Chicago Sports Icon Passes Away At Age 79

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Joshua Deeds
December 5, 2024 (8:57 PM)

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The Chicago sports community is in mourning today, as the White Sox announced former broadcaster and legendary slugger Bill Melton has passed away at the age of 79.

Melton passed away due to an illness, as reported by the team Thursday.

The former White Sox player and Broadcaster spent the majority of his career in the MLB with the Sox.

The Chicago Sports Network consisting of ownership by Danny Wirtz, the Chicago Blackhawks, and Jerry Reinsdorg who owns the Chicago Bulls, and White Sox offered a heartfelt message today in light of Melton's passing.

Born in Gulfport, Mississippi, Melton debuted with the White Sox in 1968 and spent eight of 10 major league seasons with the club.

Melton accomplished some amazing feats in the MLB with the White Sox, during the 1970 and 1971 seasons, "Beltin" Bill hit 33 homers consecutively, a feat not accomplished by a White Sox player beforehand.

Melton hit .253 with 160 homers and 591 RBIs in a career that included stops with the California Angels in 1976 and Cleveland Indians in 1977. His 154 homers with the White Sox were a club record until Hall of Famer Harold Baines broke it in 1987.

Melton joined his former club in 1992 first as an ambassador and then as a team scout. he was a part of the team that would work with Michael Jordan during his short-stint in the MLB as a hitting coach, following his retirement in 1993.

The former White Sox legend would continue his career in the MLB, as a Broadcaster from 1998 to 2020, when he'd retire from the position.

«Bill Melton enjoyed two tremendous careers with the White Sox,» White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. «His first came as a celebrated home run king for White Sox teams in the early 1970s, where 'Beltin Bill' brought power to a franchise that played its home games in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Photos of Bill wearing his home run crown and others of him posing with ballpark organist Nancy Faust still generate smiles to this day. Bill's second career came as a well-liked and respected pre and postgame television analyst, where on a nightly basis Sox fans saw his passion for the team, win or lose. Bill was a friend to many at the White Sox and around baseball, and his booming voice will be missed.»

We here at Hawks Insider offer our deepest condolences to the Melton family, friends, and those close to the White Sox legend.