Washington (AFP) – Davey Johnson, who captured two World Series titles as a player and another MLB crown as a manager, has died, New York Mets vice-president of alumni public relations Jay Horwitz announced on Saturday. Horwitz said Johnson’s wife, Susan, told him Johnson had died Friday at age 82 in a hospital at Sarasota, Florida, after a long illness.
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Davey Johnson,” the Mets said in a statement. Johnson was a four-time All-Star second baseman, taking three Gold Glove Awards for his fielding, and helped spark the Baltimore Orioles to World Series triumphs in 1966 and 1970.
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“Sad to learn of the passing of my longtime teammate and friend, Davey Johnson,” former Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer posted on X. “We came to the O’s the same year, 1965…raised our families together, won 2 World Series together, learned the Oriole way together. Amazing life of helping others as a friend, teammate, and manager.”
He also managed the Mets to the 1986 World Series crown over Boston with a stellar squad including Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez, Dwight Gooden, and Gary Carter. “I’m deeply saddened by the loss of Davey Johnson, a remarkable leader who transformed the Mets franchise into a winning organization,” Strawberry posted on Instagram. “His ability to empower players to express themselves while maintaining a strong commitment to excellence was truly inspiring. Davey’s legacy will forever be etched in the hearts of fans and players alike.”
As a manager, Johnson guided four different teams into the playoffs — the Mets, Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, and Washington Nationals — and also managed the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1999 and 2000. Johnson was American League Manager of the Year with Baltimore in 1997 and Washington in 2012 and went 1,372-1,071 in 17 seasons as an MLB manager from 1984 to 2013.
“We mourn the passing of Orioles Hall of Fame second baseman Davey Johnson, who earned three All-Star berths with the club and later managed the team to two postseason appearances,” the Orioles said in a statement.
Globally, Johnson played for the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants in Japan in 1975 and 1976 after being cut by Atlanta four games into the 1975 campaign. He played two final MLB seasons for Philadelphia and the Chicago Cubs before retiring in 1978.
Johnson was a bench coach for the Netherlands at the 2004 Athens Olympics and managed the United States to seventh in the 2005 Baseball World Cup. He served as a US bench coach at the 2006 World Baseball Classic, then managed the Americans to a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and fourth at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
With the Mets, Johnson became the first NL manager to win 90 games or more in each of his first five seasons and his 595 wins with the club remain a Mets record.
© 2024 AFP
