Cliff Melton, baseball player, 1937-1944

Cliff Melton

Born: 1/3/1912 in Brevard, NC, USA

Died: 7/28/1986 in Baltimore, MD, USA

MLB Debut: 1937-04-25 | Final Game: 1944-09-29

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'5" | Weight: 203 lbs

Full name: Clifford George Melton

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Biography

Cliff Melton, born in 1912, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1937 to 1944. He was known for his strong left-handed pitching and durability on the mound, finishing his career with a record of 86 wins and 80 losses, an earned run average (ERA) of 3.42, and a total of 660 strikeouts. Melton's effectiveness as a reliever was highlighted by his 16 saves, showcasing his ability to close out games and contribute in high-pressure situations. His lone All-Star selection came during a period when Major League Baseball was beginning to gain popularity, setting the stage for future generations of players. Melton played during a transformative era in baseball, marked by the end of the Great Depression and the onset of World War II, which impacted many players' careers. Despite these challenges, Melton established himself as a reliable pitcher, demonstrating an impressive command of his pitches and resilience throughout his time in the league. His contributions to the game have been remembered by baseball historians, as he remains a notable figure from a pivotal time in the sport's history.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
86 80 272 179 65 13 16 1453.7 1446 552 79 431 660 3.42 0

Career ERA 3.42 vs. league average 3.97 across their career seasons — 13.8% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1937 NY1 NL 20 9 46 27 14 2 7 248.0 216 72 55 142 2.61 4.34 (+40%) 6999.1
1938 NY1 NL 14 14 36 31 10 1 0 243.0 266 105 61 101 3.89 4.35 (+11%) 1944.2
1939 NY1 NL 12 15 41 23 9 2 5 207.3 214 82 65 95 3.56 4.28 (+17%) 3762.4
1940 NY1 NL 10 11 37 21 4 1 2 166.7 185 91 68 91 4.91 4.21 (-17%) 1389.6
1941 NY1 NL 8 11 42 22 9 3 1 194.3 181 65 61 100 3.01 3.94 (+24%) 1273.4
1942 NY1 NL 11 5 23 17 12 2 1 143.7 122 42 33 61 2.63 3.57 (+26%) 1094.2
1943 NY1 NL 9 13 34 28 6 2 0 186.3 184 66 69 55 3.19 3.50 (+9%) -997.3
1944 NY1 NL 2 2 13 10 1 0 0 64.3 78 29 19 15 4.06 3.57 (-13%) -946.2

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
272 469 28 77 4 2 0 32 0 20 108 0.164 0.198 0.181 0.380 -3487.9

Career AVG .164 vs. league average .265 across their career seasons — 38.2% below league average.

Career OBP .198 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 40.5% below league average.

Career SLG .181 vs. league average .375 across their career seasons — 51.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.380 vs. league average 0.708 across their career seasons — 46.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1937 NY1 NL 46 82 3 10 0 0 0 5 0 1 21 0.122 .276 (-56%) .342 (-61%) .398 (-69%) .740 (-66%) -953.8
1938 NY1 NL 36 80 7 14 2 0 0 6 0 2 14 0.175 .272 (-36%) .341 (-43%) .392 (-49%) .734 (-46%) -646.8
1939 NY1 NL 41 66 2 12 1 0 0 6 0 1 10 0.182 .274 (-34%) .342 (-43%) .393 (-50%) .735 (-47%) -543.5
1940 NY1 NL 37 54 6 12 1 1 0 3 0 2 14 0.222 .267 (-17%) .335 (-25%) .387 (-28%) .722 (-27%) -259.8
1941 NY1 NL 42 61 2 7 0 0 0 4 0 2 16 0.115 .262 (-56%) .332 (-57%) .373 (-69%) .705 (-63%) -655.3
1942 NY1 NL 23 47 5 11 0 0 0 5 0 4 12 0.234 — — — — -147.3
1943 NY1 NL 34 54 3 8 0 1 0 2 0 8 14 0.148 .255 (-42%) .324 (-21%) .346 (-47%) .671 (-34%) -281.4
1944 NY1 NL 13 25 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 7 0.120 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1937 WS NY1 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 2 3 2 0 11.0 12 6 6 7 4.91

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1937 WS NY1 0 2 3 2 0 11.0 12 6 6 7 4.91

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 272 0 45 397 16 15

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1937 NY1 P 46 0 10 68 1 3
1938 NY1 P 36 0 5 64 4 1
1939 NY1 P 41 0 6 49 4 0
1940 NY1 P 37 0 6 38 0 4
1941 NY1 P 42 0 4 58 2 1
1942 NY1 P 23 0 7 44 1 1
1943 NY1 P 34 0 6 57 3 4
1944 NY1 P 13 0 1 19 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 272

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1937 Most Valuable Player NL 11th 17.0 80 0