Pud Miller

D. C. Miller
(T-Bone)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 215 lb.
• Born August 19, 1922 in Shelby, NC USA
• Died July 22, 1978 in Hickory, NC USA

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Pud Miller was a minor league outfielder who played from 1940 to 1943 and from 1946 to 1953. He hit 268 home runs in his career with as many as 57 in a season.

Miller began his career unassumingly in 1940 with the Mooresville Moors, hitting .220 with no home runs in 41 at-bats. The following year, he hit .256 with two home runs in 43 at-bats for the Lafayette White Sox, St. Joseph Ponies and Carthage Browns. He once again had few at-bats in 1942 - 88 - though he did hit .330 in his limited time with the Bristol Twins and Petersburg Rebels. In 1943, he hit .282 with four home runs in 104 games with the Elmira Pioneers.

He did not play in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II.

In 1946, he came back with a bang, hitting .327 with 19 home runs in 130 games with the Spartanburg Peaches. That season started a run of minor league domination, which would last until he retired in 1953. With the Wichita Falls Spudders in 1947, Miller hit .356 with 57 home runs and 197 hits in 150 games. In 1948, he hit .335 with 29 home runs in 121 games with the Texarkana Bears and Dallas Eagles. He hit .386 with 55 home runs in just 136 games for the Lamesa Lobos and Gladewater Bears in 1949.

With the Hickory Rebels in 1950, Miller hit .369 with 29 home runs in 106 games. The following year, again with Hickory, he hit .425 with 40 home runs in 119 games. His .425 batting average was the highest in all of minor league baseball that year. He split 1952 between the Rebels and Owensboro Oilers, hitting a combined .331 with 13 home runs in 92 games. He played his final season in 1953, hitting .349 with 20 home runs in 111 games with the Shelby Clippers and Hickory Rebels.

Overall, Miller hit 268 home runs, 248 doubles and 29 triples in his 12-year minor league career. Despite posting a career batting average of .350, he never reached the major leagues.

He was inducted into the Hickory Metro Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.([1])

Year-By-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1950	Hickory Rebels	North Carolina State League		8th	None	--	Replaced Charlie Bowles
1951	Hickory Rebels	North Carolina State League	72-54	2nd	None	Lost in 1st round
1952	Owensboro Oilers	KITTY League		--	None	--	Replaced by Moose Shetler