Davey Johnson, a four-time All-Star second baseman who went on to arguably greater heights as one of the most successful managers of his generation, made a mark on Cincinnati Reds baseball that stands 30 years later — still the last to manage the Reds to a postseason series victory.
Johnson, who replaced Tony Perez as manager of the Reds 45 games into the 1993 season, died Friday at 82, the Baltimore Orioles announced.
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Johnson, who was born in Orlando, Florida, and grew up in Texas, earned baseball fame after signing with the Orioles as an amateur free agent in 1962, going on to help Earl Weaver’s teams win two World Series championships, including a 1970 five-game Series over the Big Red Machine in which Johnson went 5-for-16 (.313) with two doubles and a .914 OPS.
Reds pitcher Jose Rijo with manager Davey Johnson in 1995, the last year the Reds won a postseason series.
He won three Gold Gloves for those teams built around pitching, defense and “three-run homers” — hitting 43 of his career 136 home runs in 1973 to establish a big-league record for second basemen that stood for 48 years (Marcus Semien, 45 in 2021).
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Upon retirement as a player, Johnson quickly began a career as a manager, first in the minors and eventually for 17 big-league seasons for five teams, including the Reds for most of three seasons.
He won Manager of the Year awards in 1997 with Baltimore and 2012 with the Washington Nationals and managed the notorious 1986 New York Mets to a World Series title — still the Mets’ last championship.
His .562 winning percentage in 2,443 games ranks ninth all-time among managers with at least 2,000 games. The eight ahead of him on that list are all in the Hall of Fame.
Cincinnati might best remember Johnson as the man in charge in 1995 when MVP Barry Larkin’s Reds swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs before being eliminated by eventual-champion Atlanta in the National League Championship Series.
The Reds have not won a postseason series since.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Davey Johnson, last to manage Cincinnati Reds playoff winner, dies at 82