Lee Maye – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Lee Maye really stood out as one of baseball’s more unique personalities during his 13-year Major League run from 1959 to 1971. While most guys just focused on the game, Maye somehow managed to juggle baseball and his passion for music, singing lead for the doo-wop group Arthur Lee Maye and the Crowns.

Arthur Lee Maye built a solid MLB career as an outfielder, playing for five different teams and putting together a .274 batting average with 94 home runs and 419 RBIs before hanging it up in 1971. Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but raised in Los Angeles, Maye bounced around the big leagues, starting with the Milwaukee Braves and moving through the Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, and Chicago White Sox.

But there’s more to his story than stats and team changes. Maye never let himself get boxed in by just one talent. His life took some wild turns, from balancing two careers to fighting through injuries that nearly cut short his baseball dreams. His legacy goes way past the diamond and right into the heart of rhythm and blues music.

Early Life and Amateur Baseball

Arthur Lee Maye was born on December 11, 1934, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. His family moved to Los Angeles, California when he was still a kid.

At Jefferson High School, Maye showed off both his baseball skills and his musical talent. Those high school years set the stage for the two paths he’d follow.

Family Background and Childhood

Arthur Lee Maye came into the world in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on December 11, 1934. His family moved around a bit before finally settling in Los Angeles.

That move to LA changed everything for Maye. The city’s baseball scene pulled him in right away. He started going to Los Angeles Angels games and quickly fell in love with the sport.

LA gave Maye opportunities that small-town Alabama just couldn’t offer. The city’s competitive high school sports and music scene opened doors for him. His family’s decision to stay in LA really set up both his baseball and music careers.

Living in LA also exposed Maye to a thriving rhythm and blues culture. The city was buzzing with music in the 1940s and 1950s, and that energy definitely shaped his musical ambitions.

Jefferson High School Baseball Achievements

At Jefferson High, Maye’s baseball talent was obvious. He made the All-City team as a junior, which was a big deal in LA’s tough high school baseball world.

But his senior year didn’t go as planned. At nineteen, Maye was too old to play high school ball. That could have been a huge setback.

Instead, he jumped into semi-pro baseball in 1949. Facing tougher competition and better coaches, he improved fast.

Playing semi-pro ball got the attention of professional scouts. By the time he graduated in June 1954, Milwaukee Braves scout Johnny Moore had already taken notice.

Early Musical Pursuits

Music was just as important to Maye in high school. If he wasn’t in class or on the field, he was singing in the hallways with friends. They created a sound people started calling the “Jeff High” style.

His musical crew had some future stars. Jesse Belvin, Richard Berry (the guy who wrote “Louie, Louie”), and Cornell Gunter from the Coasters all sang with him. Those friendships really helped shape his style.

Still in high school, Maye formed Arthur Lee Maye and the Crowns with Berry and other friends. They started recording music during his senior year, which kicked off his professional music career. The Crowns kept recording even after graduation.

Even though he was finding success in music, baseball was always his main dream. “I’ve wanted to play ball ever since I was big enough to know myself, that was my dream,” Maye said later. Once pro baseball came calling, music took a back seat.

Minor League Journey

Lee Maye spent six years working on his game in the minor leagues before finally making it to the majors. He played for three organizations, building a reputation as a steady hitter with surprising power and speed.

Signing with Milwaukee Braves Organization

The Milwaukee Braves signed 19-year-old Lee Maye as an amateur free agent in June 1954. They sent him straight to the Boise Pilots of the Class C Pioneer League for his first taste of pro ball.

Maye made a strong impression in his rookie season. He hit .319 and knocked out 9 home runs for Boise. Scouts and coaches around the organization noticed his line-drive hitting.

From the start, Maye’s natural swing and baseball instincts stood out. He showed the kind of potential that would eventually get him to the big leagues. His left-handed swing looked promising against pro pitching.

Notable Seasons with Boise Pilots and Evansville Braves

Maye’s progress really picked up with the Evansville Braves in 1956. Playing in the Class B Three-I League, he put together his best minor league season yet. He batted .330, drove in 99 runs, and scored 103 times.

