Rube Novotney

{{Short description|American baseball player (1924–1987)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Rube Novotney

|image=

|position=Catcher

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{birth date|1924|8|5}}

|birth_place=Streator, Illinois

|death_date={{death date and age|1987|7|16|1924|8|5}}

|death_place=Redondo Beach, California

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 29

|debutyear=1949

|debutteam=Chicago Cubs

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=July 3

|finalyear=1957

|finalteam=Chicago Cubs

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.360

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=179

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=512

|teams=

• Chicago Cubs ({{baseball year|1949}})

}}

Ralph Joseph "Rube" Novotney (August 5, 1924 – July 16, 1987) was an American professional baseball player, a catcher who appeared in 22 Major League games for the {{baseball year|1949}} Chicago Cubs.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/novotru01.shtml "Rube Novotney Statistics and History"]. baseball-reference.com. Retrieved November 25, 2011. The native of Streator, Illinois, stood {{convert|6|ft}} tall and weighed {{convert|187|lb}} and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.

Novotney's partial season with the 1949 Cubs included two standout back-to-back games against the New York Giants at Wrigley Field. On June 25, Novotney singled twice in three at bats, driving in three runs and providing the margin in a 4–1 Cub victory.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1949/B06250CHN1949.htm 1949-6-25 box score from Retrosheet] The following day, he was a perfect three-for-three off the Giants' Dave Koslo, but New York prevailed, 6–2.[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1949/B06260CHN1949.htm 1949-6-26 box score from Retrosheet]

In his MLB career, Novotney made 18 total hits (including two doubles and one triple) in 67 at-bats.