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
- Position
- Shortstop
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 152 lb
- Died
- 4/22/1968 in Charlotte, NC, USA
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
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| 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
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 11 | 31 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 4 | .323 |
| Away | 10 | 25 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 1 | .320 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937-08-22 | BIR | ATN | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937-08-15 | BIR | SSA | W | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937-08-02 | BIR | IN6 | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937-07-18 | BIR | CAG | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937-07-05 | BIR | IN6 | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937-07-05 | BIR | IN6 | L | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937-06-27 | BIR | CI1 | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937-06-13 | BIR | SSA | W | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937-06-12 | BIR | SSA | W | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1937-06-06 | BIR | DT2 | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 7 |
| Third Base | 2 |
| Shortstop | 10 |
Melvin Coleman: the record in brief
Melvin Coleman's record on this page is drawn from the season tables. All of the seasons listed were played for the Birmingham Black Barons. The bio lists Coleman's primary position as shortstop. Height and weight on file: 152 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. The birth record reads January 1, 1911, in Charlotte, NC, USA. The bio records the death on April 22, 1968, in Charlotte, NC, USA.
Coleman finished with 18 hits from 62 at bats in 20 games, which works out to .290, plus 5 RBI. Coleman's career OPS of .733 combines a .362 on-base mark with .371 slugging. Against a .277 league average for those years, Coleman's .290 average was near the norm. Only one season appears, 1937 for the Birmingham Black Barons, when Coleman played 20 games and went 18 for 62. That year the league hit .276, the figure in the row's Lg AVG column.
The Negro Leagues section records 20 hits in 61 at bats for Coleman, a .328 average. The Negro Leagues table is compiled from box scores, so it is kept separate from the main career line.
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 teams did Melvin Coleman play for?
- Melvin Coleman played for one team, the Birmingham Black Barons (1937).
- What were Melvin Coleman's career stats?
- In 20 games, Melvin Coleman had 18 hits, 5 RBI, and 15 runs, with a .290 batting average.
- What position did Melvin Coleman play?
- Melvin Coleman played primarily as a shortstop, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Melvin Coleman and how much did he weigh?
- Melvin Coleman was listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 152 pounds.
- 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.