Longtime Major League manager and infielder Davey Johnson passed away on Friday at age 82. A four-time All-Star during his 13-year playing career, Johnson went on to manage five different teams over 17 seasons as a manager, capturing a World Series with the Mets in 1986.
Breaking into the majors with the Orioles in 1965, he emerged as Baltimore’s everyday second baseman the following year, and finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Johnson also won his first World Series ring that same season, adding a second with the Orioles in 1970. Such superstar teammates as Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, and Jim Palmer drew most of the headlines during this golden age of Orioles baseball, but Johnson provided excellent glovework (three Gold Gloves) and above-average offense while locking down the keystone.
Johnson delivered one more All-Star season with the Braves in 1973, hitting 43 home runs in what stood as the single-season record for a second baseman until Marcus Semien went yard 45 times with the 2021 Blue Jays. Johnson’s production then declined in 1974, and he spent the 1975-76 playing in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants. It was something of a tumultuous two-year run that saw Johnson fight through some injuries to ultimately help the Giants reach the 1976 Japan Series, and Johnson then returned to the majors for his final two MLB seasons with the Phillies and Cubs in 1977-78.
Regarded as a future manager even early in his career, Johnson indeed turned to minor league managing almost immediately after retiring as a player, and started managing in the Mets’ farm system beginning in 1981. This led to a promotion as the Mets’ big league skipper in 1984, and Johnson immediately led New York to a string of five straight seasons with at least 90 wins. This excellent run included a pair of NL East titles in 1986 and 1988, highlighted by the 108-win team in 1986 that remains the most recent Mets club to capture a World Series title.
Things eventually soured between Johnson and Mets GM Frank Cashen, leading to Johnson’s firing in 1990. This essentially set the tone for the rest of Johnson’s managerial career — he would lead a team to success, yet would be dismissed relatively quickly due to clashes with ownership or upper management. Johnson’s next four stints as a skipper saw him never stay with a team for longer than three seasons, even though Johnson had a sub-.500 record in just one of his eight final full seasons as a manager.
For instance, Johnson’s feud with infamous former Reds owner Marge Schott saw Johnson dismissed after the 1995 season, even though he led Cincinnati to the NL Central title and a NLDS victory over the Dodgers that remains the Reds’ most recent postseason series win. Johnson then returned to his old stomping grounds and led the Orioles to postseason appearances in both 1996 and 1997, but even winning AL Manager of the Year honors in 1997 didn’t smooth over a dispute between Johnson and O’s owner Peter Angelos.
Johnson managed the Dodgers to a 163-161 record in 1999-2000, marking the only time Johnson didn’t lead a team to at least one postseason berth as a manager. He spent much of the next decade managing in international baseball, while also working for the Nationals in a consulting role (beginning in 2006) that paved the way for his final managerial job in 2011, when Johnson took over as interim skipper following Jim Riggleman’s resignation. Johnson was made the full-time skipper following that initial year in Washington, and won NL Manager of the Year honors for leading the Nats to their first NL East crown in 2012. Johnson was 70 years old during his final season in Washington, however, and the Lerner family didn’t view him as a long-term manager, so Johnson retired after an 86-win season in 2013.
Known for his brash personality, Johnson’s outspoken ways may have hurt him in terms of keeping steady employment, yet it certainly aided his ability to manage a clubhouse. Johnson was viewed as being somewhat ahead of his time in terms of running a team, being one of the first skippers to use some analytics to help in formulating his game plans. A mathematics major during his college days, Johnson’s reputation for using analytics to gain an edge on the field earned him the ironic nickname of “Dum-Dum” from his Orioles teammates.
Johnson’s career managerial record was 1372-1071 over parts of 17 seasons. His resume as a player includes 136 homers and a .261/.340/.404 slash line over 1435 games and 5465 plate appearances during his 13 MLB seasons, good for a 112 wRC+. Though Johnson has fallen short of Hall of Fame induction on multiple veterans’ committee ballots, his overall body of work in baseball would certainly seem worthy of Cooperstown, and it can be argued that Johnson could deserve a HOF nod based on his managerial work alone.
We at MLB Trade Rumors express our condolences to Johnson’s family, friends, and peers.
Rest in Peace
I heard this on the radio in the car earlier and I was thinking of the 69 WS as my dad brought me back a pennant and program (wish I still had them). The man was underappreciated as he won as both a player and manager. 40 HRs as a second baseman should also be looked on with more Revere than it is. RIP sir and sympathies to those hurting.