He led the league in three big categories that year: 103 runs scored, 159 base hits, and 99 RBI. He added 24 home runs for good measure.

His huge season helped Evansville win the league pennant. Maye made the All-Star team, and people started talking about him as one of the Braves’ top prospects.

Achievements with Louisville Colonels

Maye’s last stop in the minors was with the Louisville Colonels of the AAA American Association. This was the highest level of minor league baseball and his final step before the majors.

In 1959, he was hitting .340 with 17 home runs when Milwaukee called him up in July. His numbers at Louisville proved he was ready for the big leagues. That .340 average showed he could handle advanced pitching.

He went back to Louisville briefly in 1960 and kept hitting, finishing with a .311 average. That last stint confirmed he was ready for a full-time spot in the majors.

Major League Baseball Career

Arthur Lee Maye played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1959 to 1971, mostly as an outfielder. He started with the Milwaukee Braves in the National League, where he had his best years, before moving on to the Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, and Chicago White Sox.

Milwaukee Braves Tenure

Maye made his MLB debut on July 17, 1959, with the Milwaukee Braves at age 24. He got the call from the American Association after crushing minor league pitching with a .640 slugging percentage.

The Braves used him as a platoon player at first, filling in for the struggling Wes Covington. Maye wrapped up his rookie year with a .300 average in limited time.

His best season came in 1964, when he played 153 games. That year, he led the National League in doubles with 44, scored 96 runs, and drove in 74 RBIs. Maye said playing every day and being more patient at the plate made all the difference.

The Braves usually batted him at the top of the order. He was a real threat on the bases, stealing 38 out of 44 attempts between 1960 and 1963.

Injuries got in the way some years. A shoulder injury slowed him in 1961, and a bad respiratory infection put him in the hospital for nearly two weeks in 1962.

Houston Astros Years

In May 1965, the Braves traded Maye to the Houston Astros along with pitcher Ken Johnson and outfielder Jim Beauchamp. The trade hit him hard after 11 years in Milwaukee, and he later called it “the worst hurt” of his life.

Adjusting to Houston was tough, both on and off the field. The Astros were a struggling team, nothing like the competitive Braves squads he was used to.

The Astrodome’s weird conditions didn’t help. The dome made hitting and fielding tricky, and Maye had a hard time getting used to it.

One of the strangest moments in Houston happened during batting practice in 1966. Maye accidentally hit a line drive that broke teammate Joe Morgan’s kneecap. Stuff like that just seemed to happen during his Astros days.

Cleveland Indians Highlights

After 1966, Maye got traded to the Cleveland Indians in a five-player deal. He spent two seasons with Cleveland from 1967 to 1969, mostly as a platoon outfielder.

The Indians used him mainly against right-handed pitchers, where his left-handed swing gave them an edge. He got steady playing time during his Cleveland stint.

Maye brought some veteran leadership to the young Indians roster, though the team struggled while he was there. Even as he got older, he stayed dependable when called on.

His numbers in Cleveland showed the usual decline that comes with age, but he still gave what he could.

Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox

In June 1969, Maye moved to the Washington Senators, finishing out the 1969 and 1970 seasons there. Late in 1970, the White Sox picked him up on waivers.

Chicago ended up being his last stop in the majors. In May 1971, he pulled a muscle and then injured his shoulder again, which limited him mostly to pinch-hitting.

On July 7, 1971, the White Sox released Maye, and that was it for his big league career. His final game came on June 29, 1971, against Milwaukee, where he went 0-for-1.

Career Statistics:

• Batting Average: .274
• Home Runs: 94
• RBIs: 419
• Games Played: 1,288

After leaving the majors, Maye signed with the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League. He played two more seasons there before retiring from pro baseball in 1972.

Career Achievements and Notable Moments

Lee Maye’s 13-year Major League Baseball career had some pretty impressive highlights, like leading the National League in doubles and keeping up a .274 career batting average. His standout year was 1964, when he became one of the league’s top contact hitters and played alongside Hank Aaron.

