January 21
Senators Birthdays
Sabath Anthony (Sam) Mele B Jan. 21, 1922 D May 1, 2017
Outfielder and sometime 1st baseman Sam Mele began his major league journey in 1946 when he was signed by the Boston Red Sox.
Making his debut in the majors at the start of the 1947 season, Mele would hit .302 in 123 games. His playing time dropped as did his batting average in 1948 as he’d appear in 66 games with Boston, his BA dropping to .233.
Mele would start the 1949 season in Boston but after 18 games he was traded, along with Mickey Harris, to the Washington Senators for Walt Masterson. Mele would finish the 1949 season in Washington hitting .242 in 78 games. He’d hit .274 in both 1950 and 1951 with the Senators.
Sam Mele
Starting the 1952 season in Washington, Mele was on the move again after appearing in just 9 games, this time headed for a stint with the Chicago White Sox in an exchange for Jim Busby and Mel Hoderlein.
Mele would hit .248 while playing in 123 games for Chicago. He’d remain with the White Sox through the 1953 season and then was on the move again, traded this time to the Baltimore Orioles, newly relocated from St. Louis, where he’d play in 72 games.
Waived by the Orioles, he’d be signed by the Boston Red Sox where he’d finish the 1954 campaign.
Mele would start 1955 in Boston but would be purchased by the Cincinnati Reds in late June. Mele would play in 35 games for the Reds and receive another release after the 1955 season. He’d sign on with the Cleveland Indians playing in 57 games in 1956, his last major league appearance coming in mid-September of that year.
Mele would go on to manage the Minnesota Twins from 1961 through 1967 finishing in second place 3 times and capturing the American League pennant in 1965 when the Twins lost to the LA Dodgers in the World Series in 7 games.
Daniel Francis O’Connell B Jan. 21, 1927 D Oct. 2, 1969
Originally signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946, infielder Danny O’Connell would be traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates after the 1949 season, and would make his first major league appearance in mid-July of 1950 with the Pirates.
Playing in 79 games, he’d hit .292 in his rookie season. However, O’Connell wouldn’t return to the majors until 1953 when he’d play in 149 games for the Pirates, hitting .294.
Traded to the Milwaukee Braves, O’Connell would be a regular from 1954 through 1956. Starting the 1957 season in Milwaukee, O’Connell would be traded to the New York Giants after 48 games, finishing the season in New York, playing in another 95 games.
O’Connell would head west with the franchise as they left the Polo Grounds for the City By The Bay where he’d play in 1958 and 1959.
Released by the Giants before the start of the 1960 campaign, O’Connell would spend the season out of the majors.
Signed as a free agent before the start of the 1961 season, O’Connell would play in 130 games for the expansion Senators in 1961, hitting .260. He’d return in 1962, playing in 84 games, his last major league appearance coming in late September.
Irving J. Waldron B Jan. 21, 1876 D Jul. 22, 1944
Outfielder Irv Waldron would begin his brief major league career with the original American League Milwaukee Brewers in 1901. Playing in 62 games for Milwaukee, he’d hit .297.
Released by the Brewers in early July, he’d be signed the next day by the Washington Senators, where he’d finish the season, and his major league career, playing in 79 games, hitting .322 but mysteriously never returning to the major leagues.
