Jim Melton

James Richard Melton

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 195 lb.

• Born September 13, 1928 in Kemah, TX USA

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Jim Melton pitched at AAA or the Open Classification for parts of 3 years but did not make the majors.

Melton began his career with the 1948 Kilgore Drillers, going 1-1. He was 23-8 with a 3.41 ERA for the 1949 Pauls Valley Raiders. He led the Sooner State League in victories, three more than anyone else. He split 1950 between the Gladewater Bears (14-11, 3.02) and Gainesville Owls (1-3, 5.79). He was 6th in the East Texas League in ERA. With the 1951 Abilene Blue Sox, he had his second 20-win season at 22-13, 3.44. He tied Freddy Schmidt and Carroll Dial for second in the West Texas-New Mexico League in victories and was 4th in ERA.

Jim made it to AA with the 1952 Fort Worth Cats, where his record was 18-11, 2.34. He ranked third in the Texas League in wins behind Dave Hoskins and Hal Erickson and 5th in ERA (between Johnny Vander Meer and Floyd Wooldridge) in presumably his best season. He fell to 10-10, 4.40 with the '53 Mobile Bears. He served up 22 gopher balls, one shy of Southern Association leader Milo Johnson. The Cincinnati Reds still picked him in the 1953 Rule V Draft.

In the winter of 1954-1955, Melton remained in Cuba to pitch for Cienfuegos. He was 3-9 with a 4.70 ERA and led the Cuban Winter League with 38 appearances. He also tied Kent Peterson for second in losses, 3 behind Wooldridge.