Rube Melton

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1941-1947)

Rube Melton was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1941 to 1947 for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Brooklyn Dodgers, a span of 7 seasons. Across 162 career appearances, he went 30-50 with a 3.62 ERA and 363 strikeouts. He also batted .120 with 1 home runs.

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

W–L 30–50
ERA 3.62
WHIP 1.45
SO 363
Pitcher PIV -1959.7
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'5" / 205 lb
Born
2/27/1917 in Cramerton, NC, USA
Died
9/11/1971 in Greer, SC, USA
MLB Debut
1941-04-17
Last Game
1947-06-03

Full name: Reuben Franklin Melton

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Career Pitching Statistics

Rube Melton — 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 -1959.7

Career ERA 3.62 vs. league average 3.69 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Rube Melton — 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 83.2 81 44 47 57 4.73 3.94 (-20%) -583.4
1942 PHI NL 9 20 42 29 10 1 4 209.1 180 86 114 107 3.70 3.57 (-4%) -511.1
1943 BRO NL 5 8 30 17 4 2 0 119.1 106 52 79 63 3.92 3.50 (-12%) -1584.8
1944 BRO NL 9 13 37 23 6 1 0 187.1 178 72 96 91 3.46 3.57 (+3%) 1116.8
1946 BRO NL 6 3 24 12 3 2 1 99.2 72 22 52 44 1.99 3.59 (+45%) -397.1
1947 BRO NL 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 4.2 7 7 7 1 13.50 — 0.0
Career · 6 seasons 30 50 162 87 25 6 5 704.0 624 283 395 363 3.62 — -1,960

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.

Career Batting Statistics

Rube Melton — 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 .120 .133 .168 .301 -968

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 .301 vs. league average .689 across their career seasons — 56.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Rube Melton — 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 .105 — — — — 0.0
1942 PHI NL 42 65 3 8 3 0 1 7 0 2 26 .123 .253 (-51%) .323 (-54%) .349 (-38%) .672 (-46%) -467.3
1943 BRO NL 30 38 4 4 0 0 0 3 0 1 13 .105 — — — — 0.0
1944 BRO NL 37 57 2 7 3 0 0 3 0 0 21 .123 .261 (-53%) .325 (-62%) .357 (-51%) .683 (-56%) -500.9
1946 BRO NL 24 28 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 .107 — — — — 0.0
1947 BRO NL 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 6 seasons 162 208 11 25 7 0 1 14 0 3 80 .120 — — — — -968

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 (320 games) →

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

Batting — Home / Away

Rube Melton — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home70873703.080
Away90120818111.150

Pitching — Home / Away

Rube Melton — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home70331.22971351691663.66
Away90370.13251522262003.69

Last 10 Games — Batting

Rube Melton — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1947-06-03 BROPITW 000000000
1947-05-19 BROCHCL 000000000
1947-05-17 BROPITL 101000000
1947-05-13 BROCINL 000000000
1946-09-23 BROPHIW 301000000
1946-09-16 BROCHCL 000000000
1946-09-15 BROCHCL 000000000
1946-09-10 BROCINW 200000001
1946-09-02 BROPHIW 410000001
1946-08-29 BROCHCL 000000000

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Rube Melton — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1947-06-03 BROPIT — 0.1111100
1947-05-19 BROCHC — 1.0422110
1947-05-17 BROPIT L 3.0222301
1947-05-13 BROCIN — 0.1022200
1946-09-23 BROPHI W 8.0611230
1946-09-16 BROCHC — 2.0211110
1946-09-15 BROCHC — 0.0010200
1946-09-10 BROCIN W 9.0300520
1946-09-02 BROPHI W 9.0722020
1946-08-29 BROCHC — 5.0420430

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Rube Melton — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
P 162 0 18 118 9 5

Season-by-Season Fielding

Rube Melton — 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 Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Rube Melton — Career Games by Position
Position Games
Pitcher 162

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Rube Melton (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Don Schwall
    49-48, 3.72 ERA
  2. 94
    Whitey Moore
    30-29, 3.75 ERA
  3. 94
    Paul Erickson
    37-48, 3.86 ERA
  4. 91
    Frank Papish
    26-29, 3.58 ERA
  5. 85
    Weldon Wyckoff
    23-34, 3.55 ERA
  6. 80
    Oscar Judd
    40-51, 3.90 ERA

Rube Melton: the record in brief

Rube Melton's major league career runs from a debut on April 17, 1941 to a final game on June 3, 1947. The team column moves through the Philadelphia Phillies (1941 through 1942) and the Brooklyn Dodgers (1943 through 1947). The bio lists Melton as a pitcher who both batted and threw right-handed. Height and weight on file: 6 feet, 5 inches and 205 pounds. The birth record reads February 27, 1917, in Cramerton, NC, USA. The bio records the death on September 11, 1971, in Greer, SC, USA. Melton's full given name, per the bio, is Reuben Franklin Melton.

Melton's career pitching line is 30 wins, 50 losses and a 3.62 ERA over 162 appearances. Also on Melton's record: 363 strikeouts, 25 complete games, and 6 shutouts. Melton's 3.62 ERA was close to the 3.69 league figure for those seasons. 1942 brought Melton a season-high 9 wins. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 3.46 in 1944, when the league's was 3.57.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rube Melton

What years did Rube Melton play?
Rube Melton played in Major League Baseball from 1941 to 1947.
Was Rube Melton a pitcher?
Yes. Rube Melton pitched in the major leagues, recording 30 wins and 363 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Rube Melton hit?
Rube Melton hit 1 career home run with 25 hits.
What teams did Rube Melton play for?
Rube Melton played for 2 teams: the Philadelphia Phillies (1941–1942) and the Brooklyn Dodgers (1943–1944, 1946–1947).
What were Rube Melton's career stats?
In 162 games, Rube Melton went 30-50 with a 3.62 ERA, 363 strikeouts, 704.0 innings pitched, and 5 saves. At the plate he had 25 hits and 1 home runs.
What position did Rube Melton play?
Rube Melton played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Rube Melton and how much did he weigh?
Rube Melton was listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 205 pounds.
What was Rube Melton's career ERA?
Rube Melton finished with a 3.62 career ERA, going 30-50 with 363 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Rube Melton have?
Rube Melton recorded 363 career strikeouts.
Is Rube Melton in the Hall of Fame?
No. Rube Melton has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.