Gene Mauch
Manager gene Mauch once lamented, "If it's true you learn from adversity, then I must be the smartest SOB in the world." Mauch holds the dubious distinction of having managed the most years (26) and games (3,942) without ever reaching the World Series. Three times he had his teams in a position to advance to the Fall Classic, but each time fate intervened and grasped the opportunity away from him. He was known as a great in-game manager and he had a famous temper. His teams generally improved under his guidance: he led the Phillies to a 34-game improvement in 1962, the Expos to a 21-game jump in 1970, the Twins to an eight-game advance in 1976, and the Angels from 70 to 90 wins from 1980 to 1982, his first full year as their manager.
Quotes From Mauch
"Losing streaks are funny. If you lose at the beginning you got off to a bad start. If you lose in the middle of the season, you're in a slump. If you lose at the end, you're choking." — Gene Mauch
Played For
Brooklyn Dodgers (1944)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1947)
Brooklyn Dodgers (1948)
Chicago Cubs (1948-1949)
Boston Braves (1950-1951)
St. Louis Cardinals (1952)
Boston Red Sox (1956-1957)
Managed
Philadelphia Phillies (1960-1968)
Montreal Expos (1969-1975)
Minnesota Twins (1976-1980)
California Angels (1981-1987)
Best Season: 1982
All-Stars at first base (Rod Carew), second (Bobby Grich), center field (Fred Lynn) and right field (Reggie Jackson). Four of his everyday players had previously won an MVP Award: Carew (1977), Lynn (1975), Reggie (1973), and DH Don Baylor (1979). Bob Boone won a Gold Glove behind the plate, grich and Tim Foli were excellent up the middle, and Doug DeCinces was very good at third defensively. Six players hit at least 19 homers, with Reggie's 39 leading the league. They were second to Milwaukee in runs scored, batting and slugging. The pitching staff was deep but no one hurler stood out. The team was second to Detroit in ERA (3.82). Lefty Geoff Zahn was 18-8, Ken Forsch was 13-11, Steve Renko was 11-6, and Bruce Kison was 10-5. 21-year old Mike Witt had the best stuff of all the starting pitchers, but he spent part of the year in the minors and won eight games for the Angels. The staff was basically a bunch of #2 and #3 starters melded together to form a solid unit. Tommy John came over late in the year and went 4-2 with a 3.86 ERA in seven starts.
Future Managers who Played for Mauch
Alvin Dark, Joe Morgan, Bobby Wine, Dallas Green, Darrell Johnson, Cookie Rojas, Jim Lemon, Pat Corrales, Harvey Kuenn, Roger Craig, Maury Wills, Mike Jorgensen, Felipe Alou, Larry Parrish, Mike Cubbage, Butch Hobson, Don Baylor, Bob Boone, Jerry Narron
Born
Gene William Mauch was born on November 18, 1925, in Salina, KS.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: SS
Primary Team: BSN
Major League Debut
April 18, 1944
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1944
Eddie Yost
Eddie Lopat
Joe Nuxhall
Granny Hamner
Gene Mauch
Emil Verban
Jim Konstanty
Cal McLish
Ralph Branca
Nicknames
Skip
Notes
National League Manager of the Year in 1962, 1964 and 1973
Replaced
Eddie Sawyer
Replaced By
Coookie Rojas, who had played for Mauch in Philadelphia from 1963-1968, replaced Mauch in California in 1988.
Best Strength as a Player
In-game managing, such as the hit-and-run, squeeze play and defensive positioning. Mauch was great at squeezing one run out of an inning. His detractors complained that he ruined big innings and over-managed at times.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Overreaction. His moves as his teams struggled in the pennant race of 1964 and the post-season in 1982 and 1986 were desperate overreactions.
Learn More about Gene Mauch
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