▁his ▁team ▁gain ▁any ▁possible ▁advantage ▁on ▁the ▁baseball ▁diam ond . ▁M auch ▁had ▁a ▁brilliant ▁baseball ▁mind ▁and ▁is ▁sometimes ▁cred ited ▁with ▁starting ▁the ▁" double ▁player ▁switch ". ▁M auch ▁gained ▁a ▁reputation ▁for ▁being ▁loyal ▁to ▁his ▁players ▁and ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Little ▁General . ▁ ▁Philadelphia ▁Phill ies ▁ ▁M auch ▁took ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁Phill ies ▁two ▁games ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁season . ▁He ▁managed ▁them ▁to ▁a ▁ 5 8 – 9 4 ▁record . ▁The ▁following ▁year , ▁they ▁finished ▁ 4 7 – 1 0 7 ; ▁from ▁July ▁ 2 9 ▁to ▁August ▁ 2 0 , ▁they ▁lost ▁ 2 3 ▁straight ▁games , ▁which ▁ranks ▁as ▁the ▁third - long est ▁losing ▁stre ak ▁in ▁baseball ▁history ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁longest ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁The ▁following ▁year , ▁they ▁finished ▁ 8 1 – 8 0 . ▁This ▁was ▁their ▁first ▁season ▁over ▁. 5 0 0 ▁since ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁He ▁was ▁named ▁Manager ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁by ▁the ▁Associ ated ▁Press ▁that ▁year . ▁The ▁team ▁improved ▁to ▁an ▁ 8 7 – 7 5 ▁record ▁the ▁next ▁season . ▁In ▁late ▁September ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁his ▁Phill ies ▁had ▁a ▁record ▁of ▁ 9 0 – 6 0 , ▁a ▁ 6 ½ - game ▁lead ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁League ▁with ▁ 1 2 ▁games ▁left ▁to ▁play , ▁and ▁were