On the blog today, another "dedicated manager card", this one a 1976
edition for long-time skipper Gene Mauch, who put in 26 years at the
head of a Major League ball club between 1960 and 1987:
At
the time this card would have seen the light of day Mauch was about to
begin his helm of the Minnesota Twins, with the likes of Rod Carew,
Lyman Bostock, Bert Blyleven and Tony Oliva.
Now Topps got
ahead of the game having Mauch as manager on the Twins team card in
their 1976 set, since he was hired over the off-season after a seven
year run leading the Montreal Expos, their first manager in franchise
history beginning in 1969.
Mauch would go on to lead the Twins
from 1976 through 1980, finishing either third or fourth in each season
with 1976 having a high of 85 wins.
He would then go on to manage the California Angels from 1982 through 1987, with a break in 1983 and 1984.
He
was the manager of the Angels for their division leading 1982 and 1986
seasons, when they won 93 and 92 games respectively, only to lose in the
Championship Series both times.
Overall, Mauch would finish
his managerial career with a record of 1902 and 2037, never making it to
a World Series, but certainly earning the respect of the baseball world
as a solid manager.