Rest in Peace Davey.
Pretty good player and probably a better manager in the end. I’ll always wonder about the power spike at the end of his career but nobody ever made any substantive accusations. RIP man, Another one of my old baseball cards gone.
The Atlanta stadium was a launching pad in tbe 1970s.
Atlanta Fulton Co Stadium was The Launching Pad from 1966 through 1995 when Turner Field became the Braves home.
Davey hit 26 homers at home in 1973 and 17 on tne road in 21 more plate appearances, so the ballpark likely factored in.
Clete Boyer’s power output accelerated somewhat in Atlanta as well.
Probably a combination of the ballpark and the NL being considered more of a “fastball league.”
66 HR in 3,929 PA prior to hitting 43 in his next 651 PA is pretty interesting, yes.
Shrug. Not going to throw out any theories on the day he passed away, though.
RIP, Davey
I think it my have been the ball more than any personal attack you might have been thinking I said. A bunch of guys who never hit any were all of the sudden belting out 40-50. Sorry if I was misunderstood.
After the lowering of the mound in 1969 homers increased mlb wide. The 70’s were a great time to watch baseballs being blasted out of parks—especially in Atlanta. I went to a lot of games when I was growing up there in the 70’s. Saw a lot of The Big Red Machine, Dodgers, Pirates, Expos and other teams slug their way to wins over the Braves lousy pitching. Teams loved hitting in Atlanta for reasons more than just the ease of hitting homers in Atl Fulton Co Stadium.
Mike,
In 1973 MLB as a whole hit 600 more HR than in 1972 (or 1974). there was a lot of talk back then that the ball was different. Some of us understood what you were talking about.
You claim to not be throwing out any theories while you are 100 percent implying what you think he was on roids. Gotcha.
I never accused him of anything. After i posted it I went back and re read what I said and I saw I was guilty of poor wording so I went back and corrected myself. So keep on making mountains out of molehills and hopefully someday you’ll fall off and well………………..
My comment was not for you. Don’t flatter yourself. Read my first line of my response and it directly relates to the comment above from someone else using their words in my response.
The same year he hit all those HRs Darrell Evans and Hank Aaron also hit over 40 HRs. Tom House who was a relief pitcher on that team has a book which claims steroids was popular on the team and in baseball in general.
Why is that something you will always wonder about? ..I hope there are more important things in life to ponder than Daveys end of career stats..the man is gone ..let it go
Everyone would talk about the Brady Anderson or Luis Gonzalez 50 Homer out of nowhere seasons but no one would talk about Davey suddenly hitting 43 as a 2nd baseman when he typically hit 10 in a season
You didn’t see games at The Launching Pad in Atlanta. You’d understand how it happened if you had. Henry Aaron (40), Darrell Evans (41), and Johnson (43) all hit over 40 homers in 1973 for the Braves. First team in MLB history to have 3 players hit over 40 in the same season. I remember seeing Johnson pull a lot of flyballs down the 330 foot foul line in left field and even more into the short power alley in left/left center. Career power year for Johnson.
Jeff, its more like if he was alive or at least old enough to have watched games back then he would understand why. MLB had 600 more HRs that season than in the season before, about a 24% increase. Everyone was talking about the ball being different.
I was 16 years old that season web. I don’t remember talk about the ball being different, but I watched every game I could back then. My newly acquired drivers license, father’s permission, and funds from my first job allowed me to attend Braves games whenever I could. Growing up 15 minutes away from the stadium helped too, lol.
We had a brand-new team in San Diego and we were losing a LOT of games so by ’73 there were empty stands most games. Players were pretty accessible and you got to talk to them more back then than today. I remember picking their brains about playing the game every chance I could and one of the things the catchers talked about quite a bit that season and in ’74 was that the ball had been tighter. combine that with the mounds being lowered before the ’69 season and that made for a lot more HR. ’73 saw a huge jump. 24% in one year.
You had Nate Colbert and Randy Jones (debut season) in 73. They were worth watching. You’re right about the players accessibility in that era. One of my younger brothers and a neighbor kid were Braves bat boys for a couple of years in the early 70’s. I got to meet several players (and some of their kids) back then. Good times.
