The baseball world came together to mourn Davey Johnson after the legendary former player and manager died Friday at 82.
He notably managed the Mets to their last World Series title in 1986.
“Davey Johnson was the greatest manager I ever played for,” Darryl Strawberry said in a statement through the team. “He let us do our own thing. This is a sad day for the Mets and for the 1986 Mets family.”
“Without a doubt he saved my career,” Keith Hernandez said. “He let me be myself on the field. He knew when to be tough and when to take it easier. It was a joy playing for him.”
“He took a chance on me when I was 19,” Dwight Gooden said. “Davey wasn’t afraid to make a tough decision. I know I wouldn’t have had the career I did without him.”
Davey Johnson died on Friday. Getty Images North America
“Getting to the major leagues is tough,” Ron Darling said. “Succeeding in the major leagues is even harder, and to accomplish that you need a guardian angel. Davey was my guardian angel.”
“Davey was responsible for the most successful run in our history,” Mets team historian and longtime former PR director Jay Horwitz wrote. “From 1984–1990, we won over 100 games twice and over 90 contests on two other occasions. His overall record was 595 (most wins by a Mets manager) and 417 losses, a winning percentage of .588.
“But wins and losses don’t really tell the story of what made Davey great. He was brash, had swagger, and was the perfect guy to lead our team in the 1980’s which had so many different personalities. He was never afraid to speak his mind.”
Johnson was the winningest manager in Mets history and was also the first ever in MLB to win at least 90 games his first five seasons as manager.
“I learned more about the inner workings of baseball from Davey Johnson than from anyone else during my career,” longtime Mets radio play-by-play announcer Howie Rose wrote on X.
“I will always cherish our daily sessions together during the Mets Extra days and am so sad to hear of his passing. RIP, old friend. Will share more later today.”
Davey Johnson won two World Series as a player with the Orioles. Getty Images
Johnson also had a 13-year playing career.
With the Orioles, he made the last out — a fly ball that was caught by Cleon Jones — in the Mets’ first World Series win in 1969.
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He won two World Series and appeared in four with the Orioles.
“Sad to learn of the passing of my longtime teammate and friend, Davey Johnson,” Jim Palmer wrote 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.”
Johnson also managed the Reds, Orioles, Dodgers and Nationals.
“The baseball world has lost a giant of the game,” Johnson’s biographer, Erik Sherman, posted on X. “Davey Johnson, All Star player for the Orioles that won four pennants and two World Series and world championship manager of the ’86 Mets passed away last night. A privilege to be his biographer and close friend.”
He tallied a career 1,372-1,071 record (.562), including a 595-417 (.588) mark in Flushing.
He last managed the 2013 Nationals.