Gene Mauch

Born in Salina in 1925, Gene Mauch graduated high school in Los Angeles.  He began playing professional baseball at 17 and broke into the majors at 18 as an infielder with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1944.  In addition to twice playing the Dodgers, Mauch played with Pittsburgh, the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.  His final season was 1957.

The next season, he began his managerial career, leading the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate, the Minneapolis Millers, reaching the Junior World Series as American Association champion each season, and winning the 1958 JWS championship.

In 1960, Mauch was managing in the major leagues, with the Philadelphia Phillies.  In nine seasons under Mauch, the Phillies won 646 games.  That stood as the team record until Charlie Manuel passed him in 2011.

In 1969, Mauch became the first-ever manager of the Montreal Expos.  He spent seven seasons with the Expos, five seasons with Minnesota and five seasons over two tenures with the California Angels.

Altogether, Mauch managed 3,942 major league games.  Only Connie Mack and John McGraw managed more.  He won 1,902 games is by far the winningest manager to have never won a league pennant or the World Series, three times coming within a single victory of reaching the World Series.

Mauch died in 2005 at the age of 79.

For more, read Gene Mauch’s Society for American Baseball Research bio.