Lee Maye

Arthur Lee Maye
Born: Dec. 11, 1934 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Died: July 17, 2002  in Riverside, Calif.
Debut: 1959 | Pos: OF
Ht: 6'2" | Wt: 190 | B: L | T: R

>> Visit the Lee Maye biography on Baseball Almanac for complete statistics.

Lee Maye had a dual career -- one as an outfielder who spent 13 years in the majors and one as a singer. Maye died on July 17, 2002, 43 years to the day after he made his major league debut.

Lee was born in Alabama in 1934, but his family moved to Los Angeles when he was a young age. His baseball career began in 1954 with the Milwaukee Braves system. Ironically, his musical career also began that season.

In 1959, he made his debut with the Braves, appearing in 51 games and hitting .300 with 4 HRs and 16 RBI. In an interview published online, Maye described his experiences in the majors as, "The greatest thrill is not getting to the major leagues, it's staying there. I played 13 seasons when they had only 16 teams and I think that was a great accomplishment for me."

He led the league in doubles in 1964 with 44. That season was one of his most productive -- 10 home runs, 74 RBI and a .304 average. The following season he was traded to Houston. For much of his career, he found himself in platoon situations in the outfield.

He was the leading man for the musical group, Arthur Lee Maye and the Crowns. He also sang occasionally with The Platters. His musical career worked around his baseball career -- Maye would hold his recording sessions in baseball's off-season. 

Sources: Astrosdaily Interview with Maye, Baseball Encyclopedia