Davey Johnson, the longtime major league manager and former All-Star second baseman, died on Friday at age 82.
Johnson managed four different teams to the postseason (Mets, Reds, Orioles, and Nationals), and won a World Series with the New York Mets in 1986. He managed the Dodgers in 1999 and 2000, his only managerial stop that did not include a trip to the playoffs.
“The Los Angeles Dodgers are saddened by the passing of Davey Johnson, who managed the team from 1999-2000,” the team said in a statement. “We offer our condolences to his family and friends.”
Johnson’s Mets won 100 games in 1988, two years after winning the World Series, but lost to the Dodgers in seven games in the NLCS.
Johnson’s last postseason trip was with the Nationals in 2012, with a phenom named Bryce Harper who made his major league debut at age 19 at Dodger Stadium that April. Johnson by that point had seen it all during his baseball life, and even he was amazed at the spectacle.
“I had a pretty good pitcher break in in New York named Dwight Gooden and I don’t remember seeing this many cameras,” Johnson said that day.
As a player, Johnson made four All-Star teams with the Orioles and Braves, and also captured three Gold Glove Awards at second base during his time in Baltimore. In 1973 with Atlanta, he hit 43 home runs, with 42 of them coming as a second baseman to tie Rogers Hornsby for most homers at the position in a season, a record that still stands. That year, Johnson joined Braves teammates Darrell Evans (41) and Henry Aaron (40) as the first team to have three players hit 40 home runs in the same season.
“Watching the video, I’m surprised. The initial feeling – yeah, I’m surprised,” he said. “It numbed up pretty quick. Couldn’t really put any pressure on it. There was pain up and down my leg. Thank God I’ve got a strong tib-fib. I guess I drank a lot of milk as a kid. It sucks, though.”
The two Dodgers relievers this year who came to mind reading this were Luis Garcia and Lou Trivino, who pitched in 28 and 26 games respectively for Los Angeles, and each of them led the team in appearances for the times they were on the active roster, before getting designated for assignment.