Davey Johnson, ’86 World Champion Manager, died at 82

Davei Johnson, Director of the 1986 World Champions New York MetsShe died. He was 82 years old.

Long time introduced representative relationships with the public Jai Horvitz, said Johnson’s wife, Susan, informed him about his death after a long illness. Johnson was in the hospital in Sarasota, Florida, when Friday died, Horvitz said.

Johnson was the second bazager who hit the power-played for 13 years in Major, shared in the title series with Baltimore Orioles 1966 and 1970. and by hitting 43 Homer for Atlanta Braves 1973. While serving as an offensive shield for Henry Aaron teammate.

“I just lost my friend, a teammate and confidential,” guard’s hall and former Ace Jim Palmer wrote in the text on Saturday morning about his former teammate.

But Johnson’s most important professional brand was like a manager. Over 17 seasons as a skipper, they led five teams – Mets, Cincinnati RedsOrioles, Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals – And every stop of the winning records published. As a manager, 1,372-1.071 left for a winning percentage, sixth highest among managers with at least 1,300 victories.

We are grieving the passage of Orioles Slave second Baseman Davei Johnson, who deserved three slices with all stars with the club and later managed the team to two post-seasoned performances. pic.twitter.com/ gca25r0vth

– Baltimore Orioles (@ aoores) 6. September 2025

“He believed in his players,” said Darryl Strawberries, a real walk to meet Johnson, in a conversation on Saturday morning. “He believed in us. He was one of us. He believed in every last of us … I would never throw you under the bus … We all loved him.

“He was the biggest manager I’ve ever played for.”

Former Washington General Manager Mike Rizzo said about Johnson, “One of the great baseball minds of all time. The advanced thinker from the old school’s soul. Dear friend.”

Johnson ran into his teams with a braver and unclothed style, often clashed his bosses, and the players mostly liked to play for him. Johnson managed Mets’s farm in agriculture before taking over the Big League team for the 1984 season. Years, and many of his players rose with him. He liked to promote young players, believing that their energy has made a difference in long seasons. In his first season, it is difficult for the front office to open the year with a talented, but inexperienced right-wing right, Dwight Goodene.

That season, Gooden led Major with 276 shots in 218 innings, with 2.60 era. He finished second in the National League of CIs a young voting voting and was declared a newcoming year of the year. Mets won 90 games in Johnson’s first year at the forehead.

Mets was 1985. Won 98 games at the regular season, but they were beaten for NL East by St. Louis CardinalsAnd when the team gathered to talk to the next spring, Johnson was recalled, Johnson stood in a club house and said, “I’m not going to say everything, and we’ll be all to say.”

Strawberries stroke the story. “And (players) looked back at each other and said,” You know what? He’s right. Let’s go dominating. “

With the Basic Group of Gooden, Strawberry and other young players join Keith Hernandez, Ray Knight and (at the end) of Gary Carter, Metsova built a power plant that won 108 matches of the regular season 1986. Years Houston Astros In the playoffs and Boston red juice In the epic series with seven games – prominently upon return in the game 6, which ended with Mookie Wilson’s earthy balls through the feet of Bill Bucner.

Strawberry also played in 1998. years New York YankeesWhich has won 125 games in regular season and postseason, and he said he believes that ’86 Mets team is better than ’98 Yankees.

There was expectations that Johnson’s acquaintance would continue to win more championships. But injuries and personal problems have interrupted the size of the group, which failed to play in 1987. years and lost the NL series in 1988. year, because Johnson increased more and more with the manager’s general manager, sometimes over drinking managers. When Mets started slowly in the 1990 season. Year, Johnson was fired.

Until then, he had a well-established reputation for his understanding of statistics. Johnson played for Orioles Manager Earl Veaver, one of the most survivable ERE manager, and often stated the weave for some of what he introduced inside. Palmer was the early Proponent of “Raw Analytics” at the time. Palmer noticed the text of how the weaving was an early advocate “crude analytics.”

Johnson played in Texas A & M and loved mathematics. For years later, when you play the second base for the oriel, Palmer recalled, he ran into the embankment while watching Dave McNally fought to hit the corners.

“Have you ever heard of deviating theory from variable chance?” Johnson asked McNalli, who was a biibrant. Johnson’s point was that Mcnalli would have a better chance that she simply imposed the ball in the middle of the plate, instead of trying to turn the corners and make the baseball work for him.

Five decades later, the theory that Johnson mentioned that McNalli reflects the general belief of analytically affected front offices around Major. “He was a precursor of modern analytics and throws theory,” Palmer noticed.

“What they play today is computer, analytics. Davey whether The computer, “Strawberry said.” Mentally, Davey was Hard. … He was a great player and I had a player mentality, though he was a manager. I think it was a player, he understood them. “

Johnson also believed in talent and made pleasant players. “Davey was fantastic with a young throw,” David Cone wrote, who played for Johnson with Mets. “He had patience and inserted trust in all his young pitchers.”

The cone remembered that his first start with Mets was a disaster, with 10 duration allowed in five entries. “He invited me to his office and told me to believe in me,” The cone wrote in the text “and that I will learn from that experience.

“She also encouraged (other base) Vally Backman to put a softball in a club house to make fun of my Fastball at Houston Astros night before – a great combination of confidence and humility to keep me and learn how to cross bad games.”

Johnson had a myriad talent and personality with Mets, Palmer wrote “and used his experiences to manage that ship.”

Horvitz, who was the head of media relations for Mets, when Johnson succeeded, called a lot of former teammates on Saturday morning to give them news about Johnson’s death. “Bold and Brash,” he said. “Always willing to use the opportunity.”

Johnson once told Palmer that he never had his decisions. Instead, he used the information he had, he applied the feeling of the intestine – and what happened, he moved emotionally.

“He once made a decision about something, he was stuck with that,” Jagoda said. “You know what’s telling me? He believed in his players.”

Johnson hired Red in 1993. years, so although Cincinnati made the playoffs in 1995. years, was fired after that season. Oriole hired him in 1996. years and early in that season, sometimes conflicted with team veterans. For example, he told reporters to move Cal Ripken in the third base before he talked to Ripken, who finished Gunvoche and Gunovna Year Games in Shortstop. But after the end of the season, it is connected to players, who won the playoffs and advanced to the series of the American League Championship.

Next year, as they had grown to win Al East, Johnson bumped on the owner of Baltimore Petra Angelos when two fought through Johnson’s incident with other Bases Roberto Alomar. After the season for which Johnson was appointed by the Manager of the Year – award twice wins his career – Johnson resigned.

Johnson will later manage Dodgers in three seasons, and in the midst of 2011, he hired him citizens.

Washington won his first department in 2012. years, and although the team went 86-76, Johnson would later say that he pushed the club by the Club’s leadership.

“He was a tough guy with a caring heart,” Rizzo wrote.

In his text, Palmer described how he and Johnson came to Oriola at the same time, 1965. years.

“A year later, Frank Robinson came and focused us in Championship – Frank taught us all toughness and will to win,” Palmer wrote. “Hammerkin ‘Hank (Aaron) taught Davey how to guess in Atlanta in 1973. years.

“I will miss you stupidly stupid but I will never forget him.”

The associated press has contributed to this report.