Mele Passes

Sam Mele died Tuesday after a long life, and a productive life in baseball:

Sam Mele, a former big league outfielder who later managed the Minnesota Twins to a team-record 102 wins in a season, has died. He was 95.

The Boston Red Sox said Tuesday that Mele died at home Monday in Quincy, Mass. Mele made his major-league debut with the Red Sox in 1947 and, after he was done managing, worked 25 years for them as a scout and in other roles.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Mele’s best seasons came in 1950 and 1953. He hit .274 both years, but with high OBPs and decent power. His lack of power for a corner outfielder and first baseman likely kept him from being an everyday player.

He finished his managerial career with an excellent .546 winning percentage. He appeared to lose control of his coaches, and was fired in 1967 after 50 games. Maybe due to that he was not hired as a manager again, or maybe he just didn’t want the stress.

from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/2oYgQ7K