Rube Novotney

Who was Rube Novotney?

Ralph Joseph "Rube" Novotney was an American professional baseball player, a catcher who appeared in 22 Major League games for the 1949 Chicago Cubs. The native of Streator, Illinois, stood 6 feet tall and weighed 187 pounds 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. The following day, he was a perfect three-for-three off the Giants' Dave Koslo, but New York prevailed, 6–2.

In his MLB career, Novotney made 18 total hits