We went to Bat Night at the stadium in 1973 or ’74 and I got a replica Davey Johnson bat, Those were good times.
Don’t forget Freddy Kendall and Enzo Hernandez.
Again he did it in the 70’s when only maybe Russian powerlifters might have known about anabolics. If they were even around then. It wasn’t steroids.
Although it is worth noting that Davey’s teammate Tom House has said that steroids were indeed being used by some players during that era. Personally, I don’t care how he did it. It could have simply been a one-year power spike, as has often happened throughout the history of baseball.
I get it. Tom House is a good source. But it was a handful of players max and where they getting the training and all the other stuff that comes with cycling on and off? I’m sure the answer is no. I’m sure it was a one year power surge. He also had Hank Aaron and the eternally underrated Darrell Evans hitting in front and in back of him. I just can’t see it. But I totally get where you are coming from.
Tom House never said the 3 took steroids but he said steroids was popular back then. He also was a pitching coach for the Rangers in the 90s when almost the whole was doing it. It’s also been mentioned he was Nolan Ryan’s pitching coach and he got better the older he got.
I didn’t mean Aaron or Evans were taking PEDs either. I was saying how Johnson had a lot of protection in the lineup. I wouldn’t say Ryan got better as he got older, I think it’s more of he found a way to stay the same pitcher his whole career which if you think about it, it’s unheard of. To keep throwing heat and a off the table curve and pitch 9 innings. He’s the only guy I can think of who is around for 20 plus seasons and never had to change his stuff. Ryan never had to learn a new pitch or work with diminished velocity. He threw 98 at 25 and 45.
I get it but Davey would have to have been way way ahead of any curve at that time of using PED’s. He hit 40+ in the early 70’s not the late 90’s or early aughts. He’s a genuine “career year” guy.
RIP Davey…..
Skipper of those 1980s Mets teams that wreaked havoc on the National League … the 2nd baseman on the Orioles when they lost the 1969 World Series to the Miracle Mets … the #5 shirt he wore in New York is retired, now as much for him as it was for David Wright.
All of New York baseball mourns for Davey Johnson.
RIP to a legend. A great career in baseball. His managerial career alone is HOF worthy in my opinion, and combined with his playing career, definitely deserves a spot in Cooperstown (never understood why someone has to go in as one or the other, rather than a cumulative career).
Yea, doesn’t deserve it as player of manager, but does with the combination of both
What an incredible career. to win a world series as a player and a manager and to hold a positional record for home runs for darn near half a century are incredible achievements. I think it’s a shame that MLB doesn’t take in the totality of a person’s career when considering a person’s hall of fame credentials because when you do, Davey Johnson should be in.
MLB doesn’t vote for Hall of Fame candidates. Writers do.
Ken Dryden and now Davey. You entertained us with your talent and skills and I thank you for that.
Sad to see. Of course, remember him as Reds manager but remember seeing him play as well. RIP Davey. Condolences to his family and friends.
I can’t believe it’s been 30 years since a post-season series win. That’s pretty unfathomable with a team of the Reds’ history.
And this one won’t be either
RIP. His Mets teams will live in baseball lore forever.
86’ mets caused a curse for all future Mets teams because of the Buckner play
Superstition is the religion of the feeble minded
Religion IS superstition.
Yup. Say the right things and go to the right “house of worship” and glory in perpetuity awaits you…unlike the dummies who adhere to religions other than your own, who will suffer horribly.
My my. Such vitriol.
You guys should really pick up a Bible and read it sometime. It’s either all truth or all lies because in its entirety, the Bible is about Jesus. Before you decide that it is all lies, consider “What if you’re wrong?” I hope that Davey Johnson is with the Lord right now. Peace.
If I’m wrong, I’ll roast in hell and you can chuckle at my foolishness, yes?
RIP Davey.
Condolences to Davey Johnson’s family, friends, baseball family and fans.
Outstanding player on great Baltimore Orioles teams.
Outstanding Manager on some of the best NY Mets teams ever.
RIP.
86 amazin miracle mets
The greatest comeback in ws history
Should be in hof
RIP
Interestingly he had winning records with all 5 clubs he managed. Seems like something worthy of a Stark deep dive.
He was similar to Billy Martin in that the teams he managed almost always improved a lot, often making the postseason, and that his tenures as a manager didn’t last very long despite the success.
