Long-term major league manager and infielder Davey Johnson Johnson died in his 13-year career at the age of 82. He was a four-time All-Star in his 13-year career, and he continued to manage five different teams as manager in 17 seasons, winning the championship with the Mets in 1986.
In 1965, after breaking into the Grand Slam with the Orioles, he became Baltimore’s daily second baseman the following year and finished third in the annual AL rookie vote. Johnson also won his first World Series ring at the time, adding a second game with the Orioles in 1970. Superstar teammates like Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson and Jim Palmer have mostly headlined in the Golden Age of Orioles, but Johnson offers excellent gloves (three golds) and above-level landing cars and on lockdown cars.
Johnson offered an All-Star season with the Braves in 1973, hitting 43 home runs in a single season record for the second baseman until Marcus Semien won 45 docks in the 2021 Blue Jays game. Johnson’s work then dropped in 1974, and he played with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan in 1975-76. It was a tumultuous two-year run, Johnson fought with injuries, eventually helping the Giants into the 1976 Japanese series, and then Johnson returned to his last two Major League Baseball seasons with the Phillies and the Cubs in 1977-78.
Johnson was even seen as a future manager early in his career, and he did turn to the farm system that began managing the Metropolitan in 1981 almost immediately after retirement. This led to the promotion of the Mets’ major league captain in 1984, with Johnson immediately leading New York to 90 consecutive wins in five straight 90 consecutive wins. This outstanding game includes two NL East titles in 1986 and 1988, highlighted by the 108-win team in 1986, and it remains the latest Metropolitan Club to win the World Series title recently.
The situation between Johnson and Mets general manager Frank Cashen eventually led to Johnson being fired in 1990. This essentially sets the tone for Johnson’s management career – he will lead a team to success, but he will be dismissed relatively quickly due to conflicts with ownership or top management. Johnson’s next four incumbents as Captain saw that he never stayed on the team for more than three seasons, although Johnson had only one record below .500 in his eight final seasons as manager.
For example, Johnson dismissed Johnson’s hatred after the 1995 season with infamous former Reds boss Marge Schott, despite leading Cincinnati to the AL Central Championship while the NLDS beat the Dodgers, which remains the latest playoff victory for the Reds. Johnson then returned to his old stampede and led the Orioles to playoffs in 1996 and 1997, but even earned AL Manager of the Year honors in 1997, it didn’t show up in the dispute between Johnson and O’s boss Peter Angelos.
Johnson put the Dodgers to a 163-161 record in 1999-2000, marking the only time Johnson has not led a team as manager for at least one playoff spot. He has managed international baseball for most of the next decade, while also serving as consultant positions for the Nationals (starting in 2006), paving the way for his final management work in 2011, when Johnson took over as interim captain after Jim Riggleman’s resignation. Johnson was appointed full-time captain after his first year in Washington and received NL honors of the year for leading the Nats to the 2012 NL East Crown. However, Johnson was 70 in his last season in Washington, but the Lerner family did not view him as a long-term manager and retired after the 86-week season in 2013.
Johnson’s outspoken way is known for his arrogant personality, which may have hurt him in maintaining a stable employment, but it certainly helped his ability to manage the club. Johnson is considered a bit ahead of his time in terms of running teams, one of the first captains to use some analysis to help develop his game plan. Johnson was a math major in college and was known for analyzing the edge on the field, earning him the ironic nickname of his Oriole teammate’s “dum-dum.”
Johnson’s career management record is 1372-1071 in 17 seasons. His resume as a player includes 136 home runs and .261/.340/.404 slashes in 1435 games and 5465 sets appearances, which are his 13 MLB seasons that benefit 112 WRC+. Although Johnson did not have a Hall of Fame induction due to the votes of multiple Veterans Commissions, his overall work at baseball is certainly worthy of Cooperstown, and it can be argued that Johnson should nod his management work alone.
Major League Baseball trade rumors expressed condolences to Johnson’s family, friends and peers.
