415:
of his 1958 campaign. Appearing in 42 total games, he batted an even .300 with three home runs and 42 hits. But he was destined for journeyman status for the remaining two years of his MLB tenure. On May 9,
403:
Although the knee injury didn't end Roach's career, as had been initially feared, his diminished infield range damaged his chances of regular second base duty. He batted only .097 in 19 games for the
428:. Although he spent both 1961 and 1962 in the majors, Roach lost his batting stroke, hitting only .147 and .190 respectively, then retired from baseball after the 1962 campaign.
585:
514:
265:
600:
372:, where he appeared in 20 games over a full month before getting recalled to the majors. Over the next two months he got into 39 games, largely as a backup to
615:
610:
502:
595:
605:
580:
425:
417:
408:
397:
392:
slid hard into Roach at second base, badly injuring Roach's left knee. He underwent surgery, missing the remainder of 1958 (and the
336:
305:
285:
620:
106:
268:; he threw and batted right-handed and was listed as 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and 190 pounds (86 kg).
590:
404:
317:
292:
to spend his first two professional years on the Braves' major-league roster, appearing in only eight games and going
444:
309:
135:
421:
361:
switching from right-field to Bruton's position). Roach started three games and collected seven hits in 15
281:
355:
313:
257:
241:
230:
198:
123:
365:(.467), but when the roster had to be trimmed from 28 to 25 players in mid-May, Roach was optioned to
575:
570:
526:
389:
452:
366:
424:. After a half-season in Chicago, the Cubs traded Roach to the Phillies during spring training of
236:. His career derailed by his bonus player status, military service and injury, he appeared in 227
448:
301:
261:
59:
555:
393:
329:
377:
297:
249:
216:
186:
119:
102:
407:
and spent more time as a utility outfielder and third baseman as his career progressed. In
340:
233:
369:
293:
277:
245:
165:
564:
460:
385:
351:
344:
155:
373:
321:
253:
237:
192:
456:
440:
431:
In all or parts of his eight MLB seasons, Roach played in 227 games and had 499
420:, the Braves dealt Roach to the Chicago Cubs straight-up for veteran outfielder
412:
347:
358:
289:
39:
381:
325:
145:
35:
496:
436:
320:—en route to the world championship—he sat on the bench as a seldom-used
328:. He appeared in only six regular-season games, and was idle during the
362:
432:
300:. Then, he lost two full seasons (1955–56) to service in the
229:(January 25, 1933 – July 31, 2023) was an American
207:
178:
164:
154:
144:
134:
129:
112:
95:
26:
284:, he signed a $ 40,000 contract with Milwaukee in
471:Roach died on July 31, 2023, at the age of 90.
554:Career statistics and player information from
380:, and was hitting .309 with 42 hits and three
8:
492:
490:
488:
486:
484:
304:. When his pro career began in earnest in
23:
586:Baseball players from Richmond, Virginia
215:Hit .309 in 44 games with the Braves in
515:Braves trade Mel Roach for Frank Thomas
480:
435:, 42 runs, 119 hits, 25 doubles, seven
339:, Roach made the Braves' roster out of
316:. After his early-August recall by the
211:
182:
503:Society for American Baseball Research
7:
601:Major League Baseball second basemen
240:over all or parts of eight years in
16:American baseball player (1933–2023)
616:Virginia Cavaliers baseball players
396:), and the first two months of the
14:
350:opened a spot for Roach as the
288:but was compelled by the era's
354:in the Milwaukee lineup (with
343:and an early-season injury to
1:
611:Philadelphia Phillies players
208:Career highlights and awards
596:Jacksonville Braves players
637:
260:(1962). Roach was born in
312:.304 in 107 games in the
266:John Marshall High School
212:
183:
174:
117:
100:
77:
65:
46:
33:
606:Milwaukee Braves players
581:Atlanta Crackers players
252:(1953–54 and 1957–61),
