Mel Behney

Mel Behney
Pitcher
Born: September 2, 1947 (1947-09-02) (age 64) Newark, New Jersey
Batted: Left	Threw: Left
MLB debut
August 14, 1970 for the Cincinnati Reds
Last MLB appearance
September 20, 1970 for the Cincinnati Reds
Career statistics
Win-Loss record	0–2
Earned run average	4.50
Innings	10
Teams
Cincinnati Reds (1970)

Melvin Brian Behney (born September 2, 1947) is a retired American professional baseball player. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Behney was a left-handed pitcher who had a five-game trial, one as a starting pitcher, with the 1970 Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball. He stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg).

Behney attended Michigan State University, where he played on the Spartans' baseball teams in 1967 and 1968 and was named all-Big Ten during the latter season.^[1] Cincinnati chose him with their first selection in the June secondary phase of the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft, and Behney began his professional career at the Short Season-A level. In 1969, he won 14 games for the Asheville Tourists, to finish one game behind the Southern League's leader in victories, Bill Zepp.

The following season, 1970, Behney made his debut in the Major Leagues with one of the Reds' most famous outfits, the first "Big Red Machine" team that dominated the National League West Division race, winning by 14½ games, then swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1970 National League Championship Series. In his debut on August 14 at Riverfront Stadium against the Philadelphia Phillies, he relieved starter Wayne Simpson in the fourth inning of a scoreless contest, but gave up five hits and five runs (three of them earned), and was pinned with the defeat in a 5–4 Philadelphia win.^[2]

Four days later, in his only MLB starting assignment, at home against the Montreal Expos, Behney lasted 4⅔ innings and gave up six hits and five runs — but only one run was earned as the Reds committed three errors behind him.^[3] The Reds could not overcome the five-run deficit, losing 7–4. Behney then appeared in three more MLB games that season in relief and surrendered only one more earned run in four innings. He did not appear in the postseason. In ten innings for Cincinnati, Behney gave up 15 hits, five earned runs, and eight bases on balls; he struck out two.

After spending the full seasons of 1971–1972 at the Triple-A level, Behney was traded to the Boston Red Sox during spring training in 1973 for pinch hitter and utility man Phil Gagliano and reserve outfielder Andy Kosco, who were valuable role players on Cincinnati's 1973 NL West championship team. Behney played one more season of Triple-A before leaving the game.

References

1. ^ Michigan State Baseball Alumni: From Kobs Field to "The Show"
2. ^ 1970-8-14 box score from Retrosheet
3. ^ 1970-8-18 box score from Retrosheet

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference

Persondata
Name	Behney, Mel
Alternative names
Short description	Baseball player
Date of birth	September 2, 1947
Place of birth	Newark, New Jersey
Date of death
Place of death