After going through a rough patch with the independent Salinas Spurs that had him fearing for his future with the team, Steve Maye worked on his delivery with a teammate and coach, Steve Howe, The Los Angeles Times wrote.
Howe, attempting a comeback from drug issues and surgery, worked with Maye to smooth out his delivery and be more aggressive, The Times wrote.
"I think pitch selection was my biggest problem," Maye told The Times. "He told me when to come up and in. If you hit a batter, so what. You have to keep them honest."
That season marked Maye's seventh as a pro. He ultimately saw two more. He topped out at AA.
Maye's career began in 1984, taken by the Cubs in the first round of the June secondary draft out of Los Angeles Harbor College.
Maye started with the Cubs at rookie Pikeville. He went 7-2, with a 2.90 ERA in 14 outings, 13 starts. He moved to single-A Winston-Salem for 1985 and returned there for 1986, along with single-A Kinston.
Maye played 1987 with independent single-A San Jose, then 1988 with single-A Modesto. He saw 32 relief outings at Modesto, saved seven and ended with a 1.68 ERA.
Maye had a rough ninth inning in an August outing, though Modesto held on. Teammate Dann Howitt praised Maye's work nonetheless to The Modesto Bee.
"He has been our top horse all year, and he will be again," Howitt told The Bee of Maye.
He started 1989 at AA Huntsville. He saw 10 relief outings and a 3.57 ERA. He played the rest of the year at co-op Reno.
Maye then signed with Salinas for 1990. He went 10-14 on the year, with a 3.74 ERA in 30 outings, 27 starts. He returned to Salinas for another 13 outings, 12 starts in 1991.
He then suffered a torn rotator cuff and retired. But he still held out hope of returning. In 1993, he played in a local league, driving long distances in the process, trying to catch someone's eye, he told The Los Angeles Times wrote.
"All I want is one shot," Maye told The Times. "That’s all. Give me two or three weeks to prove myself."
Maye did return to the minors, for one more season. He played 1994 with independent high-A San Bernardino. He went 4-5, with a 3.41 ERA in 43 outings, nine starts, to end his career.
- Modesto Bee, Aug. 20, 1988: Howitt's home runs lead the way
- Los Angeles Times, June 15, 1990: Former Harbor Pitcher Is Battling Back in Salinas
- Los Angeles Times, Aug. 12, 1993: Hitting the Road While Clinging to a Pitcher's Dream
Made the Majors:1,401-32.2%
Never Made Majors:2,945-67.8%-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors:352
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