Career Batting Statistics

Maye put up some solid numbers from 1959 to 1971. He finished with a .274 average over 1,288 games, collecting 1,109 hits in 4,048 at-bats.

He added 94 home runs and 419 RBIs to his resume. Maye’s offense was steady, especially during his best years with Milwaukee.

Speed was another weapon for him. He stole 38 bases in 44 tries between 1960 and 1963. Maye focused more on making contact than hitting for power, which worked well for him as a platoon player against righties.

1964 National League Doubles Leader

Maye hit his peak in 1964, leading the National League with 44 doubles. That season, he played a career-high 153 games for Milwaukee.

He also scored 96 runs and had 74 RBIs that year. Maye said playing every day and changing his approach at the plate really paid off.

“I’m satisfied now with hitting a single,” he said during that big year. His 44 doubles were especially impressive since the league had just made the strike zone bigger, making it tougher for hitters.

Memorable Games and Highlights

One of Maye’s best minor league games came on June 21, 1956, when he blasted three home runs in a single game for Evansville. That performance helped him finish second in the league’s MVP voting.

In the majors, Maye came through in clutch moments. In 1962, even though he was sick, he hit a pinch-hit double that drove in a run his first game back after two months away.

Maye’s speed was almost legendary—he could run 100 yards in under ten seconds. That athleticism made him a real asset as both a base stealer and a defensive outfielder.

Collaboration with Hank Aaron and Teammates

Maye spent his Milwaukee Braves years playing alongside Hank Aaron, forming a pretty talented outfield rotation. When Aaron moved to center field, Maye usually took over right field, showing off his versatility.

Maye’s speed and contact hitting balanced out Aaron’s power. Together, they helped make the Braves competitive in the early 1960s.

One of Maye’s most unforgettable moments with a teammate happened during batting practice in 1966. He accidentally hit Houston Astros teammate Joe Morgan with a line drive, breaking Morgan’s kneecap—just goes to show how unpredictable baseball can be.

Music Career and Personal Life

Lee Maye didn’t just stick to baseball—he kept a successful recording career going at the same time. He performed as lead singer for Arthur Lee Maye and the Crowns, becoming a respected rhythm and blues artist. Somehow, he juggled both careers during his 13-year baseball run, recording singles and playing in nightclubs during the off-seasons.

Arthur Lee Maye and the Crowns

Maye put together his first music group back in high school at Jefferson High in Los Angeles. He and his friends sang in the hallways, creating something people started calling the “Jeff High” sound.

Some of his classmates—Jesse Belvin, Richard Berry, and Cornell Gunter from the Coasters—went on to become well-known R&B singers.

Arthur Lee Maye and the Crowns had Maye as the lead tenor, with Charles Colbert and Joe Moore plus a few other rotating members. They recorded several singles for the RPM label and had local hits like “Truly,” but they never managed to break out nationally.

Maye’s baseball schedule made things tough for the Crowns. He could only join the group during the off-season, which really limited their chances at long-term success.

Later, the group moved to the Specialty label in 1955, but things didn’t really improve. Maye’s brother Eugene joined in the Crowns’ final years, but eventually, the group ended because of commercial struggles and scheduling issues.

Rhythm & Blues Singer Legacy

Maye started singing in church choirs before branching out to radio talent shows. A high school radio spot led to his first recording session with friends Johnny Coleman and Richard Berry. This trio first called themselves the “5” Hearts, then changed to the Rams.

In 1957, Maye left the Crowns for a bit to join the Jayos, a group put together by R&B impresario Johnny Otis. With the Jayos, Maye recorded his only full album, but it was mostly covers of other artists’ hits.

As a solo act, Maye signed with big labels like Columbia and ABC-Paramount. Record companies sometimes promoted him as “Lee Maye of the Milwaukee Braves,” hoping to cash in on his baseball fame.

