Rube Melton
Reuben Franklin Melton was a pitcher from 1941 to 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball.
Melton experienced difficulty in his first MLB season when he was suspended by the Phillies for leaving the team without permission reportedly because of homesickness. He led the league in walks and wild pitches during the 1942 season. He missed the 1945 season due to service in the US Army during World War II. His best season occurred just after his military discharge in 1946 when he went 6–3 with a 1.99 ERA for the Brooklyn Dodgers. An earlier arm injury forced him to cut his career short.
Melton's playing career overlapped that of his cousin, Cliff Melton, who pitched for the New York Giants.
Melton died in an automobile accident in Greer, South Carolina in 1971.
