Melvin Coleman

Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records

Melvin Coleman was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the Birmingham Black Barons. In 20 career games, he hit .290 with 18 hits and 5 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.

AVG (Batting Average):
Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
HR (Home Runs):
Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
RBI (Runs Batted In):
Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.

Data updated

AVG .290
HR 0
RBI 5
H 18
OPS .733
PIV -1
Position
Shortstop
Height / Weight
5'11" / 152 lb
Born
1/1/1911 in Charlotte, NC, USA
Died
4/22/1968 in Charlotte, NC, USA
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Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

Melvin Coleman — Batting
PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
69.0 61.0 15.0 20.0 2.0 3.0 0 6.0 5.0 1.0 0 .328 .388 .459 .847

Career Batting Statistics

Melvin Coleman — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
20 62 15 18 1 2 0 5 0 6 1 .290 .362 .371 .733 -1

Career AVG .290 vs. league average .277 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .362 vs. league average .342 across their career seasons — +5.8% above league average.

Career SLG .371 vs. league average .398 across their career seasons — 6.8% below league average.

Career OPS .733 vs. league average .741 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Melvin Coleman — 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 BBB NAL 20 62 15 18 1 2 0 5 0 6 1 .290 .276 (+5%) .342 (+6%) .398 (-7%) .740 (-1%) -1.2
Career · 1 season 20 62 15 18 1 2 0 5 0 6 1 .290 — — — — -1

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (21 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Melvin Coleman — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home113191004.323
Away10256801.320

Last 10 Games — Batting

Melvin Coleman — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1937-08-22 BIRATNW 412100100
1937-08-15 BIRSSAW 422000000
1937-08-02 BIRIN6W 000000000
1937-07-18 BIRCAGL 201000000
1937-07-05 BIRIN6W 401000000
1937-07-05 BIRIN6L 212010200
1937-06-27 BIRCI1L 000000000
1937-06-13 BIRSSAW 001010000
1937-06-12 BIRSSAW 432010020
1937-06-06 BIRDT2W 311000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Melvin Coleman — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
3B 2 1 0 1 0 0
C 7 6 44 2 0 0
SS 10 10 14 20 7 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Melvin Coleman — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1937 BBB 3B 2 1 0 1 0 0
1937 BBB C 7 6 44 2 0 0
1937 BBB SS 10 10 14 20 7 3

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Melvin Coleman — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Catcher 7
Third Base 2
Shortstop 10

Frequently Asked Questions about Melvin Coleman

Was Melvin Coleman a pitcher?
No. Melvin Coleman was a position player (Shortstop).
How many home runs did Melvin Coleman hit?
Melvin Coleman hit 0 career home runs with 18 hits.
What was Melvin Coleman's career batting average?
Melvin Coleman batted .290 over his career, with 18 hits in 62 at bats.
How many RBI did Melvin Coleman have?
Melvin Coleman drove in 5 runs in his career.
Is Melvin Coleman in the Hall of Fame?
No. Melvin Coleman has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
What teams did Melvin Coleman play for?
Melvin Coleman played for the Birmingham Black Barons.