The Pirate of Gypsy Hill

I work in a beautiful little city in Virginia called Staunton. One of my favorite places there is the local park, Gypsy Hill. It is one of the best city parks I've ever been to. It's got everything - playgrounds, swimming pool, tennis courts, a duck pond, even a mini locomotive track that people can ride on Saturdays. When the weather is pleasant, I often enjoy going there on my lunch break and walking the track.

As you can gather from the above description, it's a sizable park. I've been on that track hundreds of times and I still find things I've never noticed before. What's this have to do with baseball you ask? Well, it was during one of my walks that I discovered a little bit of local history. I was doing my lap and noticed dark grey clouds rolling in. I decided to cut my walk short, and left the track to cross between the two Little League fields to get to the other side of the park. I never watched a game on these fields, but as I got closer I approached a little grotto with some benches.

I've seen these benches from the track often, but this was my first time getting a good look at them. You see that little monument in the middle? Here it is up close:

 

That's a Pirates cap on his head, no doubt about it. Of course, now I need to know more. Who was Jerry May, and more importantly, do I have any cards of his?

Jerry May was a Staunton native who was a catcher in the Major Leagues from 1964-1973, mostly for the Pirates. He also played for the Royals and Mets. His big claim to fame was that he caught Dock Ellis's famous "LSD No-Hitter". He sadly died in a farming accident in 1996.

As far as his cards go, I have just one:

1970 Topps #423 Jerry May

So there you have it - a little piece of baseball history in my neck of the woods. As someone who didn't grow up in the area, this is quite an interesting discovery!

Are there any monuments to former players in your hometown?