After baseball, Maye sang lead with the Country Boys and City Girls. He kept recording and performing right up until he died, and he’d even scheduled a European tour before cancer ended his career.

Balancing Baseball and Music

Maye managed to keep both careers going for over twenty years. During baseball season, he’d perform in nightclubs whenever he could fit it in. In the off-season, he recorded singles, never really stepping away from music or sports.

When pro baseball came calling, music took a back seat. “That was my dream,” Maye admitted about playing baseball, but he never fully let go of music.

The doo-wop and rhythm & blues scenes were where Maye really found his musical voice. He recorded with labels like RPM, Specialty, Flip, Cash, and Dig throughout his career.

Even with the grind of baseball, Maye kept up his musical activities right up until his death from pancreatic cancer on July 17, 2002. He was actually working on booking a European tour, which really says something about his dedication to both crafts.

Retirement, Legacy, and Death

Lee Maye wrapped up his 13-year Major League Baseball career in 1971 with the Chicago White Sox. He played for five teams in all. After he retired, he went to work for Amtrak and kept performing music until he passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2002.

Retirement from Baseball in 1971

Maye’s last season was with the Chicago White Sox in 1971. His career stretched from 1959 to 1971, and he put up some solid numbers along the way.

Career Totals:

• Batting Average: .274
• Home Runs: 94
• RBIs: 419
• Games Played: 1,288

He played for five Major League teams. The Milwaukee Braves kept him the longest, from 1959-1965. He also played for the Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, and Chicago White Sox.

People admired how he balanced both baseball and music. That combo really made him stand out among other ballplayers.

Post-Baseball Activities

After baseball, Maye started working for Amtrak. He spent many years there, finding steady work after leaving the game.

He didn’t leave music behind, though. He performed with several doo-wop groups, including Arthur Lee Maye and the Crowns and Country Boys & City Girls. Maye also sang with Johnny Otis’ group, the Jayos.

His musical career kept going into the 1980s. He made his last recording for the Antell label in 1985, still showing his love for music even years after baseball.

Death and Memorial

Lee Maye died on July 17, 2002, at 67. He passed away from pancreatic cancer at Riverside Community Hospital in California.

He grew up in Los Angeles after his family moved from Alabama when he was a kid. Maye went to Jefferson High School in L.A. before starting his pro baseball journey.

His death closed the chapter on a rare dual career in both pro sports and music. Not many can say they really succeeded in both fields.

Media, Records, and References

You can find plenty of documentation on Lee Maye’s baseball career in various databases and archives. Modern baseball reference sites keep detailed records of his 13-year major league tenure, and photo collections capture moments from his playing days.

Statistical Resources and Databases

Baseball-Reference.com is probably the best place for Maye’s full statistical record. The site lists his .274 career batting average and 94 home runs over 1,288 games.

The Baseball Cube dives deeper, including his minor league stats. There, you’ll see he hit .309 with 128 home runs in nine minor league seasons.

Baseball Almanac adds some biographical notes with career statistics. It points out that Maye debuted in the majors on July 17, 1959, with the Milwaukee Braves.

Key Statistical Highlights:

• Career batting average: .274
• Total home runs: 94
• RBI: 419
• Led National League in doubles (44) in 1964

StatsCrew.com has more records from Maye’s time with his five different teams. The site tracks his journey from Milwaukee through Houston, Cleveland, Washington, and Chicago.

Photographic Archives and Memorabilia

The SABR Bio Project keeps a photographic record of Maye’s career. You’ll find images from his days with different teams between 1959 and 1971.

Baseball card collectors really value Maye during his best years. His 1964 season cards, for example, are especially popular since they celebrate his lead in National League doubles.

Milwaukee Braves team archives also have action shots from Maye’s early career. Some of these photos show him with Hank Aaron and Rico Carty, all three part of that .300-hitting outfield trio in 1964.

A few historical baseball photo collections capture Maye’s unusual claim as the very first batter to face Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven. Shots from that June 5, 1970 game even show Maye launching a leadoff home run against the rookie pitcher.