Sam Mele Autographs
Samuel Joseph Mele, born in Long Island City, New York on January 21, 1922, was a former professional baseball player and manager, who played for 10 years in the Major League Baseball (MLB) and managed for 7 years. He initially signed with the Boston Red Sox in 1946 as a three-sport athlete, but he ultimately chose baseball as his career, and made his debut in September 1947. He played as an outfielder for the Red Sox, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Cleveland Indians, tallying a career batting average of .267 with 80 home runs, 1,084 hits, and 604 runs batted in (RBIs). One of his notable performances was in the 1951 All-Star Game, where he went 2-for-3 with a home run and 3 RBIs to help the American League win.
After retiring as a player, Mele became a coach and eventually a manager. He managed the Minnesota Twins from 1961 to 1967, leading them to win the American League pennant in 1965, their first one in the Twin Cities. In that season, Mele was awarded the American League Manager of the Year, as his team posted a 102-60 record, finishing 7 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians. He was known for his ability to motivate his players and make in-game adjustments, as well as his hands-on approach of working with them on their hitting and defense. Several of his players including Rod Carew, Zoilo Versalles, and Earl Battey, attributed their individual success to Mele's coaching and guidance.
Mele's impact on baseball extended beyond his playing and managerial career. He also worked as a scout for the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners, and founded the Sam Mele School of Baseball in Sarasota, Florida. He was inducted into the University of Rhode Island Athletic Hall of Fame in 1972, and the Long Island Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. Mele passed away on May 1, 2017 at the age of 95, leaving a legacy as a dedicated and respected figure in the baseball world.
Read more about Sam Mele on Wikipedia
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Current items with a signature of Sam Mele
These are the most current items with a signature of Sam Mele that were listed on eBay and on other online stores - click here for more items.
Traded items with a signature of Sam Mele
The most expensive item with a signature of Sam Mele (SAM MELE TWINS AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED OML BASEBALL RARE INS) was sold in March 2012 for $150.00 while the cheapest item (1965 Topps SAM MELE Autographed Card #506 Signed!) found a new owner for $0.05 in August 2008. The month with the most items sold (19) was April 2008 with an average selling price of $2.25 for an autographed item of Sam Mele. Sold items reached their highest average selling price in May 2020 with $77.47 and the month that saw the lowest prices with $0.89 was August 2015. In average, an autographed item from Sam Mele is worth $7.99.
Most recently, these items with a signature of Sam Mele were sold on eBay - click here for more items.
Sam Mele signed Baseball Trading Cards by Manufacturer
Latest News about Sam Mele
Charley Walters: Ex-Twins manager Sam Mele 'delighted' for Red Sox (10/31/2013): Among those excited for the Boston Red Sox's World Series championship is Sam Mele, who managed the Twins to the 1965 American League pennant before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series in seven games. 
