George Vecsey notes Joe Maddon's fondness for Gene Mauch and wonders if the Rays skipper will suffer the same fate. Mauch, after all, saw an improbable Boston comeback in game five of the 1986 ALCS, then lost games six and seven.

Mauch, as far as I can tell from listening to stories about him, was a brilliant manager who more than anything suffered from bad luck at crucial moments in his career. He was also, however, a man wedded to a small ball strategy that probably wasn't right for every team he managed. He was probably the last manager who was willing to give up outs early in a game to score a small number of runs. Mauch made progress with teams, but only the Angels won long term for him. He never produced a .600 winning percentage. His best showing was .574 with the 1982 Angels.

Maddon, in that regard, has already exceeded Gene. Maddon also strikes me as a person who is always looking for a better way. He's willing to question his beliefs and tactics and people skills to find something that works. A loss today will teach Joe Maddon something about himself, his team, and how to do better in the future. I don't know if Mauch's various collapses caused Gene to change his approach at all.