Angel in the Dugout

Gene Mauch, regarded as the smartest manager to ever blow three different chances at a pennant, has finally completed something, dying at the age of 79. The cause of death was cancer, not an airway obstruction, or choking, as one might have expected. A no-nonsense field general, Mauch’s first stint came with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1960, as the third manager on another bad Phils team. The next season included a major league-record 23 consecutive losses, but by 1964, Mauch had turned them into a pennant contender. Up by 6 1/2 games with 12 to play, the Phils proceeded to lose 10 straight – including a 1-0 loss in a game when Chico F#$%#$^#$%ing Ruiz stole home in the 9th – to return the franchise to its expected finish. As a consolation prize, he was named manager of the year, his second in three years. Still, Mauch is the winningest manager in the history of this lousy franchise, and the only one to guide the team to 6 straight winning seasons. Solid but unremarkable stints followed in Montreal and Minnesota before joining the vaguely, but not yet confusingly, named California Angels. In his second season, he won the American League West pennant, led his team to a 2 games to 0 lead in the best of 5 ALCS, and was 5 innings from the World Series before losing. He came back in 1986 for another division win and was one strike from the World Series in Game 5 before the Boston Red Sox' amazing rally. Widely regarded as an excellent tactician and innovator, he was lauded as someone who could explain how an entire game played out just by looking at a box score. Finishing 11th all-time in wins, and with three NL Manager of the Year Awards, Mauch’s historic failures to win a pennant are likely the only factor keeping him out of the Hall of Fame.