Former American League house run king Invoice Melton has handed away at 79. The White Sox introduced the information on Thursday afternoon.
Melton, a righty hitter, signed with the Sox as an 18-year-old. The 6’2″, 200-pound slugger hit his technique to the massive leagues by the tip of the 1968 season. He opened the next 12 months as Chicago’s third baseman. It was the primary of seven consecutive Opening Day begins for Melton, who developed right into a potent energy bat.
After hitting 23 house runs throughout his first full season, Melton posted consecutive 33-homer showings in 1970 and ’71. That was sufficient to guide the AL within the latter season. Solely seven hitters mixed for extra longballs over that two-year stretch: Henry Aaron, Willie Stargell, Lee Might, Johnny Bench, Frank Howard, Billy Williams and Harmon Killebrew. These gamers have been all multi-time All-Stars; all however Might and Howard made the Corridor of Fame.
Melton turned in a .266/.346/.490 slash line and drove in 182 runs over these two seasons. The career-best exhibiting in ’71 earned him an All-Star nod and a Thirteenth-place end in MVP voting. Damage restricted him to 57 video games the next 12 months, however he managed two extra 20-homer seasons thereafter. Melton remained a succesful hitter by the tip of the 1975 season. The Sox traded him to the Angels at that time. He spent one season in California and performed one 12 months for the Indians earlier than retiring.
Melton performed components of 10 seasons within the majors. He recorded simply over 1000 hits, together with 160 homers. Melton hit .253/.337/.419 throughout greater than 4500 journeys to the plate. He scored 496 runs and drove in 591. “Beltin’ Invoice” held the Sox’s report for profession house runs on the time of his retirement. He nonetheless ranks ninth in franchise historical past in that regard. Melton returned to the group as a tv analyst between 1998 and 2020.
“Invoice Melton loved two super careers with the White Sox,” the crew’s proprietor Jerry Reinsdorf mentioned in a press release. “His first got here as a celebrated house run king for White Sox groups within the early Nineteen Seventies, the place ’Beltin Invoice’ introduced energy to a franchise that performed its house video games in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Invoice’s second profession got here as a popular and revered pre- and postgame tv analyst, the place on a nightly foundation Sox followers noticed his ardour for the crew, win or lose. Invoice was a buddy to many on the White Sox and round baseball, and his booming voice shall be missed.” MLBTR joins others across the recreation in sending our condolences to his household, mates, family members and former teammates.
