Paul Meloan

Paul B. Meloan
(Molly)

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 5' 10½", Weight 175 lb.
• School Washington University in Saint Louis
• Debut August 2, 1910
• Final Game September 12, 1911
• Born August 23, 1888 in Paynesville, MO USA
• Died February 11, 1950 in Taft, CA USA

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Biographical Information

Paul Meloan played for the Chicago White Sox and the St. Louis Browns, almost always in right field. In 1910, he was the strongest hitter among the White Sox's regulars.

He had been at Washington University in St. Louis in 1909, although he had started in the minors in 1908. In 85 games with the Springfield Senators in 1910, he hit .376. One of his teammates there was Ray Chapman.

An article in The American Magazine, Vol. 71, indicates that Charlie Comiskey paid $4,000 to get Meloan from Springfield. The article also states that Meloan had been an amateur player in East St. Louis, IL a couple of years earlier. Meloan played in the minors though 1919.

Through 2008 he and Jonathan Meloan are the only two major leaguers with the last name Meloan.

Meloan was born the same day as Ed Hallinan. Both played for the Browns in 1911.

"MELOAN'S DEBUT. The White Sox sprung a new right fielder in Tuesday's battle in the person of a Mr. Meloan, late of the Springfield (Three I. League) team, and alleged to be worth $4,000 . . . Meloan did not do much on Tuesday, but he broke into the limelight on Wednesday by dropping a fly in the ninth and allowing the Athletics to break a tie and win their second victory of the series by the count of 2 to 1. Young Cy Young and Big Chief Bender both pitched well and the Sox deserved at least a draw, but Meloan had evidently heard so many stories about how poorly the White Sox were playing that he wanted to get right into their class at the start of his career with them, and he did." - snarky reporting by Sporting Life, August 13, 1910 issue about Meloan, who nevertheless posted a decent fielding average in 1910