Bill Melton’s 1971 AL HR Title

[Wsoxmike59]

The Trib had a nice article acknowledging the 50th Anniversary of Bill Melton’s 1971 American League HR Crown.

[Wsoxmike59]

I remember the day like it was yesterday, I tried rushing home to catch the game after school, but I had Patrol Boy school crossing duty, and you had to stay at your post till the last kid was let out. So needless to say by the time our shift was over I missed Melton’s then record setting HR. I told Bill about it at Soxfest one year in his autograph line and noting how old I was in the present day we had a laugh.

[Wsoxmike59]

I also remember an old Sports Illustrated article mentioning Melton’s roommate Ed Herrmann kept a tally of Melton’s HRs by making a chewing gum wrapper chain, one link for each HR hit. He made the chain out of Wrigley’s Chewing gum and the article ended by stating every time Melton hit a HR the owner of the Cubs made money! 😂

[BigKlu59]

Beltin Bill Melton….. I thought we had found a hammer to match up to all the Hey Heys coming out of the North Side of town. He did all Sox fans proud.

BK59

[LITTLE NELL]

I remember watching the game, a very small crowd on hand like maybe 3,000 on a beautiful day.
I met Bill at a Golf outing at St. Andrews out in West Chicago around 1990, great guy.

[Hitmen77]

The Sox at one time had Melton's 1971 Home Run "Crown" on display at the team Hall of Fame area that used to be adjacent to the main gift shop behind home plate at the new park. They got rid of that HoF years ago to expand the gift shop. It's a shame they don't have that kind of thing on display anymore at the ballpark.

[Lipman 1]

The Sox at one time had Melton's 1971 Home Run "Crown" on display at the team Hall of Fame area that used to be adjacent to the main gift shop behind home plate at the new park. They got rid of that HoF years ago to expand the gift shop. It's a shame they don't have that kind of thing on display anymore at the ballpark.

I believe they do have those items in areas used for interviews and in meeting rooms. I've seen them in the background on TV when someone like Garfien is interviewing someone. And when I was in the dining area above right field they had many of the uniforms from past years in glass frames hanging around on the walls.

[KenBerryGrab]

Yeah, lots of cool stuff is in the suite areas away from the hoi polloi.

[Hitmen77]

I believe they do have those items in areas used for interviews and in meeting rooms. I've seen them in the background on TV when someone like Garfien is interviewing someone. And when I was in the dining area above right field they had many of the uniforms from past years in glass frames hanging around on the walls.

Yeah, lots of cool stuff is in the suite areas away from the hoi polloi.

Yeah, that's what I don't like - all the Sox memorabilia stuff is hidden away in exclusive, pricey areas like the Scout Seats that 99% of the fans will never visit. When was the last time the 2005 World Series trophy was on display? I'm guessing it's on display in the luxury suite area or something.

[HomeFish]

I remember the crown being a prominent part of the pregame video they used to do on the big scoreboard circa 2003-2005, with the Pirates of the Caribbean music.