White Sox great 'Beltin'' Bill Melton dead at 79

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The Chicago White Sox announced that "Beltin’" Bill Metlon, their former All-Star third baseman, died after a brief illness at 79 years old. 

"Bill Melton, who played 10 seasons in the major leagues, including eight with the White Sox, and served as a popular pre and postgame analyst for White Sox telecasts for over two decades, passed away early this morning in Phoenix after a brief illness," the team’s statement read. 

Melton was known for his powerful bat, crushing 33 homers in back-to-back seasons in 1970 and 1971, the latter of which he secured his lone All-Star bid. 

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Chicago White Sox Bill Melton hits a homer in a game against the Texas Rangers. (GETTY IMAGES)

Melton would hit 154 home runs for Chicago from 1968-75, which was a record for the organization until Harold Baines, the Hall of Fame outfielder, broke it in 1987. 

"Bill Melton enjoyed two tremendous careers with the White Sox," team 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.

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"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."

Bill Melton, #14 of the Chicago White Sox, in action during a Major League Baseball spring training baseball game circa 1973 in Sarasota, Florida. Melton played for the White Sox from 1968 to 1975. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

After playing a season with the Los Angeles Angels and the Cleveland Guardians, Melton retired following the 1997 campaign. He finished his career hitting .253/.337/.419 with 160 homers, 591 RBI and 1,004 hits. 

But, as Reinsdorf mentions, Melton’s second career in baseball was a flourishing one as well. 

He became a White Sox analyst for WGN in 1998 and would later join Comcast SportsNet Chicago in 2005. He would serve as an analyst for the White Sox from then until 2020, when he retired. 

Bill Melton, one of the Chicago White Sox players to be selected for the 1971 American League All Star team, is currently leading the American League in home runs with 20, as of July 10. (Getty Images.)

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In between his retirement from playing and broadcasting, Melton was also known as a part-time scout and team ambassador for the White Sox, most notably being a hitting instructor for NBA great Michael Jordan in 1993 when he played in the team’s minor leagues. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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