Man, what a full life he led…
RIP Davey. As I sit here in NYC, I will never forget scalping a ticket to the last gave of the 1986 World Series at Shea Stadium and seeing the Mets win. You were a great player and manager.
No, he was a good player and a very good manager. Stop diluting the HOF. Andre Dawson in HOF with a career BA of .279. Career obp of .323 not even above average! Excellent career, not HOF worthy.
He deserves to be in the HOF as a manager, he had success wherever he went. I suspect that his crusty personality and the fact that he “only” won 1 WS has kept him from getting in.
He sounded like a man who didn’t tolerate foolish men in suits very well. Gotta like that in a manager.
We have lost some legends this year. RIP Davey!
RIP
Very memorable manager, almost HOF manager, first ballot Hall of Very Good
Sad for him to go but I will always say he made Dwight gooden pitch far too many innings when the Mets were ahead by 5 or more runs.
In retrospect yes.
But N.L. teams only carried 10 pitchers then, sometimes 11.
Guys who could go 8 or 9 consistently were invaluable.
The Mets had the foresight to retire Johnson’s number (5) earlier this year. Most people think it was for David Wright.
Sad news. Great manager for the mid 80s Mets. He had been their AAA manager and knew the talent they had in their system and pushed to promote many of them. Perfect guy to manage that team in that era.
The right manager for the 1986 Mets. Rest in Peace, Davey.
Thanks for leading that 86 Mets team that provided so many thrills. I was at Game 7 of the WS with my bro and it remains the most iconic sports moment of my life. A close 2nd is you hitting the ball that wound up in Cleon Jones mitt for the last out of the 69 WS. RIP
Cleon is still The Man!
Great manager. If you had good to average vets he could get them to play together and not over manage. At least not with the Reds.
Among the things that derailed the Reds after 94-95. Firing basically Davey because he was committing a sin in the eyes Eva Braun was the main one. Reducing major league payroll after being Top 5 in baseball. Back when salaries had not exploded but they did after some owners realized the cap was never going to happen.
Marge had already gutted the farm budget and her quote. What do scouts do all day but watch baseball. That’s a classic. Farm regressed so badly during the rest of the decade. Brett Tomko was the only developed starter for about 15 years that you could count on for anything decent. Aaron Boone in 1997. After that it wasn’t until Dunn and Kearns that any good positional players happened.
Evs Braun?
Aka Hitler’s mistress Margie
He was also an Earl Weaver guy. Weaver used stats like very few did back then. Not overly reliant though on them like today. Back when managers controlled the lineup. Strategy. Roster.
Yeah, Earl would write information about each player in the game on his index cards that he would refer to during games.
Wow. R.I.P. Davey. Met him in a bar in the city when he was managing the Nationals. Got to have a drink with him and talk a little baseball and life. Really nice guy. Manager of those 86 Mets. He is already missed..
R.I.P. My favorite Met manager!
Rest in Paradise Davey.
I would have thought he’d have had more than 136 career HRs since he had over 40 in 1 season alone.
If I’m not mistaken he broke Kenny Hubbs record for either consecutive errorless games or chances at 2B. But he eventually had his record surpassed. Perhaps by R. Alomar?
RIP Davey, A great baseball career!
RIP D. Johnson, baseball owes you a debt of gratitude!
I don’t think “he led Cincinnati to the AL Central title”.
Fixed now, thank you.
As a Phillie fan, I remember Davey hitting 2 PINCH HIT grand slams in one season.
Rest in peace. He was dismissed by the Orioles, and they struggled for years afterwards. He was a good manager.
RIP Davey Johnson. One of the coolest managers growing up watching. One of the most underrated managers of his era.
He led the Mets to six straight first place or second place finishes, 1984-1989.
But I remember spoiled, whiny Mets fans in those days constantly shouting that he should be fired.
I had season tickets and attended about 25 games at Shea every year, and I would tell these people that they didn’t know how good they had it.
As the song says, you don’t know what you got till it’s gone. 🤷♂️
RIP, Davey. In addition to his career as a manager in MLB, he also briefly managed the Netherlands team, then the US team to a medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
R.I.P Davey. Thank you for all the memories.
His own man, RIP Davey.
RIP and he would still do a better job than Dave Roberts.
The variable chance deviation theory.
Marge never wanted Davey to manage and its probably no coincidence that the team immediately faltered under Ray Knight. Those ’96-’97 Orioles teams were brutal to play against.
