the following year to the San Diego Padres of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. During his only season with the Padres, May was one of the best players in the league. He hit 34 home runs while driving in 103 runs and hitting .321. He was called up briefly to the Reds at the end of season but then moved to the Reds' new Class AAA International League team, the Buffalo Bisons in 1966. A solid AAA season at Buffalo led to his permanent major league promotion. Major league Cincinnati Reds 1965–71 May made his major league debut on September 1, 1965, as a pinch hitter against the Milwaukee Braves. On September 24, 1966 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, he hit his first major league home run against Bob Shaw of the New York Mets. It turned out to be the game-winning homer. May broke camp as a full-time member of the Reds in 1967. That season, May was named NL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News. He was also named to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team. The next two years saw much of the construction of the future The Big Red Machine. Along with Johnny Bench, Tony Pérez, and Pete Rose, May helped power arguably one of baseball's great offenses. In 1968, he hit 22 home runs and drove in 80 runs. Despite only walking 38 times and striking out 100 times, he still had an OPS of .805 which was remarkable during the Year of the Pitcher. In 1969, he finished the year with 38 home runs, third in the National League. He also had 110 RBIs which was fourth in the league. May was also second in extra base hits, fourth in total bases, sixth in slugging percentage and sixth in doubles. Also in 1969, May had three consecutive multi-home run games, a feat that has only happened three other times in major league history. Teammate Tommy Helms nicknamed May "The Big Bopper from Birmingham" which later was shortened to "The Big Bopper." During his time in Cincinnati, May was one of the clubhouse leaders for the Reds. With his pragmatic personality and comic sense of timing, manager Sparky Anderson often called on May to put out clubhouse fires. In 1970, the Reds pounded nearly everyone into submission. Batting in the fifth slot, May delivered 94 runs batted in. On June 24, 1970, May