Rube Melton
| Rube Melton | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: February 27, 1917 Cramerton, North Carolina | |
| Died: September 11, 1971 (aged 54) Greer, South Carolina | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 17, 1941, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 3, 1947, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 30–50 |
| Earned run average | 3.62 |
| Strikeouts | 363 |
| Teams | |
Reuben Franklin Melton (February 27, 1917 – September 11, 1971) was a pitcher from 1941 to 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Melton experienced difficulty in his first MLB season when he was suspended by the Phillies for leaving the team without permission reportedly because of homesickness.[1] He led the league in walks and wild pitches during the 1942 season. He missed the 1945 season due to service in the US Army during World War II.[2] His best season occurred just after his military discharge in 1946 when he went 6–3 with a 1.99 ERA for the Brooklyn Dodgers.[2] An earlier arm injury forced him to cut his career short.[3]
Melton's playing career overlapped that of his cousin, Cliff Melton, who pitched for the New York Giants.[4]
Melton died in an automobile accident in Greer, South Carolina in 1971.[5]
References
- ^ "Melton, Phil Rook Hurler, Suspended". The Pittsburgh Press. July 20, 1941. p. 4 (Section 4). Retrieved August 14, 2019.
- ^ a b "Baseball in Wartime - Rube Melton". BaseballinWartime.com. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ Rube Melton at the SABR Baseball Biography Project , by Jack Morris, Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ "Rube Melton Stats". baseball-reference.com. sports-reference.com. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ "Rube Melton Obituary". baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet or Baseball Almanac or CNN/SI
- Reuben Franklin "Rube" Melton at Find a Grave
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- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Brooklyn Dodgers players
- Philadelphia Phillies players
- 1917 births
- 1971 deaths
- Baseball players from North Carolina
- Campbell Fighting Camels baseball players
- Road incident deaths in South Carolina
- Asheville Tourists players
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- American baseball pitcher, 1910s births stubs