high school, serving students in grades 9-12 of the Parkway School District, located in Ballwin, Missouri. Parkway West is one of four high schools in the Parkway School District. The school mascot is the Longhorn and the school colors are...
in Ballwin, Missouri
Ballwin, Missouri
Ballwin is a second-ring western suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was to be 30,404 as of the 2010 census. It was named by Money Magazine in 2005 as 64th on the list of the 100 best cities in America. It is the only city in America named...
. From there, he skipped college and entered the Major League Baseball draft in 2003
2003 in baseball
-Headline event of the year:*The Florida Marlins become World Series champions, holding off a dynastic New York Yankees team, 4 games to 2.-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Florida Marlins...
. He was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in the 8th round as the 241st overall pick.
May began his professional career after he signed with the Dodgers. He played at the rookie level for the Gulf Coast Dodgers
Gulf Coast Dodgers
The Arizona League Dodgers are the Rookie Level minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They were formerly known as the Gulf Coast Dodgers and played in Vero Beach, Florida, at Dodgertown . Dodgertown includes Holman Stadium, which is also the former spring training home to the Brooklyn...
in 2003. He played shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
and batted .252 with no home runs in 48 games. In 2004
2004 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series since , ending the Curse of the Bambino.*With 262 hits, Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners breaks George Sisler's record of 257. Suzuki also sets the record for most singles in a season, with 225.*2004 also marked the final...
, May stayed at the rookie level, playing for the Ogden Raptors
Ogden Raptors
The Ogden Raptors are a minor league baseball team in the Pioneer League based in Ogden, Utah, United States. The club plays at Lindquist Field, whose view beyond the outfield fence was named the best in professional baseball by a staff writer for Grand Slam Enterprises, INC.The Raptors are one of...
. Playing in only 34 games, he had a .286 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 5 home runs.
He was promoted to Single-A in 2005
2005 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the 2005 World Series.*2005 also marked the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals, who relocated from Montreal and were formerly known as the Expos....
, playing for the Columbus Catfish
Columbus Catfish
The Columbus Catfish were a minor league baseball team in Columbus, Georgia. They were a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays since September 29, 2006. The Catfish relocated to Bowling Green, Kentucky for the 2009 season.The Catfish played home...
. He played shortstop as well as beginning to play in the outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
. His bad defense had prompted the organization to make the switch as he committed 18 errors in 46 games in 2003, 18 errors in 34 games in 2004, and 26 errors in 46 games. May played for the Catfish again in 2006
2006 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:*The 2006 World Baseball Classic final 4 teams are Japan, Cuba, Korea and the Dominican Republic, with the United States at 3–3 failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Under the leadership of manager Sadaharu Oh and veterans Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan ...
, this time seeing all his action in the outfield. In 119 games, he had a .273 batting average and showed some power, hitting 18 home runs.
In 2007
2007 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion – [Boston Red Sox]*Postseason – October 2 to October 28Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
, May was promoted to the next level. He played for the Advanced Single-A Inland Empire 66ers. Switching positions again, he played the whole year as a catcher and displayed tremendous power in his 128 games played. His 25 home runs were tied for second in the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
and his 89 RBIs were good enough for 10th in the league. His slugging percentage was little more than 200 points higher than his batting average and his strikeout totals went down from 130 to 107 from the previous year. He was named to the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
All-Star team and went 1 for 4 with two runs scored in the All-Star game.
Following the season on November 20, 2007, May's contract was purchased by the Los Angeles Dodgers, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
. The Dodgers assigned May to the Double-A Jacksonville Suns
Jacksonville Suns
The Jacksonville Suns are a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The team is currently a member of the Southern League and is the class Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball team...
for the 2008 season where he hit .230 with 13 home runs in 392 at bats.
In 2009, May played for the Dodger's new AA affiliate, the Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
. He was named to the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
mid-season All-Star team and after the season played for Team USA
United States national baseball team
The United States National Baseball team represents the United States in international baseball competition. The United States has won the previous two Baseball World Cups, having lost this title to the Netherlands in 2011, and is currently second in the IBAF World Rankings, behind Cuba.The team...
in the 2009 Baseball World Cup
2009 Baseball World Cup
The 2009 Baseball World Cup was an international baseball tournament that started on 9 September 2009. The final was held in Nettuno, Italy on 27 September 2009. It was the 38th time the World Cup took place, and the first time that it was hosted by a continent rather than a single country...
where he hit 3 home runs, playing in all games as a starting catcher.
After starting 2010 with Chattanooga, he was shortly promoted to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes
Albuquerque Isotopes
The Albuquerque Isotopes are a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers...
and was selected to the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
all-star team.
On July 28, 2010, the Dodgers traded May, along with pitcher Elisaul Pimentel, to the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
for outfielder Scott Podsednik
Scott Podsednik
Scott Eric Podsednik is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Podsednik led the major leagues in stolen bases in with 70.-Minor leagues:...
. He was assigned to play for the Omaha Royals
Omaha Royals
The Omaha Storm Chasers are a United States minor league baseball team currently based in the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska. The team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals major league club and has been a member of the expanded Pacific Coast League since 1998. From 1969 to 1997,...
.
He was called up to the Royals on September 1, 2010 and made his Major League debut on September 4 against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, where he was hitless in three at-bats. On September 12 against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
he recorded his first major league hit, a single to left field off of Matt Thornton
Matt Thornton
Matthew J. Thornton , is a left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox. Before the season, Thornton was with the Seattle Mariners.-College and minor league baseball:...
.
On June 1, 2011, the Royals traded May to the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
for Andrea Pizziconi.