Gene Mauch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gene Mauch
Mauch in 1961
Infielder / Manager
Born: (1925-11-18)November 18, 1925 Salina, Kansas, U.S.
Died: August 8, 2005(2005-08-08) (aged 79) Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
April 18, 1944, for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Last appearance
September 28, 1957, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics
Batting average	.239
Home runs	5
Runs batted in	62
Managerial record	1,902–2,037
Winning %	.483
Teams
As player 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) As manager Philadelphia Phillies (1960–1968) Montreal Expos (1969–1975) Minnesota Twins (1976–1980) California Angels (1981–1982, 1985–1987)

Gene William Mauch (born November 18, 1925 – died August 8, 2005) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played as a second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These included the Brooklyn Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, and Boston Red Sox.

Mauch is most famous for managing four different MLB teams from 1960 to 1987. He won more games than any other manager who never won a league championship (called a pennant) or the World Series. Three times, his teams were just one win away from reaching the World Series. He managed the Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos (who he led in their very first season), Minnesota Twins, and California Angels. When he retired, his 1,902 wins ranked 8th in MLB history. He was known for a special playing style called "small ball". This style focused on good defense, speed, and moving runners around the bases, rather than hitting lots of home runs.

Gene Mauch's Playing Days

Gene Mauch was born in Salina, Kansas, and grew up there and in Los Angeles. He started his professional baseball career in 1943 when he was 17. He reached the major leagues the next year during World War II. Mauch played for six different teams over nine seasons between 1944 and 1957.

In 304 games, Mauch had a batting average of .239. He hit 176 hits, including 25 doubles, seven triples, and five home runs. He also had 62 RBIs. He missed part of 1944 and all of 1945 while serving in the United States Army Air Forces.

A 1951 Bowman Gum card of Mauch

In 1953, the Milwaukee Braves made Mauch a player-manager. He was only 27 years old at the time. He led their Double-A team, the Atlanta Crackers. His team finished in third place. Mauch later said he was too young for that job. He often argued with umpires. Seven years later, the Braves' general manager, John J. Quinn, gave Mauch his first chance to manage a big-league team, the 1960 Phillies.

From 1954 to 1957, Mauch was just a player. He played for the Los Angeles Angels and then the Red Sox. His last major league season was 1957 with Boston. He played 65 games as a second baseman and hit a career-best .270. In 1958, he began his full-time managing career. He led the Red Sox' Triple-A team, the Minneapolis Millers. His team won the 1958 Junior World Series championship.

Before the 1960 season, Mauch turned down a coaching job with the Phillies. He wanted to focus on managing. But then, the Phillies' manager, Eddie Sawyer, quit after the first game of the season. Four days later, Mauch, at 34, became the youngest manager in the Major Leagues.

Gene Mauch's Managerial Career

Mauch was a big believer in "small ball". This means focusing on basic offensive plays like bunting and moving runners around. It was different from trying to score mainly with powerful hits. His teams often played in ballparks where it was hard to hit home runs. This made his "small ball" approach very effective.

His teams had some power hitters like Dick Allen and Reggie Jackson. But they also relied on players who were good at getting on base. These included Rod Carew and Brian Downing. He also valued strong defense from stars like Bobby Grich. For pitchers, he taught them to change their pitches from low to high to confuse batters.

Mauch was known for being great at managing his team from the dugout. He also had a strong personality and would sometimes tease opposing teams. He often had fiery arguments with umpires. He used his strong will to try and help his team win. Mauch was very smart about baseball. He was also very loyal to his players. Because of his strong leadership, he was known as the Little General.

Managing the Philadelphia Phillies

Mauch took over the Phillies two games into the 1960 season. They finished with a 58–94 record. The next year, in 1961, they had a tough season, losing 23 games in a row. This is the third-longest losing streak in baseball history. In 1962, the team improved to an 81–80 record. This was their first winning season since 1953. Mauch was named Manager of the Year by the Associated Press.

The Phillies kept getting better, finishing 87–75 in 1963. In late September 1964, his Phillies had a big lead in the National League. But then, they lost 10 games in a row. This collapse is famously known as the "Phold." They ended up finishing second, just one game behind the St. Louis Cardinals. Even so, Mauch was the first Phillies manager to have three winning seasons in a row since 1917. He managed the 1965 All-Star Game, which the National League won. Mauch was let go in 1968. His 646 wins as manager was a team record until 2011.

Managing the Montreal Expos

In 1969, Mauch became the very first manager of the new Montreal Expos team. In their first season, the team went 52–110. This was his second and last season managing a team that lost over 100 games. The next year, they improved a lot, winning 73 games.

Over the next five seasons, the Expos never finished in last place. They won 70 or more games each year. Their best finish was 4th place in 1973 and 1974. On April 23, 1974, the Expos won a game against the San Francisco Giants. This was Mauch's 1,000th win as a manager. After the team finished 75–87 in 1975, Mauch was fired by the Expos.

Managing the Minnesota Twins

In 1976, the Minnesota Twins owner, Calvin Griffith, hired Mauch. The team had star player Rod Carew at the time. Mauch led the Twins to an 85–77 record that year. They finished in third place in their division. The next season, they had one less win but finished fourth. The team's record dropped in 1978. Mauch resigned during the 1980 season.

Managing the California Angels

Mauch took over the California Angels during the strike-shortened 1981 season. In 1982, his Angels team won their division. They went 93–69. The Angels won the first two games of the championship series against the Milwaukee Brewers. They needed just one more win to reach their first World Series. But Milwaukee came back and won the next three games. They won the championship. Some people blamed Mauch for his pitching choices. Mauch was replaced by John McNamara, but he was hired back in 1985.

When Mauch returned to manage the Angels in 1985, they finished 90–72. They were just one game behind the Kansas City Royals. In 1986, the Angels won their division again. They led in the fifth game of the championship series against the Boston Red Sox. They were just one strike away from the World Series. But Boston's Dave Henderson hit a home run. The Red Sox won that game and the next two. This denied Mauch his last real chance to win a championship.

The next year, 1987, the Angels finished 75–87. Mauch suddenly retired in 1988 due to health reasons. He was 62 years old. Seven years after retiring, Mauch returned in 1995. He was a coach for the Kansas City Royals.

Tough Losing Streaks

Gene Mauch was the manager during two of the longest losing streaks in Major League history. His 1961 Philadelphia Phillies lost 23 games in a row. This is almost the longest streak ever. His 1969 Montreal Expos, a new team, lost 20 games in a row. Mauch had to deal with the media reminding him of his teams' past losing streaks.

Gene Mauch's Legacy

Other managers thought highly of Gene Mauch. Fellow manager Alvin Dark called him "the best manager in baseball today" in 1980. Dark admired how Mauch could encourage players who were struggling. He also liked that Mauch would correct star players if needed. Pitcher Tommy John said Mauch "knew the baseball rule book better than anyone." He called him a "brilliant strategist."

Mauch managed for 26 seasons. He had a winning record in twelve of those seasons. On July 27, 1987, he lost his 2,000th game as a manager. He was only the third manager to do so at that time. As of the end of the 2023 season, Mauch has the fifth-most losses (2,037) as a manager. He ranks 15th in wins (1,902) and tenth in total games managed (3,942).

He even managed his nephew, Roy Smalley III, when he was with the Minnesota Twins. Roy Smalley Jr., Mauch's brother-in-law, grew up playing baseball with Mauch in Los Angeles.

Managerial record

Death

After leaving baseball, Gene Mauch lived in a desert area in California. He passed away at age 79 at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. He died from lung cancer.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball managers by wins