Dave Coble | |
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Catcher | |
Born: Monroe, North Carolina | December 24, 1912|
Died: October 16, 1971 Orlando, Florida | (aged 58)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
May 1, 1939, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
Last MLB appearance | |
August 6, 1939, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
MLB statistics | |
Games played | 15 |
Batting average | .280 |
Teams | |
David Lamar Coble (December 24, 1912 – October 16, 1971) was an American professional baseball player and manager. A catcher, Coble played one season in Major League Baseball (MLB), appearing in 15 games with the 1939 Philadelphia Phillies. Listed at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and 183 pounds (83 kg), he batted and threw right-handed.
Coble was born in 1912 in Monroe, North Carolina, [1] [2] the son of John Bunyan and Caroline Virginia née Rudge Coble.[ citation needed] He began his professional baseball career in 1936, playing 91 games for the Class D Moultrie Packers and 17 games for the Class B Columbia Senators. [3] Coble then spent 1937 and 1938 with the Class A1 Little Rock Travelers, appearing in 153 total games during those two seasons. [3]
Coble's only major league appearances came in 1939, [1] when he appeared in 15 games for the Philadelphia Phillies between May 1 and August 6. [4] He had seven hits in 25 at bats for the Phillies, for a .280 batting average. [1] Defensively, he had a .982 fielding percentage. [1] Coble also played in 12 games for the Double-A Baltimore Orioles during 1939. [3]
Coble spent 1940 and 1941 with the Class B Rocky Mount Red Sox and Class C Greenville Buckshots, respectively. [3] He did not play during the war years of 1942–1945, [3] serving with the United States Army. [5] Coble's final appearances as a player came during 1946, when he played in 25 games for the Class B Gadsden Pilots. [3] During his seven seasons as a player, Coble appeared in 510 minor league games, accruing a .236 batting average. [3]
Coble was a player-manager during 1941 and 1946, and served as manager for several minor league teams from 1947 through 1952, mainly at the Class D level. [3] His longest tenure was with the Shelby Farmers of the Western Carolina League, managing the team in 1948, 1951, and 1952. [3]
After his baseball career, Coble worked as a real estate salesman. [6] He died in 1971 in Orlando, Florida, [4] and was survived by two sisters and two brothers. [6]