What a card: Gene Mauch returned to manage the Angels for the 1985 season, replacing the guy who replaced him, John McNamara. Mauch was let go by the Angels after the 1982 season, despite the franchise reaching the playoffs, and was replaced by McNamara.
My observation on the front: I love super-close portrait shots like this. I wish they'd return to some modern sets. Heritage would be a good fit for them.
More opinion from me: Mauch has quite a few manager cards (Phillies in '60s, Expos and Twins in the '70s, Angels in the '80s). They're all very interesting. And in going through them, I began to grow sad that managers are disappearing from modern card sets.
Something you might know: Mauch was at the helm of two famous doomed squads. He is blamed to this day for the epic late-season collapse of the 1964 Phillies. And he had a front-row seat for the Angels' crushing defeat in the memorable 1986 ALCS.
Something you might not know: Mauch was known to overturn the postgame food table after a difficult loss a time or two. He had such a reputation that on his first day with Angels in 1981 slugger Don Baylor asked, "Will the food be served on the floor?"
My observation on the back: Mauch also managed Smalley's father, Roy Smalley Sr., who played in the big leagues. Mauch's sister, Jolene, was married to Smalley Sr. and is and Roy Smalley III's mother.
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When I was in grade school, Gene was the only ballplayer I knew of that was born in my hometown.
ReplyDeleteThe 1982 Angels were also fairly doomed. They had a 2-0 lead in the ALCS and blew it to lose to the Brewers.
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