Background
Mayo was born in Litchfield, Illinois, and his birth name was John Lewis.
Mayo was born in Litchfield, Illinois, and his birth name was John Lewis.
In 1947, shortly after graduating from the University of Notre Dame where he was captain of the baseball team, Mayo signed with the Phillies as an amateur free agent. He appeared in three games of the 1950 World Series, and in one plate appearance, in Game 2, he drew a base on balls against Allie Reynolds of the New York Yankees as a pinch hitter for Robin Roberts leading off the tenth inning. Following his retirement from Major League Baseball, Mayo retired to Youngstown, Ohio.
