Sam Mele, who played ten years in the big leagues and then managed the Minnesota Twins for seven seasons, has died. He was 95.
Mele made his major league debut with the Red Sox in 1947 before making stops with the Senators, White Sox, Indians, Reds and Orioles. He was a career.267 hitter with 80 home runs and 544 RBIs. He hit .302 as a rookie and smacked 36 doubles in 1951, leading the American League.
After his playing career was over Mele coached and worked for the Washington Senators, staying with them when they moved to Minnesota to become the Twins. He managed the Twins from 1961 through 1967. In 1965 he guided the Twins to their first pennant, going 102-60, losing the World Series to the Dodgers in seven games. Following his managerial stint, he worked for the Red Sox in various capacities for 25 years.
