Former Longtime Angels Pitcher Passes Away

Sam Garcia | Oct 26, 2024

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Former Angels pitcher Rudy May has passed away. He was 80 years old. The cause of death has yet to be reported. New York Times best-selling author Jeff Pearlman shared the news first on his TikTok account. The Angels organization honored May and sent their condolences to the May family via Twitter.

The Angels Organization is saddened to learn of the passing of former pitcher Rudy May.

A 16-year Major League veteran, May was a steady presence for the Angels pitching staff for seven seasons and remains among the Top 10 in franchise history in ERA and strikeouts.

We send our… pic.twitter.com/KeN1fpaWuR

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) October 25, 2024

May played in the Major Leagues for 16 seasons, spending the first seven of those with the Angels. In addition to pitching for the Angels, May made stints with the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and former MLB team, the Montreal Expos. 

Across 16 seasons in the Major Leagues, May held a 152-156 record with a 3.46 ERA. In 1980, he was crowned as the American League ERA champion in his first season with the Yankees. May accrued a 2.46 season ERA, which was the second-lowest of his career. While May often relied on his fastball, the southpaw was also known for his signature curveball that struck out multiple Hall of Fame hitters.

May grew up in Oakland, California and attended Castlemont High School, where he was one of the best high school pitchers in the area. He was childhood friends and high school teammates with Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan, who died in 2020 from complications with a non-specified polyneuropathy.

In a 2014 interview with Pearlman, May said that he chose to retire from baseball in 1984 after finding out during spring training that injuries to his back would prevent him from pitching in the future. After retiring, May was financially set to no longer work. But, after his daughters suggested he should work again, he decided to work at a convenience store. Eventually, he worked his way up to the role of a marketing consultant, which is how he spent 20 years of his life.

May also spoke about the racial segregation he experienced at the beginning of his career. Hotels and the clubhouse were a few examples he shared.

May’s death occurred in the same week as former Dodgers pitcher, Fernando Valenzuela, who died from cancer at age 63 on Tuesday. The pair went head-to-head in the 1981 World Series as members of the Yankees and Dodgers, respectively. Although the Dodgers won the series that year, both May and Valenzuela had impressive performances on the mound. May pitched 6.1 innings across three games for New York, logging a 2.84 ERA, five strikeouts, and giving up just two runs. 

Now, the Yankees and Dodgers will compete in this year’s World Series in the same week of the deaths of two former franchise legends.