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Arthur Lee Maye
Cleveland Indians
Outfield
Born: December 11, 1934, Tuscaloosa, AL
Signed: Signed by the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent, June 1954
Major League Teams: Milwaukee Braves 1959-1965; Houston Astros 1965-1966; Cleveland Indians 1967-1969; Washington Senators 1969-1970; Chicago White Sox 1970-1971
Died: July 17, 2002, Riverside, CA (age 67)
An outfielder and pinch-hitter on the baseball diamond, Lee Maye moonlighted as a successful R&B and doo wop singer in the 1950s, leading his band Arthur Lee Maye and the Crowns. Maye bounced around during his 13-year big league career, playing the bulk of his years with the Braves. His best seasons came with the Braves in 1963 and 1964. As the club's regular center fielder in 1964, Maye hit .304 with 10 home runs and 74 RBIs while leading the N.L. in doubles with 44. He never quite recaptured the success he had with the Braves in the mid-1960s, and he was never again a regular player for any team following the 1965 season. Over the final six seasons of his career, Maye spent time with the Astros, Indians, Senators and White Sox.
In 1,288 career games, Maye hit .274 with 1,109 hits, 94 home runs and 419 RBIs.
An outfielder and pinch-hitter on the baseball diamond, Lee Maye moonlighted as a successful R&B and doo wop singer in the 1950s, leading his band Arthur Lee Maye and the Crowns. Maye bounced around during his 13-year big league career, playing the bulk of his years with the Braves. His best seasons came with the Braves in 1963 and 1964. As the club's regular center fielder in 1964, Maye hit .304 with 10 home runs and 74 RBIs while leading the N.L. in doubles with 44. He never quite recaptured the success he had with the Braves in the mid-1960s, and he was never again a regular player for any team following the 1965 season. Over the final six seasons of his career, Maye spent time with the Astros, Indians, Senators and White Sox.
In 1,288 career games, Maye hit .274 with 1,109 hits, 94 home runs and 419 RBIs.
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.
Building the Set / Card #63
January 17, 2023 from Greg Morris Cards - Los Angeles, CA
On the evening of January 8th, I found myself sitting in Terminal C of the Philadelphia International Airport waiting to board my flight to Dallas. Earlier that day, I had enjoyed watching our oldest son Doug at a winter track meet as he pole vaulted for his high school. I was in a good mood despite the the fact that like most flights that day, my flight had been delayed. This was for a work trip, and I was doing my best to stay positive and keep myself in the post-holiday happiness hangover that had lingered into the year's second week. eBay seller Greg Morris Cards, based out of Los Angeles, somehow seems to post cards from various vintage baseball card set breaks on a weekly basis, with the cards typically all in fantastic condition. With time to kill, knowing that bidding on baseball cards was a surefire good mood sustainer, and having only 40 cards so far for our 1969 Topps set, I pleasantly passed the time by bidding on 62 commons, all with no previous bidders, and all ending within the next 30 hours.
The Card / Indians Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
1969 Season
Maye began the season with the Indians, getting into 43 games and batting .250 with a home run and 15 RBIs. On June 20th, he was traded to the Senators for pitcher Bill Denehy and cash, and manager Ted Williams (#650) would immediately insert him into the starting line-up with Maye seeing time in all three outfield positions. He started 50 games in right field, five in left field and four in center field, while batting a solid .290 with Washington. His 10 home runs for the season were the most for him since his break-out 1964 season. Maye's combined totals with the Indians and Senators indicate a decent season - .277 in 114 games with 50 runs scored, 10 home runs and 41 RBIs.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1960 Topps #246
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12): 1960-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1978 TCMA The 1960s I #107
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 55 in the Beckett online database as of 2/13/23.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR
January 17, 2023 from Greg Morris Cards - Los Angeles, CA
On the evening of January 8th, I found myself sitting in Terminal C of the Philadelphia International Airport waiting to board my flight to Dallas. Earlier that day, I had enjoyed watching our oldest son Doug at a winter track meet as he pole vaulted for his high school. I was in a good mood despite the the fact that like most flights that day, my flight had been delayed. This was for a work trip, and I was doing my best to stay positive and keep myself in the post-holiday happiness hangover that had lingered into the year's second week. eBay seller Greg Morris Cards, based out of Los Angeles, somehow seems to post cards from various vintage baseball card set breaks on a weekly basis, with the cards typically all in fantastic condition. With time to kill, knowing that bidding on baseball cards was a surefire good mood sustainer, and having only 40 cards so far for our 1969 Topps set, I pleasantly passed the time by bidding on 62 commons, all with no previous bidders, and all ending within the next 30 hours.
The next afternoon, while on a break at our work conference in the Hilton Anatole, I checked on the auctions, noting I had been outbid on a few, but was still the high bidder for most of the 62 cards. That night, as auctions were close to ending, and as I was enjoying a few adult beverages at the fine Rodeo Goat establishment across the street from the Hilton, my Apple Watch began vibrating every few seconds as I was outbid on dozens of auctions. When the dust had settled, I had won 24 new cards at an average price of about $2.50 per card. This Maye card was $3.26, and arrived a week after I had made the return trip home from Dallas.
The Card / Indians Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
Unlike his 1965 Topps card, there's no mention of Maye's singing career on the back of this card. Maye had been a member of the Indians since early 1967, and this is his first, and only, Topps flagship card featuring him actually wearing an Indians uniform. The cartoon on the back highlights his league leading 44 doubles in 1964.
Accuracy Index: Maye's card scores a five for picturing him in the correct uniform. What's more, this photo was taken early in the 1969 season as the MLB logo, celebrating the league's Centennial, is featured on the front of Maye's jersey.
1969 Season
Maye began the season with the Indians, getting into 43 games and batting .250 with a home run and 15 RBIs. On June 20th, he was traded to the Senators for pitcher Bill Denehy and cash, and manager Ted Williams (#650) would immediately insert him into the starting line-up with Maye seeing time in all three outfield positions. He started 50 games in right field, five in left field and four in center field, while batting a solid .290 with Washington. His 10 home runs for the season were the most for him since his break-out 1964 season. Maye's combined totals with the Indians and Senators indicate a decent season - .277 in 114 games with 50 runs scored, 10 home runs and 41 RBIs.
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First Mainstream Card: 1960 Topps #246
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12): 1960-1971
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1978 TCMA The 1960s I #107
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 55 in the Beckett online database as of 2/13/23.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR
Beckett Database / The Trading Card Database
1965 Topps Blog
1965 Topps Blog
#594 Dooley Womack - Houston Astros / #596 Chuck Hartenstein - Pittsburgh Pirates
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