Mets legend Davey Johnson passes away at age 82

Johnson, Mets manager from 1984-1990, has the highest winning percentage of any manager in franchise history.

It was with great sadness that the news broke on Saturday morning that former Mets manager Davey Johnson has sadly passed away at the age of 82.

Johnson was the club’s skipper from 1984-1990, a stretch that most people consider the golden age of Mets baseball. In that time, Johnson won the second world championship in franchise history in 1986 and compiled a 595-417 record. Johnson remains the most winning manager in Mets history with a .588 winning percentage over his seven seasons.

Over the course of his managerial career Johnson won 1,372 total games in the big leagues with the Mets, Reds, Orioles, Dodgers and Nationals, managing as recently as the 2013 season with Washington. Johnson also served as manager for Team USA during the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Johnson won the Manager of the Year Award in 1997 with the Orioles and in 2012 with the Nationals.

“Not only we will win this year, but we will dominate.”
–Davey Johnson in Spring Training (1986)

In 13 seasons as a player, Johnson hit .261/.340/.404 with 136 home runs, 242 doubles, 609 RBI, 564 runs scored, a .744 OPS, a 110 OPS+ and a 28.9 fWAR with the Orioles, Braves, Phillies and Cubs. Johnson was a four-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove Award winner, and two-time World Series champion (1966, 1970) over the course of his playing career. He even spent two seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan.

Jay Horwitz, the long-time Mets staffer, wrote a lovely tribute to Davey Johnson early on Saturday morning as the news broke.

“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,” Horwitz wrote. “Davey was innovate, bold and someone who was never afraid to take a chance. I’m glad I got a chance to give him one last embrace.”

Johnson is a member of the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fames. He is mourned by his wife Susan, and the rest of the baseball world.