Mel Almada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mel Almada |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: February 7, 1913 Huatabampo, Mexico |
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| Died: August 13, 1988 (aged 75) Caborca, Mexico |
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| debut | |||
| September 8, 1933, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 1939, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |||
| Career statistics | |||
| Batting average | .284 | ||
| Home runs | 15 | ||
| Runs | 363 | ||
| Teams | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1971 | ||
Baldomero "Mel" Almada Quirós (born February 7, 1913 – died August 13, 1988) was a famous baseball player. He played as a center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Mel Almada played from 1933 to 1939. He was part of teams like the Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns, and Brooklyn Dodgers. He was special because he batted and threw with his left hand.
Mel Almada was born in Huatabampo, Sonora, Mexico. He made history by becoming the very first Mexican baseball player to play in the Major Leagues!
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Early Life and Baseball Skills
Mel grew up and went to school in California. He attended Los Angeles High School. There, he played baseball with another future MLB player, Bud Bates. Mel was a great outfielder. He could throw the ball with a lot of strength and accuracy.
He was also a good hitter. He usually hit line drives, which are fast, low hits. Mel was very fast, which helped him a lot in the game. He was often the "leadoff hitter" for his team. This means he was the first player to bat in an inning. He was good at seeing many pitches and could also make a successful "bunt" to help his team.
Joining the Major Leagues
The Boston Red Sox team signed Mel Almada. He had been playing in a league called the Pacific Coast League before that. Mel made his first Major League appearance with the Red Sox on September 8, 1933. He played very well, hitting for a .344 average in 14 games.
On October 1 of that same year, Mel Almada did something amazing. He got the very last hit that the legendary player Babe Ruth gave up as a pitcher. Overall, Mel got three hits and walked twice against Babe Ruth.
Playing for the Red Sox
In 1935, Mel became a regular player for the Red Sox. He played in 151 games that season. He finished with a .290 batting average and stole 20 bases. Stealing bases means running to the next base without the ball being hit.
In the middle of the 1937 season, the Red Sox traded Mel. He went to the Washington Senators along with two brothers, Rick and Wes Ferrell. In return, the Red Sox got players Ben Chapman and Bobo Newsom. When he was traded, Mel was hitting .236. But after joining the Senators, he improved a lot. He hit .309 for the rest of the season. He ended the year with a .296 average, 91 runs scored, and 27 doubles.
Setting Records with the Senators
On July 25, 1937, Mel Almada had an incredible day. He was playing in the first game of a doubleheader (two games played on the same day) against the St. Louis Browns. Mel scored five runs in that game, which tied a Major League record! Then, in the second game, he scored four more runs. This meant he scored nine runs in total during the doubleheader. This set a new Major League record for runs scored in 18 innings.
Moving to Other Teams
In 1938, Mel had a slower start to the season, hitting .244. So, the Washington Senators traded him to the St. Louis Browns. In exchange, they got an All-Star outfielder named Sam West.
Mel played very well for the Browns. He hit .342 with them. He finished the season with a .311 batting average, 101 runs, 197 hits, and 29 doubles. All of these were the highest numbers of his career! That year, he also had an amazing streak. He got a hit in 54 out of 56 games from June 21 to August 19. He was very close to Joe DiMaggio's record of a 56-game hitting streak.
In 1939, Mel's hitting average dropped to .239. He was then sold to the Brooklyn Dodgers. With the Dodgers, he was mostly a backup outfielder. He also came in as a pinch-hitter when needed. A pinch-hitter is a player who bats in place of another player. Mel Almada played his last Major League game on October 1, 1939.
Career Highlights and Legacy
During his seven years in Major League Baseball, Mel Almada played in 646 games. He had a career batting average of .284. He hit 15 home runs and had 197 RBI (runs batted in).
After his time in the MLB, Mel Almada played one more season in the Pacific Coast League with the Sacramento Solons in 1940. Later, he became a manager in the Mexican League.
In 1972, Mel Almada was honored for his great career. He was inducted into the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame. This is a very special award for baseball players in Mexico.
Mel Almada passed away in his home state of Sonora, Mexico, when he was 75 years old. He is remembered as a pioneering player who opened the door for many Mexican baseball players in the Major Leagues.
