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 1949 Chicago Cubs.^[1] The native of Streator, Illinois, stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 187 pounds (85 kg) 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.^[2] The following day, he was a perfect three-for-three off the Giants' Dave Koslo, but New York prevailed, 6–2.^[3]

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