Books and articles about Gene Mauch

When he retired in spring training of 1988, Gene Mauch had managed more games and for more years (26) than anyone in major league history but Connie Mack, John McGraw, and Bucky Harris. He also managed the longest without winning a pennant; he came close three times. Leading by 6-1/2 games with two weeks to go, his 1964 Phillies collapsed, finishing in a tie for second. Many said he overworked his three best pitchers at the end of the race. His Angels won two divisions titles, but suffered heartbreaking losses in the ALCS. They needed to win one of the final three games in 1982 against Milwaukee, but failed to do so. In 1986, California was one strike away when Boston's Dave Henderson homered to win Game Five; the Red Sox then easily took the final two contests. When asked by brave reporters how he could deal with those memories, Mauch replied, "I have an amazing ability to forget."

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RELATED LINKS Book Excerpts » "Mauch was simply brilliant as a strategist and innovater [Sparky Anderson said]": Leonard Koppett » "A smile on Gene’s face was as rare as a perfect game": Jim Ksicinski Submissions » The 1976 AL Batting Race: Did Steve Brye steal the title from Hal McRae? by Dan Holmes » Baseball Beards: A Brief History of the Changing Attitudes Towards Facial Hair in Baseball by Maxwell Kates » Some Expos Nostalgia by Maxwell Kates Around the Web » Gene Mauch from historicbaseball.com » Gammons: The Little General from espn.com » Gene Mauch from thebaseballpage.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Mauch's playing career began in 1943 in the Dodger organization. He relied more on brains than on brawn. He had had trials with five NL teams in 1953 when he became the 28-year-old playing manager of the Southern Association's Atlanta Crackers. "I really wasn't ready," he later admitted. He had a low boiling point, often fought with umpires, and expected too much of his players. With an eye on again playing in the majors, he gave up managing. He batted .348 as the 1956 Pacific Coast League's All-Star second baseman, then spent all of 1957 with the Red Sox.

Testy and combative as a player, Mauch mellowed in his second chance as a manager, beginning in 1958 with Minneapolis (American Association). He took the Phillies' helm in 1960, survived 23 consecutive losses in 1961 (a modern NL record), and was named NL Manager of the Year in 1962 (81-80, seventh place) and 1964 (92-70, second). He was thrown out by umpires only three times in his first five seasons. When he left Philadelphia in 1968, he had compiled 645 wins - second most in franchise history.

Mauch was chosen to be the expansion 1969 Expos manager, and lasted through 1975, winning a third Manager of the Year Award in 1973 (79-83, fourth). He guided the Twins (including his nephew, Roy Smalley, Jr.), from 1976 until his resignation in late August of 1980, when he tired of having teams in the rebuilding stage. He vowed not to manage any club but a contender. The following May, he replaced Jim Fregosi in California. He resigned after the 1982 LCS loss, moved up to become Director of Player Personnel for two years, and returned to the Angels dugout in 1985.

