Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - The Minnesota Twins organization is saddened by the death of former Manager Sam Mele, who passed away Monday night at the age of 95. The Twins issued the following statement regarding the loss of Mele:
"The Minnesota Twins are deeply saddened by the loss of Sam Mele. The former skipper was an important figure in Twins baseball history. The beloved Mele, not only led the 1965 Twins to the American League pennant, but also helped establish the importance of Major League Baseball across the Upper Midwest."
Mele began his playing career with Boston in 1947 and played 10 seasons between the Red Sox, Senators, White Sox, Indians, Reds and Orioles. He was the Twins' second ever Manager, from 1961-67, and led the club to a record of 522-431 during that time - the third most wins by a Twins Manager. He managed the Twins to a franchise-best 102 wins and their first ever World Series in 1965.