David LaFrance May Sr. was born in New Castle, Delaware on December 23, 1943, and was raised in Old New Castle. May excelled in sports at an early age and became a standout athlete while a student at William Penn High School (WPHS). May played baseball, football, and basketball before graduating from WPHS in 1961. While in high school, May began to attract the interest of professional baseball scouts. The day after he graduated from WPHS, he signed his first professional contract with the San Francisco Giants.
During his career, he played for great teams, most notably the Baltimore Orioles in the 1960s. While with the Orioles, he played in a World Series and an All-Star Game before he was traded for baseball legend, Hank Aaron. The Dallas Morning News called May “without question one of the friendliest players in the sport.” According to The Great Delaware Sports Book, “Dave May could always hit, and he could look good doing it. His professional baseball career
ended in 1979. May continued to participate in the sport he loved as a hitting coach in the Atlanta Braves’ minor leagues.
The 32nd Delawarean to play in the major leagues, May was inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame in 1984. He was inducted into the Delaware Afro-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 and is also an inductee in William Penn’s Hall of Fame. #BlackHistoryMonth2021 #EquityCSD #powerofwecsd