Bill Melvin kept his teams close over eight seasons; Made AAA, but not the majors

The Orlando Cubs won this June 1993 game by a run and the team's manager Tommy Jones made sure to credit his relievers, including Bill Melvin, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

Between the three hurlers, they allowed only one hit over four innings and kept the team close, The Sentinel wrote.

"If Melvin, (Earnie) Johnson and (Aaron) Taylor don't come through in the middle innings, we don't win," Jones told The Sentinel.

Melvin came through in the pros over eight seasons. He made AAA in one of those campaigns, but he never could come through enough to make the majors.

Melvin's career began in 1986, taken by the Cubs in the eighth round of the draft out of Louisburg College in North Carolina.

Melvin started with the Cubs at rookie Wytheville. In 13 outings, 12 starts there, he went 0-8, with a 7.18 ERA. He moved to single-A Charleston and short-season Geneva for 1987 and improved to 10-8 on the season, with a 3.46 ERA.

He played 1988 at single-A Peoria and went 8-9, with a .354 ERA. He then arrived at single-A Winston-Salem in 1989 and stayed for three seasons.

Melvin had a 3.33 ERA in 41 mostly relief outings there in 1991. He got out of two games in an April outing, including a bases loaded one. He then worked out of an August jam that year with a strikeout and a ground out.

Melvin first made AA and AAA in 1992, playing at Charlotte and Iowa. He went 3-0 in 18 relief outings at Iowa, with a 4.62 ERA. He then finished out his career at AA Orlando in 1993.

• Orlando Sentinel, June 5, 1993: Franco's homer in 9th lifts Cubs

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:3,280
Made the Majors:1,179-36.0%
Never Made Majors:2,101-64.0%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 486
10+ Seasons in the Minors:286