Mel Held
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1956)
Mel Held was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball in 1956 for the Baltimore Orioles. Across 4 career appearances, he went 0-0 with a 5.14 ERA and 4 strikeouts.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 178 lb
- Died
- 7/20/2024 in Bryan, OH, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1956-04-27
- Last Game
- 1956-05-13
Full name: Melvin Nicholas Held
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | BAL | AL | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5.14 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5.14 | — | 0 | ||
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | BAL | AL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 1 season | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
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
Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Away | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1 | 2.0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9.00 |
| Away | 3 | 5.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3.60 |
Last 4 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-05-13 | BAL | NYY | — | 2.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1956-05-03 | BAL | CLE | — | 2.0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1956-04-28 | BAL | MIN | — | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1956-04-27 | BAL | MIN | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 4 |
Mel Held: the record in brief
The profile opens with Mel Held's first major league game on April 27, 1956; the last one listed came on May 13, 1956. Every season row on the page belongs to the Baltimore Orioles, in 1956. Held, born on April 12, 1929, in Edon, OH, USA, is listed as a pitcher and threw and hit right-handed. Held's listed size is 178 pounds on a 6-foot-1 frame. The bio records the death on July 20, 2024, in Bryan, OH, USA. The bio lists the given name Melvin Nicholas.
Held went 0-0 with a 5.14 ERA in 4 games, 0 of them starts. The totals include 4 strikeouts. Against a 3.96 league ERA for the same seasons, the 5.14 mark was 29.7% worse. All of that pitching came in 1956, with 4 games and 4 strikeouts.
Held appears at one position only: pitcher, in 4 games.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mel Held
- Was Mel Held a pitcher?
- Yes. Mel Held pitched in the major leagues, recording 0 wins and 4 strikeouts.
- What was Mel Held's career ERA?
- Mel Held finished with a 5.14 career ERA, going 0-0 with 4 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did Mel Held have?
- Mel Held recorded 4 career strikeouts.
- Is Mel Held in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Mel Held has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- What teams did Mel Held play for?
- Mel Held played for the Baltimore Orioles.