Jon Metzler

I’ve avoided Facebook-related posts so far, because what is there to add? It’s huge, it encompasses Classmates, photosharing, BBS, gaming, blogging and email all under one roof. I do wonder if the rate of new blog formation has decreased.

But now I have a Facebook tale worthy of the telling. I have joined a Facebook group called Obscure Cubs Players (Facebook log-in required). As the name would convey, it’s dedicated to those players only a true Cubs fan might remember and love. To wit:

A place to simply list the names of terrible and obscure Chicago Cubs players of the past few decades. If you remember the batting order of the 1987 Cubs or if memories such as Don Zimmer letting Mike Harkey throw 160 pitches in a June game make you chuckle, then this is a group for you.

So, naturally, I’ve joined. Who’s Mike Harkey, you ask? Answer here, courtesy of Baseball Reference.

One player suggested was Derrick May, who, for a couple of years in the early 1990s, looked like a rising star in the Cubs pantheon.

Apparently Mr May did not take kindly to his relegation to obscurity, and contacted the group, basically saying he was indeed a legit major leaguer, not a one-hit, one-year wonder. Unfortunately the post suggesting him has been taken down. Here’s a post summarizing the give and take between ballplayer and nerd fan group.

Apparently our little group reached a little further than we ever expected. A post by one of our group members was met with a personal response from Derrick May.

Derrick was not happy with the post.

How cool is that? So as a result, I have looked closer at Derrick May’s career stats.

Derrick looked to be on his way to an above average career. It wasn’t until 1993 at the age of 24 when he became a regular starter and he responded with a very good year. In 465 ABs he hit .295 with 10 HRs and 77 RBIs and struck out only 41 times (that was the 7th best AB-K ratio in the league that year). In 1994 he appeared on his way to another very solid year but that was of course cut short by the strike. Then he became a free agent and signed with Brewers (in the AL at the time) and put up great numbers, but after being traded mid-season to the Astros in a pennant race, he played brilliantly, mostly off the bench. He bounced around a bit after that.

But, in light of the review, I officially declare Derrick May a legit Major Leaguer. We have stricken the previous post about him and would love to see him join our group.

Facebook, truly your reach is broad.