Mauch was known as a sharp tactician who loved the sacrifice bunt and the pinch hitter. His detractors faulted him for overmanaging and for giving more signs than the Coast Guard. He liked to make use of his entire roster. "I want everybody to feel he has a chance to get into a game when he comes to the ballpark," he said. "I play guys when I want to so they'll be ready when I have to. I don't consider myself a motivator of players. I think it's an insult to a ballplayer to have to be motivated." (NLM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 3, 1947: The Dodgers ship pitchers Hank Behrman, Cal McLish and Kirby Higbe, and minor leaguers Gene Mauch and C Dixie Howell to the Pirates for OF Al Gionfriddo and $100,000. Behrman, with no appearances for Brooklyn this year will go 0-2 before the Bucs send him back to Brooklyn on June 14. » December 8, 1947: In a move that will anchor The Boys of Summer, Brooklyn acquires SS Billy Cox, P Preacher Roe, and infielder Gene Mauch from Pittsburgh for pitchers Vic Lombardi, Hal Gregg, and former batting champ, 37-year-old Dixie Walker. In the spring Walker had requested in writing to be traded, but then changed his mind. » December 14, 1949: The Cubs send P Bill Voiselle and $35,000 to the Braves for infielder Gene Mauch. The Cubs had hoped to come away with Warren Spahn or John Antonelli. » June 2, 1950: Behind the 5-hit pitching of bonus baby Bill MacDonald (2–0), the Pirates beat the Braves, 5–4 to stop a 9-game hitting streak. Gene Mauch homers and drives in three runs for Boston, while Ralph Kiner hits his 10th of the year, off Warren Spahn. » March 26, 1952: The Cardinals purchase infielder Gene Mauch from the Yankees. » May 22, 1957: The Red Sox set an American League record by smashing four home runs in the 6th inning in an 11–0 win over Cleveland. Gene Mauch, Ted Williams, Dick Gernert, and Frank Malzone do the honors. All of these come on the first 16 pitches from Cal McLish. Williams had set the record with Jimmie Foxx, Joe Cronin, and Jim Tabor in 1940. » April 14, 1960: After a 9–4 Opening Day loss to the Reds, Eddie Sawyer decides he's had it with managing and quits the Phillies, stating, "I'm 49 and I want to live to be 50." He came to Philadelphia from Toronto (International League) in 1948 and has managed no other ML team. Interim manager Andy Cohen wins one game before Gene Mauch gets the job and begins a 26-year managerial career in the bigs. » May 13, 1960: At Cincinnati, the Reds are down 9–1 when P Raul Sanchez starts a brawl by plunking three of four Phils batters in the 8th inning, the last batter being P Gene Conley. Phils manager Gene Mauch then charges the mound to tackle Sanchez. Both dugouts empty with fights all around. The most cinematic is 2B Billy Martin, 5'11" taking on the 6'11" Conley, though future Hall of Famers Frank Robinson and Robin Roberts is a close second. It takes 12 minutes to restore order. The Phils romp 14–3, then lose 5–1 in the doubleheader. » June 29, 1961: With three round-trippers at Philadelphia—one a 10th-inning shot to win 8–7—Willie Mays becomes the 4th ML player with three or more home runs twice in one season. Manager Gene Mauch's efforts to conceal his starting pitcher and force Al Dark's hand has a Phillie lineup including hurlers Don Ferrarese (batting leadoff, playing CF), Jim Owens (3rd, RF), Chris Short (7th, C), and Ken Lehman (9th, P) against San Francisco. When Dark sends a lefty to the mound, Mauch replaces Ferrarese. Dark then replaces Billy O'Dell with Sam Jones. Mauch replaces Lehman with Dallas Green after two batters. All the maneuvering takes three hours and 20 minutes. The Giants then take the nitecap, 4–1, as Mays triples and doubles home two runs and completes a DP with a throw home. » April 21, 1966: The 1–7 Cubs trade veteran pitchers Larry Jackson and Bob Buhl to Philadelphia for young P Ferguson Jenkins, OF Adolfo Phillips, and 1B/OF John Herrnstein. "It's the best deal we could've made," says Phils manager Gene Mauch. "I think it complemented our staff exactly the way we wanted." Jenkins was 2–1 for the Phils in 1965 after being brought up from Arkansas (PCL), but he'll go into the Hall of Fame as a Cub. » June 15, 1968: Gene Mauch (27-27) is fired as manager of the Phillies. He will be replaced tomorrow by Bob Skinner, manager of the San Diego farm team. » September 5, 1968: Gene Mauch is named manager of the new Montreal NL club, which is officially named the Expos. » January 9, 1974: Picking first in the January amateur draft, the Rangers select SS Roy Smalley, Jr, son of 10-year ML vet SS Roy Smalley and nephew of manager Gene Mauch. Smalley, who dropped out of USC in the fall to make himself eligible, will sign for $100,000. » October 1, 1975: Montreal fires manager Gene Mauch. Karl Kuehl is named to succeed Mauch. » November 24, 1975: Gene Mauch signs a 3-year contract to manage the Twins, replacing the fired Frank Quilici. » August 5, 1980: Expos manager Dick Williams wins his 1,000th career game 11–5 over the Mets, at Olympic Stadium. He is 3rd in wins among active managers behind Gene Mauch and Earl Weaver. The Expos overcome the offense of Doug Flynn, who ties the modern major-league record with three triples. It was last done in the National League by Ernie Banks, in 1966. » August 24, 1980: Twins manager Gene Mauch resigns following a 3–2 loss to the Tigers. He will be replaced by John Goryl. » May 28, 1981: Angels manager Jim Fregosi, who led the club to a 22-25 record, 71/2 games off the pace in the American League West, becomes the 3rd AL skipper to be fired this month. He is replaced by Gene Mauch. » October 22, 1982: Despite having led his club to the American League West title, hard-luck Gene Mauch resigns as manager of the Angels. He will be replaced on November 2nd by John McNamara, who was fired in July as manager of the Reds. » October 16, 1984: Gene Mauch, who resigned as the Angels' manager after the 1982 season, is hired again. » October 15, 1986: Boston routs California 8–1 in the 7th game of the ALCS and advances to the World Series. The game caps yet another heartbreaking failure for Angels skipper Gene Mauch, who in game five was one strike away from reaching his first World Series in 25 seasons as a ML manager. After the game, veteran 2B Bobby Grich retires. » March 11, 1988: Angels manager Gene Mauch, 62, takes a leave of absence for health reasons and is replaced by Cookie Rojas. Mauch will announce his retirement on March 27th.