Melega Named League Executive of the Year

Tulsa Drillers General Manager Mike Melega was named today the 2012 Bill Valentine Texas League Executive of Year Award. The award is given annually to recognize the league's top executive. It is the first time that Melega has received the honor.

Melega oversaw a Tulsa franchise that drew a regular season attendance total of 372,624. The figure was the second highest in the history of professional baseball in the city of Tulsa which dates back to 1905. It trailed only the attendance total for the inaugural season of ONEOK Field in 2010.

In addition, Melega and the Drillers hosted the mid-season, U.S. Cellular Texas League All-Star Game at ONEOK Field. The three days of activities in the city were capped by a sellout crowd of 8,047 for the North All-Stars 3-1 victory in downtown Tulsa.

"It is an honor to receive this award from the Texas League," said Melega. "It is actually an honor for our entire organization. We have an outstanding staff, and everyone has put so much effort into ensuring that we had a successful season. Our fans are some of the best in Minor League Baseball, and without their support, we would not be in a position to receive recognition such as this award."