Bill Melton
| Birthdate | 7/7/1945 |
| Death Date | 12/5/2024 |
| Debut Year | 1968 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Angels, Indians, White Sox |
| Positions | Designated Hitter, First Base, Third Base |
In 1971 Beltin’ Bill Melton became the first White Sox player to lead the American League in homers; he was the franchise career leader until 1987.
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Bill Melton was the first White Sox player to lead the league in homers
Bill Melton was the first White Sox player to lead the league in homers
Bill Melton is an important figure in White Sox history. In 1971 he hit a league-leading 33 homers. It was the first time in American League history that a South Sider was atop the home run leaderboard.
The slugger belted his 136th homer as a Sox player on August 16th, 1974. The total pushed Melton past Minnie Minoso as the franchise leader in round trippers. Beltin’ Bill held the mark for more than a dozen years until Harold Baines broke it in 1987.
Shown above is Melton’s response to identify his greatest thrill. He identifies his lone All Star campaign when his 33 bombs led the way. He also tells the story of how it came to be.
Melton writes, “1971 leading AL in HRs. First Sox player in their history. Not so much leading the Am. League, but how I did it. I hit two (2) the night before to tie both Reggie Jackson + Norm Cash. All three tied @ 32 HR. Final game – second @ bat off Bill Parsons – Brewers – HR #33.”
The slugger has signed the form at the bottom of the page.
Bill Melton signed homer leader card and In Action card
Bill Melton signed homer leader card and In Action card
Bill Melton won the 1971 homer crown with an assist from his manager Chuck Tanner. Locked in a tight race with sluggers Norm Cash and Reggie Jackson, Melton was elevated from his usual cleanup spot in the order to the second position to get more at bats.
Tanner’s move paid off as Melton hit a pair of homers in a 2-1 win on September 29th, then belted another in the final game on September 30th to overtake Cash and Jackson for good.
Shown here are two autographed Topps baseball cards, one depicting Melton as the league leader; Cash and Jackson are also pictured. The other card is from the In Action series showing Melton trying to check his swing.
Autographed 1972 Bill Melton "Boyhood Photos of the Stars"
Autographed 1972 Bill Melton "Boyhood Photos of the Stars"
One of the more memorable series of baseball cards was Topps’ 1972 “Boyhood Photos of the Stars” cards. Here Bill Melton has signed his card in the series.
The Topps production shows a photo of a young Melton fully decked out in an Angels uniform from his days as a youth baseball player. A White Sox mainstay for eight seasons, Melton did suit up for the Halos in 1976, his penultimate season as a big leaguer.
In the bottom corner of the card Melton is shown in 1972 in his more familiar blue and red Chicago White Sox uniform. The slugger has penned his signature boldly across the card.
