An Unusual Connection

The Unusual Friendship: A Son’s Reflection on My Dad, Charley Pride, and the Unexpected Harmony of Baseball and Country Music.

I was watching a tv show last night when one of the subjects referenced a song by Country Singer Charley Pride. It offered a moment of reflection.

As the son of Dave May, a former All-Star center fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers, I grew up surrounded by the rhythms of professional baseball..the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, the endless travel and frequent moves. But one of the most enduring constants in our family life, especially in Dad’s later years, wasn’t on the field. It was the 6 PM phone calls during the week. Dad made it a point to connect with me, my brother, and my sister every weekday evening, often sequencing the calls so he could catch up with each of us in turn. It was his way of staying close as we all became adults with lives of our own.

One evening, during one of those calls, Dad asked me, “So, where are you today?” My career kept me in baseball stadiums around the country for most of the year, far from home. “Nashville,” I told him. His voice lit up immediately: “You know it’s the Country Music Awards night there, right?” I was caught off guard. “Wait, what?” I responded, probably wearing that puzzled, slightly judgmental look my family and friends know well. I pictured my dad, settling in to watch the CMAs on TV. It didn’t compute at first.

I thought back to my childhood. Every Saturday night during the offseason, like clockwork, Dad would tune into Hee Haw. I’d catch some of the skits, but the country music soaked in through osmosis. I never fully understood why it resonated with him, especially given his background and the world he came from. But Dad had an eclectic taste in music and people one of the many traits he passed down to us kids.

Our family’s neighborhoods in those days was a remarkable mix. We once had a neighbor named Lew Alcindor (who would later change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), there were visits to the (Hank)Aaron family in Atlanta, and we lived just a couple doors down from longtime MLB manager Dusty Baker. The area was also home to several wrestlers from TBS(Turner Broadcasting System). It was a privileged, childhood that I mostly took for granted at the time probably not unlike most professional athletes children.

It wasn’t until that Nashville phone call that I asked questions and really connected the dots to one friendship in particular: Dad’s bond with Charley Pride. I dove into the story, and it all made perfect sense.

Connection Through Milwaukee

In 1970, Dad was emerging as a standout center fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. That spring training, manager Dave Bristol who was an avid country music fan invited Charley Pride to join the team as an honorary member. Pride attended Brewers spring training for several seasons, taking batting practice, singing for the players, and building genuine friendships, including with my dad.

Shared Backgrounds and Camaraderie

Charley Pride’s path was extraordinary. Born in 1934 in Sledge, Mississippi, the son of a sharecropper, he grew up picking cotton in the Delta heat. Like Dad, he was a gifted athlete who dreamed of baseball glory. Pride pitched in the Negro Leagues and affiliated minors, showing real promise with a strong arm and even a knuckleball. He barnstormed, played semipro ball in places like Montana (where he also began captivating crowds with his singing), and faced the realities of quotas and limited opportunities for Black players. Injuries and circumstances ended his pro baseball dreams, but his smooth baritone voice took him to the top of country music.

Both men knew what it was like to be Black pioneers in predominantly White professions — Dad navigating MLB, Pride shattering barriers as country music’s first Black superstar with hits like “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’,” multiple CMA awards, and millions of records sold. Despite the challenges of the Jim Crow South and industry skepticism, Pride carried himself with grace, often quoting his mother’s wisdom about not carrying resentment. Their shared love of athletics, music, and the road created a deep, respectful bond.

Enduring Legacy

Their friendship was a beautiful intersection of sports and country music. Whenever Pride’s tours brought him near a city where the Brewers were playing, he’d reconnect with his baseball buddies. The relationship continued after my father would stop playing the game. Dad’s excitement about the CMAs that night wasn’t random, it was rooted in those spring training days, the Hee Haw nights, and the camaraderie with a man who bridged two worlds so effortlessly.

Dad and Charley are both gone now, but learning about their connection inspired me to listen to Pride’s music myself. It’s a small way to keep their spirits alive, a reminder of eclectic tastes, unlikely friendships, and the way baseball and music can bring people together across backgrounds. Dad’s phone calls may have stopped, but the stories and the music continue to play on.