March 09--White Sox prospect Jacob May outfielder leads off and plays center against the A's Wednesday afternoon at Camelback Ranch.
May, the nephew of former White Sox outfielder Carlos May, is 3-for-8 in five games and has the team's only two steals of the spring.
Since Adam Eaton's shoulder issue has prevented him from playing the field, and Austin Jackson is not ready yet after signing on Sunday, May has gotten some opportunities in Cactus League games to show his bosses what he can do.
Last month at SoxFest, May got a chance to hang with his uncle, whom he hadn't seen much growing up. May was a popular player from the late 1960s and early 1970s.
"He's definitely well known there and people love him and he's done nothing but great things from other people about him," Jacob said.
Carlos May, a two-time All-Star, played for the Sox from 1968 into '76. His career almost ended in 1969 when he was with the Marine reserves and lost part of his thumb in a mortar accident. But he returned and played eight more years, returing to the All-Star in 1972.
Jacob's grandfather is former Reds player Lee May, so he's the third generation of the May family to plat pro ball.
"I'm not a stat rat, but I know he and my grandfather we both good," he said.
What kind of advice does he get from Carlos and Lee?
"They do a good job of telling me to be yourself, play the game the right way and play hard," May said. "Everything will be fine. If anything, it's a little reassuring, giving me a little perspective throughout high school and college about how pro ball will be. The transition has been a little bit easier."
Here's the Sox lineup:
May CF
Lawrie 2B
Abreu DH
Frazier 3B
Cabrera LF
Garcia RF
Navarro C
Ishikawa 1B
Saladino SS
Turner P
