Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
CHICAGO — Bill Melton, a star slugger for the Chicago White Sox in the 1970s who later became a fixture on their broadcasts as a pregame and postgame TV analyst for more than two decades, has died. He was 79. The team said he died early Thursday in Phoenix following a brief illness. Melton debuted with the White Sox in 1968 and spent eight of 10 major league seasons with the club. "Beltin' Bill" hit 33 homers in 1970 and 1971, when he led the American League and made his lone All-Star team. No White Sox player had hit 30 in a single season or led the league prior to that. Melton joined the TV broadcast team in 1998 and remained in that role until he retired in 2020.
