Happy Birthday, ex-White Sox All-Star Carlos May

Though he was a two-time All-Star, Carlos May wasn't the most famous White Sox player even in his hey-day, but every Sox fan knows his birthday — May 17 – because he's the only player in baseball history to wear his birthdate on the back of his uniform. May wore No. 17.

The 6-0, 200-pound May, who celebrates his 77th birthday on Saturday, was a highly touted bonus baby who was the White Sox' first-round draft pick No. 18 overall) out of Birmingham, Ala. in 1966 (Reggie Jackson was the No. 2 overall pick in that draft, by the Athletics). Carlos' older brother, Lee May, was just getting started on his big-league career with the Reds and eventually would hit 354 home runs with 1,244 RBIs — a sure-fire first-ballot inductee in the Hall of Very Good.

Carlos actually wore No. 29 when he came up with the Sox in 1968. Infielder Bill Voss was wearing No. 17 at the time, but was traded to the Angels for Sammy Ellis in the offseason and May switched to No. 17 to start the 1969 season. In 1971, when the White Sox switched to the classic red pinstripes popularized by Allen, the names were not on the back of the uniform. They didn't come back until 1976 under Bill Veeck, who originally initiated the baseball tradition of putting names on the back of players' uniforms when he first owned the White Sox in 1960.

Carlos May wore No. 29 when he came up with the White Sox in 1968.

Carlos May's 1969 Topps rookie card.

Unfortunately, the new "May 17" jersey didn't last long. May played just 20 games for the White Sox and — after hitting just .175 — was traded to the Yankees on May 18 for Ken Brett. But overall, May was an above-average player for the Sox.

In his first five full seasons, he hit .287 with an .802 OPS, making the All-Star team in 1969 and 1972. In 1969 he hit .281 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs and was third in Rookie of the Year voting (the Royals' Lou Piniella won it). In 1972, he hit .308 including 18 home runs and 62 RBIs in 1969, .308 (fourth in the AL) with a .405 on-base percentage (second in the AL behind Allen's .412) with 12 home runs, 68 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. In 1973, he hit .268 with 20 home runs and 96 RBIs (sixth in the AL).

Carlos May left the White Sox on Aug. 9, 1969 to serve a two-week training stint with the U.S. Marines. He lost most of his right thumb in a mortar-cleaning accident two days later, missing the rest of the baseball season.

And as may Sox fans know, May did much of this after a losing most of his right thumb in a mortar accident on Aug. 11, 1969 while serving at two-week military stint with the United States Marines at Camp Pendleton in California (where "Gomer Pyle — USMC" was filmed from 1964-69). His career was in doubt at the time of the accident, but he returned for spring training in 1970, started at first base on Opening Day, played in 150 games and hit .285 with 12 home runs and 68 RBIs.

It's an underrated baseball comeback story, but also probably a revelation to some fans that players still missed time during the season for military duty in the late 1960s. The Cubs' Kenny Holtzman famously went 9-0 in 1967 when he missed most of the season serving in the National Guard — the final four wins coming during weekend leaves.

1976 Carlos May jersey. He only wore it for 20 games before being traded to the Yankees — a day after his birthday.

Carlos May not only served in the military, but overcame a tragic accident to have a pretty good major league career. He hit .274 with a .749 OPS (a 111 OPS+) in 4,120 at-bats over nine-plus seasons — with 90 home runs, 536 RBIs, 23 triples, 85 stolen bases. He helped the Yankees win the pennant in 1976 (hitting .278 for them after hitting .175 with the Sox) and played in the World Series. May played his final four seasons (1978-81) in Japan — hitting 26 home runs with 75 RBIs in 1978 and 27 home runs and 75 RBIs in 1979 with the Nankai Hawks.

Carlos' last big-league home run came with the Yankees against the White Sox — off Steve Stone in 1977 at Comiskey Park. On July 30, 1976, with the Yankees fending off the Orioles for the AL East title, Carlos hit a three-run homer off the Red Sox' Luis Tiant in the eighth inning to give the Yankees a 6-4 victory. In Detroit, his brother Lee hit a three-run homer for the Orioles off the Tigers' Vern Ruhle to break open a one-run game in a 7-2 victory. A pretty cool moment for sure.

In all, Carlos and his brother combined for 444 career homers — tied with Ken and Clete Boyer for the third most home runs by a pair of brothers in major-league history.