Sam Mele facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sam Mele
Right fielder / Manager
Born: (1922-01-21)January 21, 1922 Astoria, New York, U.S.
Died: May 1, 2017(2017-05-01) (aged 95) Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
April 15, 1947, for the Boston Red Sox
Last appearance
September 16, 1956, for the Cleveland Indians
MLB statistics
Batting average	.267
Home runs	80
Runs batted in	544
Managerial record	524–436
Winning %	.546
Teams
As player Boston Red Sox (1947–1949) Washington Senators (1949–1952) Chicago White Sox (1952–1953) Baltimore Orioles (1954) Boston Red Sox (1954–1955) Cincinnati Redlegs (1955) Cleveland Indians (1956) As manager Minnesota Twins (1961–1967)

Sam Mele was a talented baseball player, coach, and manager. He was born on January 21, 1922, and passed away on May 1, 2017. Sam is best known for leading the Minnesota Twins to win the American League championship in 1965. He played as a right fielder in Major League Baseball.

Sam Mele's Early Life and Sports

Sam Mele was born in 1922 in Queens, New York. His parents had moved there from Italy. His uncles, Tony Cuccinello and Al Cuccinello, were also major league baseball players.

Sam did not start playing baseball until high school. His high school stopped having a baseball team after his first year. But Sam kept playing with other local teams. His uncle Tony helped him a lot. Sam soon caught the eye of major league teams.

After high school, Sam went to New York University. In 1940, he broke his leg while sliding in a game. But he came back strong. In 1941, he had a great batting average of .405. In 1942, it was .369.

Sam was also a very good basketball player. His basketball coach at NYU, Howard Cann, said Sam was one of the best players he ever coached. In 1941, Sam also played baseball for a team in Vermont. There, he connected with the Boston Red Sox and signed a big contract.

Sam Mele's Time in World War II

Before Sam could join the Red Sox, he joined the United States Marine Corps in 1942. He was called to serve in July 1943. As part of a special program, he played baseball for Red Rolfe at Yale University.

Later, he was sent to the Pacific Ocean. There, he got to play baseball with famous players like Joe DiMaggio. In 1944, Sam led the Navy league with a .358 batting average.

Sam Mele's Playing Career

Sam Mele threw and batted right-handed. He was about 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighed 183 pounds. After leaving the Marines in 1946, Sam joined the Red Sox. He played for their minor league teams first. He won the Most Valuable Player award in the Eastern League. He led that league in batting average (.342), total bases, and triples. This is also when he got his nickname "Sam" from his initials.

In 1947, the Red Sox needed a new right fielder. Sam earned the spot by hitting 5-for-5 in a game. He played in 90 games and hit .302 that season. He also played well in center field when another player was hurt.

Sam played in the major leagues from 1947 to 1956. He played for six different teams:

• The Red Sox
• Washington Senators
• Chicago White Sox
• Baltimore Orioles
• Cincinnati Reds
• Cleveland Indians

He had a career batting average of .267 with 80 home runs in 1,046 games. He also had 916 hits, including 168 doubles and 39 triples.

Even though he didn't hit .302 again, Sam had two strong seasons for the Washington Senators in 1950 and 1951. He brought in 86 and 94 runs for his team. In 1951, he led the American League with 36 doubles. In 1953, he brought in 82 runs for the White Sox. Sam was also a good defensive player. He had a .988 fielding percentage playing in the outfield and at first base.

Sam Mele's Managing Career

Becoming a Manager

After Sam stopped playing baseball in 1958, he became a scout for the Washington Senators. In 1959, he joined the Senators' coaching staff. When the team moved to Minnesota in 1961, they became the Minnesota Twins.

In June 1961, the Twins were not playing well. Sam Mele took over as manager. The team improved under his leadership. They finished seventh in the standings that year.

The Twins had many young, talented players like Harmon Killebrew, Jim Kaat, Zoilo Versalles, and Bob Allison. In 1962, the Twins played very well and finished second. In 1963, they finished third.

Winning the 1965 American League Championship

In 1965, Sam Mele's Twins had an amazing season. They broke the New York Yankees' long streak of winning the American League pennant. The Yankees had won almost every pennant from 1947 to 1964.

The Twins were led by Zoilo Versalles, who was named the American League's Most Valuable Player. Tony Oliva won the batting title. Pitcher Mudcat Grant won 21 games. The Twins won 102 games, which is still a team record. They easily won the league title.

The Twins won the first two games of the 1965 World Series. But the Los Angeles Dodgers had great pitchers like Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. The Dodgers won the series in seven games.

After the Championship

In 1966, the Twins won 13 fewer games and finished second. Sam Mele also had some disagreements between his coaches. This caused problems with some of the players.

In 1967, the Twins had high hopes with a new star player, Rod Carew. But after 50 games, the team was only winning half their games. Sam Mele was then fired as manager.

Sam Mele's record as a manager was 524 wins and 436 losses. He never managed a team again. But he went back to the Red Sox. He worked as a special scout for them from 1967 until he retired in 1994.

Managerial Record Summary

Sam Mele's Passing

Sam Mele passed away on May 1, 2017, at his home in Quincy, Massachusetts. He was 95 years old.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders