Gene Mauch dead at 79

[slapshot]

From ESPN.com:

Mauch managed three teams to 1,901 wins

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Gene Mauch, "the little general" who managed the California Angels, Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos to 1,901 wins, died Monday. He was 79.

Mauch died at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., the Los Angeles Angels said, after a long battle with cancer. He had lived in the desert resort area since retiring.

A big-league skipper for 26 years, Mauch was named National League Manager of the Year three times. He ranks sixth in baseball history with 3,938 games managed and is 11th on the career victories list.

But Mauch was perhaps most famous for his teams' legendary collapses. He was manager of the Angels in 1986 when they were within one out of advancing to the World Series before blowing a three-run lead to Boston in Game 5 of the ALCS.

The Red Sox won that game and two more to win the series.

He also managed the 1982 Angels, who won the first two games in the best-of-five ALCS against Milwaukee before losing the final three.

And he led the Phillies in 1964 when they collapsed down the stretch and were edged out by the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL pennant.

"I don't think history will be as fair to him as it should be," said Tim Mead, the Angels' vice president of communications and a member of the organization since 1979. "He was brilliant. Gene Mauch could put together a game just by looking at the box score."

[Mac the Knife]

Mauch should've been among those inducted in the HOF last week. A class act.

[CC97]

I tip my pinwheel cap to the original Expos bench boss.

[bulldogbarks55]

Gene Mauch was pure class. Unfortunately he will be remembered for his teams' shortcomings. The '64 Phillies blowing a six-game lead with 10 to play, the Angels being one strike away from the World Series when Dave Henderson hit the home run.

Mauch never complained about these losses. He just moved forward and accepted his fate. One of the good ones in baseball. He will be missed.

[Swiss]

So long mister Mauch. He was a good man in baseball.

About the incredible losses he suffered, it would be true that in baseball the heartbreakers always are well remembered...

[gashouser27]

Yeah it would have been classy to have put him in the Hall before he died.

He was an innovator in a lot of ways. Unfortunately he will be remembered for the shortcomings of his teams. But he won a lot of games too!

[NJTank]

Here is my little tribute

Gene Mauch