Right-hander Tim Melville was ranked as the best high school player available in the 2008 MLB Draft, and was ultimately selected by the Kansas City Royals with the 115th overall pick. Unfortunately, his MLB career didn’t quite live up to his prospect hype, and after stops with the Tigers, Reds, Twins, Padres, Orioles, *and* Rockies (now THAT’S a journeyman), he did what a lot of waywardly big leaguers do: signed a deal to play in Asia and extend his career. And then re-upped again for the 2021 season.
Good thing, too, because yesterday, Melville became just the 10th player in Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) history to throw a no-hitter. But it wasn’t easily earned.
It took Melville a record-breaking 142 pitches to notch his no-hitter, but he got the job done:
First no-hitter of the 2021 baseball season goes to Tim Melville for the Uni-Lions in Taiwan.
Melville was a fourth round pick of the Royals in 2008 and pitched in the big leagues as recent as 2019 with the Rockies.
— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) April 2, 2021
But this is where it gets even more fun.
Apparently, in the CPBL, when a home-team player wins the game-MVP award … he has to do a little dance. So Melville did it and he did NOT phone it in.
I am absolutely dying of laughter and loving every second of this:
In the @CPBL, every game has an MVP. And if you win at home, you have to dance.
Here’s @Timelville‘s no-hitter dance:pic.twitter.com/tPLKM07gD9
— Infield Fly Girl (@infieldflygrl) April 2, 2021
He knew every step! How is this not a thing in MLB yet?!