"He snapped back after a subpar 1974 to bat .271. The Rookie of the Year in 1969, Carlos lost his right thumb in a mortar accident while serving in the Marine Reserves. His courage and determination and his ability to withstand painful skin grafts brought him back in 1970 to bat .285 and tie for the league lead in outfield assists. He was a .308 hitter in 1972.
'I went back to my regular style,' he says, explaining his return to form in '75. 'A single here, a single there. I gave up trying for home runs.' Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Carlos is the younger brother of the Orioles' Lee May, but they never saw each other play until last year."
-Phil Pepe, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1976 Edition
"Carlos May joined the Yankees in May and brought a potent bat with him. The eight-year veteran of the Chicago White Sox has always been a good hitter both for average and run production, all of this despite an injury in 1969 which cost him part of his right thumb. Still, Carlos was the Sporting News Rookie of the Year that season and has gone on to become one of the stars of the league ever since. With the Yankees, his job will be primarily that of a designated hitter, and Carlos is well suited to the task, for no one has ever doubted that this man is a professional hitter.
The likable 28-year-old Alabamian is the brother of Lee May of the Orioles."
-The New York Yankees Official 1976 Yearbook
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