R.I.P. Davey
I can’t believe how long it’s been since the 1980s, when Davey managed some of the best Mets teams ever. R.I.P.
RIP Davey Johnson the Greatest Mets Manager in History responsible for both Mets WS Championships ’86 and ’69 as a member of the Orioles.
He arrived in 1984 and brought the swagger to the Team along with Doc Gooden, Straw, Lenny, Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling, Kevin Mitchell, Ray Knight and Kid Carter. I lived at Shea Stadium during the 80’s so I watched up close.
Mets owned NYC in those days been all downhill since.
Davey made the memorable final out in the ’69 WS fly ball to Cleon Jones.
Johnson was the winningest manager in Mets history and was also the first ever in MLB to win at least 90 games his first five seasons as manager.
Was one of the trio with the Braves in the 40 HR Club along with Hank Aaron and Darrell Evans.
Great moments as a WS Oriole player and manager of several Teams.
Well done!
Yeah, last year was terrible, wasn’t it?
Last year was not terrible but no comparison to the Magic of ’69 or ’73 nor the dominance of ’86. I guess you had to be there to understand the difference.
Probably a top 5 managers of all times. Rest in plush n
Huh?
He didn’t seem to know the nationals were playing games the next two days during a blowout. He brought drew storen in and couldn’t seal the win because he was pitching his third day in a row.
What does that have to do with the gibberish posted by the OP?
RIP. He and Herzog went toe to toe in the 80s. It was the best rivalry for the Cardinals in my lifetime.
Rest in Peace. Still the last manager to lead the Mets franchise to a World Series title.
And he had experience other than being a Yankees bench coach like Rojas and Mendoza; God bless and heal his family and Amazing Grace Davey
He really does belong in the HOF since they combine playing and managing careers. Very good player + great manager= HOF. Same was true of Torre but in reverse great player and very good manager. IMO of course.
You mean that your comments reveal your opinions? Wow, never would’ve thought of that.
In 1973, these were the explanation for Davey Johnson’s newfound elite power: Davey Johnson was a low fastball hitter and the NL was a low fastball league. Many gave credit to the ballpark but he hit well in away games too. Injuries derailed his career after 73.
Great former manager of the New York Mets (among others). RIP, Davey and thanks for your leadership.
May he rest in peace. He was a wonderful player and a very good manager.
The ’86 Mets have recently become my favorite subject in baseball history. I’m old enough to remember the ’86 Mets but not old enough to have appreciated them for what they were. I always respected Davey Johnson as a manager. I just didn’t understand the full history until recently. RIP to one of baseball’s most shameless personalities. He was the “smartest guy in the room” and he knew it. RIP Davey Johnson.
Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden are cautionary tales. They were the two of the very best young players of the 80’s until they allowed drugs to derail their Hall of Fame talent. I was in awe of their talent at such young ages.
Gil Hodges at first, Davey Johnson at second, Buddy Harrelson at shortstop, Joe Torre at third. Yogi Berra behind the plate. That’s pretty good.
I still remember him starting Kevin Mitchell at SS for 20 games in 1986.
That took a lot of courage but apparently Davey knew what he was doing.
Davey knew baseball analytics even before it was a thing.
One of my favorite baseball cards, as a youth.
RIP, Davey !
I remember Davey in my early Phillies memory banks as a a greatd bat off the bench. I really recall the 86 Mets and his contribution is really underrated. Quite a few platoons backed that amazing pitching staff and he deserves credit for using his whole roster to destroy the NL that year. And as things came out later….that team must have been a handful in the locker room….RIP Davey…
Davey Johnson was an underrated manager (I bet the Yankees wish he were still with us,because,at 82,he’d be a better manager than Aaron Boone) AND player.(In 1973,Johnson,Henry Aaron and Darrell Evans because MLB’s first three 40-homer teammates,with Aaron’s 40 leaving him one short of Babe Ruth,whose record “Hammerin’ Henry” eclipsed Apr.8,1974 off Dodgers and former Yankees lefty Al Downing;both men wore Number 44..)
Johnson outed Cliff Johnson as being born in 1943 like Davey (Cliff claims he was born July 22,1947) by saying that Cliff Johnson and Davey Johnson played on the same baseball team for 17-year-olds in 1960,Florida’s first integrated youth baseball club. RIP,Davey,you’ll be missed !!!!!!