CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Davey Johnson, who won two MLB World Series titles as a player and another as a manager, has died at the age of 82. Johnson’s wife, Susan, confirmed his passing to Mets team historian Jay Horwitz on Saturday.
Johnson’s illustrious career spanned over decades. He was a four-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner, playing for teams including the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs. Johnson was part of two World Series-winning teams with the Orioles in 1966 and 1970.
Johnson began his managerial career with the New York Mets in 1984. He made history by becoming the first manager to win 90 or more games in each of his first five seasons. His leadership culminated in the Mets’ 1986 World Series victory, a season where the team won 108 games, defeated the Houston Astros for the NL pennant, and triumphed over the Boston Red Sox in a seven-game World Series.
Darryl Strawberry, a former player under Johnson, paid tribute to him on Instagram, calling him a “remarkable leader” who “transformed the Mets franchise into a winning organization.”
Johnson’s managerial journey continued with stints at the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Washington Nationals. He won the Manager of the Year Award twice, in 1997 and 2012, and ranks 33rd in career managerial wins with 1,372 victories.
He took over the Reds 44 games in the 1993 season after Marge Schott fired Tony Perez, had them in first place in the strike-shortened 1994 season and won the division title the last season. He went 204-172 in Cincinnati.
His career record was 1,372-1,071 for a .562 winning percentage. The wins rank No. 33 on MLB’s all-time list. Johnson also won Manager of the Year awards in both the American (1997) and National League (2012), one of seven skippers to win in both leagues.