Rochester Red Wings General Manager Dan Mason has been named the 2012 International League Executive of the Year. Each of the 14 teams in the league cast one vote at the Triple-A Fall Meetings in Durham, NC, site of the Gildan Triple-A Championship Game.

"I don't consider this an individual award but rather an award that everyone in our organization can share - our board of directors, front office, food and beverage department, grounds crew, part-time employees, and the Frontier Field staff," Mason said. "The other organizations in the league appreciate the extraordinary efforts that everyone in our organization put into this unique and historic season. It's also a testament to and reflection of our tremendous fan support that made this a season to remember."

"Dan's tireless work ethic shined bright once again during this challenging yet exciting season," said Red Wings President/CEO Naomi Silver. "The entire Red Wings staff joins me in congratulating him on this prestigious honor. It is much deserved and we are all very proud of him. We are lucky to have Dan as our GM."

The Red Wings and Frontier Field in 2012 hosted 110 regular-season games, including 38 "home" contests for the Empire State Yankees, whose ballpark in Moosic, Pa., is undergoing major renovations. The Yankees also played two post-season games at the downtown ballpark.

Under Mason's leadership, a third clubhouse was constructed at Frontier Field to accommodate Yankees players, coaches, and staff. In addition, Mason and the Red Wings staff coordinated the switch of the May 6 Yankees game featuring Andy Pettitte from Dwyer Stadium in nearby Batavia to downtown Rochester. The game drew 13,584 fans to establish a Frontier Field record for a regular-season baseball game. The attendance figure ranks second to only a Red Wings exhibition game with the Baltimore Orioles on July 10, 1997, when 13,723 came through the turnstiles to see Cal Ripken Jr.

The total attendance figure for the 110 regular-season games was 510,643.

Also in 2012, Mason joined Silver and Chairman of the Board Gary Larder in working to extend the club's Player Development Contract with the Minnesota Twins for two years through the 2014 season. The 2012 season was the Red Wings' 10th as the Triple-A affiliate of the Twins, which is the seventh-longest ongoing partnership in the IL.

Mason joined the Red Wings in 1990 and became the general manager in 1995. The 45-year-old is one of four Red Wings executives to earn IL Executive of the Year honors, joining George Sisler Jr. (1964), Carl Steinfeldt Jr. (1971), and Bob Goughan (1986). He is one of only six executives to garner the award three or more times, joining Joe Napoli, Dave Rosenfield, Anthony Simone, Sisler Jr., and Mike Tamburro. Mason also won the award in 1996 and 1997.