621:Wichita Braves players
356:Baseball Hall of Famer
282:University of Virginia
189:(1953–1954, 1957–1961)
411:, he produced a near-
258:Philadelphia Phillies
242:Major League Baseball
231:professional baseball
199:Philadelphia Phillies
124:Philadelphia Phillies
591:Chicago Cubs players
390:San Francisco Giants
122:, for the
105:, for the
527:"Melvin Earl Roach"
453:slugging percentage
118:September 28,
113:Last MLB appearance
556:Baseball Reference
449:on-base percentage
302:United States Navy
262:Richmond, Virginia
60:Richmond, Virginia
505:Biography Project
443:, 24 walks, .238
394:1958 World Series
384:on August 3 when
330:1957 World Series
298:plate appearances
227:Melvin Earl Roach
224:
223:
628:
542:
541:
539:
537:
523:
517:
512:
506:
494:
378:Red Schoendienst
250:Milwaukee Braves
187:Milwaukee Braves
107:Milwaukee Braves
72:
57:January 25, 1933
56:
54:
29:
24:
636:
635:
631:
630:
629:
627:
626:
625:
561:
560:
551:
546:
545:
535:
533:
525:
524:
520:
513:
509:
497:Fleitz, David,
495:
482:
477:
469:
445:batting average
376:second baseman
341:spring training
274:
136:Batting average
91:
90:
84:
70:
58:
52:
50:
27:
22:
21:Baseball player
17:
12:
11:
5:
634:
632:
624:
623:
618:
613:
608:
603:
598:
593:
588:
583:
578:
573:
563:
562:
559:
558:
550:
549:External links
547:
544:
543:
518:
507:
479:
478:
476:
473:
468:
465:
461:sacrifice hits
439:, 43 RBI, one
278:second baseman
273:
270:
222:
221:
220:
219:
210:
209:
205:
204:
203:
202:
196:
190:
181:
180:
176:
175:
172:
171:
168:
162:
161:
158:
152:
151:
148:
142:
141:
138:
132:
131:
130:MLB statistics
127:
126:
115:
114:
110:
109:
101:July 31,
98:
97:
93:
92:
85:
79:
78:
75:
74:
73:(aged 90)
63:
62:
44:
43:
31:
30:
20:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
633:
622:
619:
617:
614:
612:
609:
607:
604:
602:
599:
597:
594:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
572:
569:
568:
566:
557:
553:
552:
548:
532:
528:
522:
519:
516:
511:
508:
504:
501:
500:
493:
491:
489:
487:
485:
481:
474:
472:
467:Personal life
466:
464:
462:
458:
454:
450:
446:
442:
438:
434:
429:
427:
423:
419:
414:
410:
406:
401:
399:
395:
391:
387:
386:Daryl Spencer
383:
379:
375:
371:
368:
364:
360:
357:
353:
352:right fielder
349:
346:
345:centerfielder
342:
338:
333:
331:
327:
323:
319:
315:
311:
307:
303:
299:
296:in six total
295:
291:
287:
283:
279:
271:
269:
267:
264:and attended
263:
259:
255:
251:
247:
243:
239:
235:
232:
228:
218:
214:
213:
206:
200:
197:
194:
191:
188:
185:
184:
177:
173:
169:
167:
163:
159:
157:
156:Run batted in
153:
149:
147:
143:
139:
137:
133:
128:
125:
121:
116:
111:
108:
104:
99:
94:
88:
82:
76:
69:July 31, 2023
68:
64:
61:
49:
45:
42:
41:
37:
32:
25:
19:
534:. Retrieved
530:
521:
510:
498:
470:
430:
422:Frank Thomas
402:
374:Hall of Fame
334:
322:pinch hitter
275:
254:Chicago Cubs
238:games played
226:
225:
193:Chicago Cubs
86:
80:
71:(2023-07-31)
66:
47:
34:
18:
576:2023 deaths
571:1933 births
457:total bases
441:stolen base
413:carbon copy
405:1959 Braves
348:Bill Bruton
324:and backup
318:1957 Braves
314:high minors
276:A standout
256:(1961) and
565:Categories
499:Mel Roach.
475:References
400:campaign.
359:Hank Aaron
290:Bonus Rule
246:utilityman
53:1933-01-25
40:outfielder
536:August 7,
459:and nine
437:home runs
382:home runs
326:infielder
146:Home runs
96:MLB debut
36:Infielder
28:Mel Roach
531:Bliley's
367:Triple-A
308:, Roach
248:for the
451:, .331
447:, .275
433:at-bats
388:of the
370:Wichita
363:at bats
294:hitless
280:at the
81:Batted:
455:, 165
272:Career
234:player
201:(1962)
195:(1961)
87:Threw:
244:as a
179:Teams
89:Right
83:Right
67:Died:
48:Born:
538:2023
426:1962
418:1961
409:1960
398:1959
337:1958
306:1957
286:1953
217:1958
166:Hits
140:.238
120:1962
103:1953
335:In
310:hit
170:119
567::
529:.
483:^
463:.
332:.
160:43
38:,
540:.
150:7
55:)
51:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.