Timothy Macgill Melville (born October 9, 1989) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

who is a free agent. He has played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins,

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

, and Colorado Rockies. Melville also played in the

Chinese Professional Baseball League The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL; ) is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989 and played the first season in 1990. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 20 ...

(CPBL) for the

Uni-President Lions The Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions, stylized as Uni-President 7-ᴇʟᴇᴠᴇn Lions, also known as Uni-Lions (), are a professional baseball team playing in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). The Lions are based in Tainan City, Ta ...

Career

Melville attended

Wentzville Holt High School Wentzville Holt High School (Emil E. Holt Sr. High School, or simply Holt High School) is the oldest of the four high schools in the Wentzville R-IV School District and second oldest high school in St. Charles County, Missouri. With a 2020-21 enrol ...

Wentzville, Missouri Wentzville is an exurb of St. Louis that is located in western St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 44,372, making it the 15th largest city in Missouri. Wentzville has been the f ...

. He played for the school's baseball team as a

. In 2007, his junior year, he threw a

perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...

. He pitched to a 10–1

win–loss record In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of matc ...

and a 0.89

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) as a junior, and was named the Aflac National Player of the Year. He pitched to an 8–1 win–loss record and a 2.56 ERA in his senior year, while recording 89 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched. He committed to attend the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

(UNC) to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels on a

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...

scholarship.

Kansas City Royals

'' Baseball America'' ranked Melville as the best high school player available in the

2008 Major League Baseball draft The 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft continued Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 5 and 6, 2008. First round selections ;Key Supplemental first ro ...

. Because of the commitment to UNC, Melville fell out of the first round in the draft. The Kansas City Royals selected him in the fourth round, with the 115th overall selection, and signed him to a contract with a $1.25 million signing bonus. Melville began his professional career with the

Burlington Bees The Burlington Bees are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Burlington, Iowa, and have played their home games at Community Field since 1947. Founded in 1889, the Bees played in Minor League Baseball' ...

of the Class A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

in 2009, pitching to a 7–7 win–loss record and a 3.79 ERA. He was promoted to the

Wilmington Blue Rocks The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Wilmington, Delaware, and play their home games at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium. ...

of the

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

in 2010, where he struggled, pitching to a 2–12 win–loss record and a 4.97 ERA. He returned to Wilmington in 2011, and compiled an 11–10 record with a 4.32 ERA. Melville required Tommy John surgery in 2012. In 2014, Melville pitched for the

Northwest Arkansas Naturals The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springdale, Arkansas. The team is a member of the Texas League, and serves as the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The Naturals play at Arvest Ballpark, whic ...

of the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

, but struggled with a 2–11 win–loss record, a 5.50 ERA, while allowing 68 walks in innings.

Detroit Tigers

After the 2014 season, when he became a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

. He signed with the Detroit Tigers for the 2015 season, and played for the

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...

of the

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...

International League.

Cincinnati Reds

He signed with the Cincinnati Reds for the 2016 season. The Reds considered adding Melville to their Opening Day

starting rotation R rabbit ears :Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire ...

, but instead chose

Robert Stephenson Robert Stephenson FRS HFRSE FRSA DCL (16 October 1803 – 12 October 1859) was an English civil engineer and designer of locomotives. The only son of George Stephenson, the "Father of Railways", he built on the achievements of his father ...

, who was already on the Reds'

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

. Melville was assigned to the Louisville Bats of the International League. On April 8, the Reds announced Melville would start in the series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, in place of

Anthony DeSclafani Anthony James DeSclafani (born April 18, 1990), nicknamed Disco and T-Bone, is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds. ...

, on April 10. The start marked Melville's MLB debut. He threw 4 innings giving up 1 run in a no-decision vs. Pittsburgh. The Reds designated Melville for assignment on April 22.

Long Island Ducks

On April 6, 2017, Melville signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

Minnesota Twins

On June 12, 2017, the Minnesota Twins signed him to a minor league contract, assigning him to the Rochester Red Wings (AAA). After allowing 5 runs (4 earned) to the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

, Melville was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Twins to make room for John Curtiss on the roster.

San Diego Padres

Melville was claimed off waivers by the

on August 26, 2017.

Baltimore Orioles

He elected free agency on November 6, 2017, and signed a minor league contract with the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

on December 22. He elected free agency on November 3, 2018.

Return to Long Island

On February 5, 2019, Melville signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

Colorado Rockies

On May 3, 2019, Melville's contract was purchased by the Colorado Rockies, and he was assigned to the Triple-A

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an e ...

. On August 21, the Rockies selected Melville's contract and promoted him to the major leagues as an emergency starter. In his Rockies debut against the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...

, Melville pitched 7 innings and allowed only 1 run on 2 hits as the Rockies won 7-2, giving Melville his first major league win. 5 days later, Melville made his debut at

Coors Field Coors Field is a baseball stadium in downtown Denver, Colorado. It is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. Opened in 1995, the park is located in Denver's Lower Downtown neighborhood, two blocks from Union Station. The ...

and had another impressive performance against the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...

, pitching 5 shutout innings and striking out 6 as the Rockies went on to defeat the Braves 3-1. Melville's ERA of 0.75 is the 3rd lowest ERA posted by a Rockies pitcher through his first two starts with the club. On October 30, 2019, Melville was outrighted off the Rockies roster. Melville re-signed with the Rockies on a minor league deal on February 5, 2020. He was released by the Rockies organization on May 18, 2020.

Uni-President Lions

On July 12, 2020, Melville signed with the

of the

. He re-signed with the team for the 2021 season. On April 2, 2021, Melville pitched a no-hitter against Wei Chuan Dragons becoming the 10th player to do so in

history. He also set the record of most pitches thrown in a no-hitter in the league, with 142 pitches. For the season, Melville posted a 8–7 record with a 3.74 ERA and 84 strikeouts over 122.2 innings. He was not re-signed for the 2022 season and became a free agent.

Personal life

When Melville was 11 years old, he had surgery to correct his

pectus excavatum Pectus excavatum is a structural deformity of the anterior thoracic wall in which the sternum and rib cage are shaped abnormally. This produces a caved-in or sunken appearance of the chest. It can either be present at birth or develop after pubert ...

at the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. A steel rod was implanted in his chest, and removed one and a half years later.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Melville, Tim 1989 births Living people Sportspeople from Alexandria, Virginia People from Wentzville, Missouri Baseball players from Virginia Baseball players from Missouri Major League Baseball pitchers Cincinnati Reds players Minnesota Twins players San Diego Padres players Colorado Rockies players Burlington Bees players Wilmington Blue Rocks players Arizona League Royals players Northwest Arkansas Naturals players Kane County Cougars players Idaho Falls Chukars players Toledo Mud Hens players Louisville Bats players Arizona League Reds players Naranjeros de Hermosillo players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Long Island Ducks players Rochester Red Wings players El Paso Chihuahuas players Norfolk Tides players Albuquerque Isotopes players