BASEBALL
Davey Johnson, former Mets skipper, dies
NEW YORK — Davey Johnson, an All-Star second baseman who won the World Series twice with the Baltimore Orioles as a player and managed the New York Mets to the title in 1986, has died. He was 82.
Longtime Mets public relations representative Jay Horwitz said Johnson’s wife, Susan, informed him of his death after a long illness. Johnson was at a hospital in Sarasota, Fla., when he died Friday, Horwitz said.
Johnson played 13 major league seasons with Baltimore, the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs from 1965-78 and won the Gold Glove three times while being voted an All-Star four times. He managed the Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals during a span from 1984-2013.
Former Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo called it a tough day.
“Davey was a good man, close friend and a mentor,” Rizzo said in a text message. “A Hall of Fame caliber manager with a baseball mind ahead of his time.”
Darryl Strawberry, a member of the ’86 Mets, on social media called Johnson a remarkable leader who transformed the franchise into a winning organization.
“His ability to empower players to express themselves while maintaining a strong commitment to excellence was truly inspiring,” Strawberry posted on Instagram with a photo of him, Johnson and Dwight “Doc” Gooden. “Davey’s legacy will forever be etched in the hearts of fans and players alike. My heartfelt condolences go out to Susan Johnson and the entire Johnson family during this difficult time. He will be missed but remembered for his incredible impact on the game and the lives he touched.”
Johnson was AL manager of the year in 1997 when Baltimore won the division. He was NL manager of the year in 2012 when the Nationals made the playoffs for the first time since the move from Montreal.
FILE – New York Mets Manager Davey Johnson talks with reporters prior to the opening game of the World Series between the Mets and the Boston Red Sox at Shea Stadium in New York, Oct. 18, 1986. (AP Photo/Paul Bemoit, File)
FILE– Baltimore Orioles manager Davey Johnson, shown in this 1969 file photo. (AP Photo/File)
FILE – New York Mets’ manager Davey Johnson argues with home plate umpire Jim Quick after Mets’ Keith Hernandez was ejected after arguing over a strike three call in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants,, May 30, 1985 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
FILE – New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, left, New York Mets Manager Davey Johnson, center, and New York Mayor Ed Koch, raise their hands signaling “number one” during a tickertape parade for the World Series winners in downtown Manhattan, New York, Oct. 28, 1986, in New York. (AP Photo/Mario Cabrera, File)
