Melville wins Minker Award
Melville became the Rocks' go-to guy for public appearances. He spend many hours volunteering in the Wilmington area, including lifting the spirits of patients at the A.I DuPont Hospital for Children and enduring the heat with other volunteers on a construction project for Habitat for Humanity.
Melville was selected by the Royals in the fourth round of the June 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of high school in Wentzville Holt (Mo.) High School. In his second year as a Blue Rocks starter, the right hander went 10-9, 4.37 in 27 starts.
Named in honor of the late Blue Rocks team president, the Minker Award is bestowed upon the league player who does the best job of serving his club's community during each season. Minker passed away in November, 2007 at the age of 60 after a five-year battle with cancer. His brother, Jack Minker, a Blue Rocks vice president and Carolina League director, presented the award Saturday night.
Minker was involved in the ownership of the Blue Rocks since the franchise came to Wilmington in 1993. His construction company built Frawley Stadium in five months. He became president of the club in 1995. During his 13 years representing Wilmington on the CL's Board of Directors, he served the league as an officer, a member of the executive committee and as league representative on the Minor League Baseball Board of Trustees.