Rube Melton, baseball player, 1941-1947

Rube Melton

Born: 2/27/1917 in Cramerton, NC, USA

Died: 9/11/1971 in Greer, SC, USA

MLB Debut: 1941-04-17 | Final Game: 1947-06-03

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'5" | Weight: 205 lbs

Full name: Reuben Franklin Melton

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Rube Melton was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1941 to 1947. Born in 1917, Melton made his mark in Major League Baseball during a challenging era marked by World War II, which saw many players serving in the military. Despite the tumultuous backdrop, Melton showcased his talent on the mound, finishing his career with a record of 30-50 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.62. He accumulated a total of 363 strikeouts and recorded 5 saves, demonstrating his ability to miss bats and contribute to his team's pitching efforts. Melton's playing style was characterized by a blend of finesse and determination, which he relied upon to navigate the competitive landscape of the league. While he may not have reached the heights of some of his contemporaries, his contributions to the game during the 1940s were significant, as he played in a time when baseball was adapting to the challenges posed by the war and the shifting dynamics of the sport. Rube Melton remains a notable figure in baseball history, representing a generation of players who persevered through adversity to leave their mark on America’s pastime.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
30 50 162 87 25 6 5 704.0 624 283 22 395 363 3.62 0

Career ERA 3.62 vs. league average 3.69 across their career seasons — near 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
1941 PHI NL 1 5 25 5 2 0 0 83.7 81 44 47 57 4.73 3.94 (-20%) -594.0
1942 PHI NL 9 20 42 29 10 1 4 209.3 180 86 114 107 3.70 3.57 (-4%) -534.3
1943 BRO NL 5 8 30 17 4 2 0 119.3 106 52 79 63 3.92 3.50 (-12%) -1625.8
1944 BRO NL 9 13 37 23 6 1 0 187.3 178 72 96 91 3.46 3.57 (+3%) 1116.8
1946 BRO NL 6 3 24 12 3 2 1 99.7 72 22 52 44 1.99 3.59 (+45%) -405.6
1947 BRO NL 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 4.7 7 7 7 1 13.50 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
162 208 11 25 7 0 1 14 0 3 80 0.120 0.133 0.168 0.301 -1042.6

Career AVG .120 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 53.5% below league average.

Career OBP .133 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 59.6% below league average.

Career SLG .168 vs. league average .360 across their career seasons — 53.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.301 vs. league average 0.689 across their career seasons — 56.3% 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
1941 PHI NL 25 19 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 11 0.105 — — — — 0.0
1942 PHI NL 42 65 3 8 3 0 1 7 0 2 26 0.123 .253 (-51%) .323 (-54%) .349 (-38%) .672 (-46%) -505.6
1943 BRO NL 30 38 4 4 0 0 0 3 0 1 13 0.105 — — — — 0.0
1944 BRO NL 37 57 2 7 3 0 0 3 0 0 21 0.123 .261 (-53%) .325 (-62%) .357 (-51%) .683 (-56%) -537.0
1946 BRO NL 24 28 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 0.107 — — — — 0.0
1947 BRO NL 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 162 0 18 118 9 5

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1941 PHI P 25 0 0 11 2 0
1942 PHI P 42 0 8 33 1 2
1943 BRO P 30 0 1 20 3 1
1944 BRO P 37 0 8 34 2 2
1946 BRO P 24 0 1 20 1 0
1947 BRO P 4 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 162