| Dave Coble | |
| Position: | Catcher |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Birth Date: | 24 December 1912 |
| Birth Place: | Monroe, North Carolina |
| Death Place: | Orlando, Florida |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | May 1 |
| Debutyear: | 1939 |
| Debutteam: | Philadelphia Phillies |
| Finalleague: | MLB |
| Finaldate: | August 6 |
| Finalyear: | 1939 |
| Finalteam: | Philadelphia Phillies |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Stat1label: | Games played |
| Stat1value: | 15 |
| Stat2label: | Batting average |
| Stat2value: | .280 |
| Teams: | |
David Lamar Coble (December 24, 1912 – October 16, 1971) was an American professional baseball player and manager. A catcher, Coble played one season in Major League Baseball (MLB), appearing in 15 games with the 1939 Philadelphia Phillies. Listed at 6inchesft1inchesin (ftin) and 183lb, he batted and threw right-handed.
Coble was born in 1912 in Monroe, North Carolina,[1] the son of John Bunyan and Caroline Virginia née Rudge Coble. He began his professional baseball career in 1936, playing 91 games for the Class D Moultrie Packers and 17 games for the Class B Columbia Senators. Coble then spent 1937 and 1938 with the Class A1 Little Rock Travelers, appearing in 153 total games during those two seasons.[2]
Coble's only major league appearances came in 1939, when he appeared in 15 games for the Philadelphia Phillies between May 1 and August 6. He had seven hits in 25 at bats for the Phillies, for a .280 batting average.[3] Defensively, he had a .982 fielding percentage.[3] Coble also played in 12 games for the Double-A Baltimore Orioles during 1939.[2]
Coble spent 1940 and 1941 with the Class B Rocky Mount Red Sox and Class C Greenville Buckshots, respectively.[2] He did not play during the war years of 1942–1945,[2] serving with the United States Army.[4] Coble's final appearances as a player came during 1946, when he played in 25 games for the Class B Gadsden Pilots.[2] During his seven seasons as a player, Coble appeared in 510 minor league games, accruing a .236 batting average.[2]
Coble was a player-manager during 1941 and 1946, and served as manager for several minor league teams from 1947 through 1952, mainly at the Class D level.[2] His longest tenure was with the Shelby Farmers of the Western Carolina League, managing the team from 1951 to 1953, winning two league championships in the three seasons.[2]
After his baseball career, Coble worked as a real estate salesman. He died in 1971 in Orlando, Florida,[5] and was survived by two sisters and two brothers.[6]