Davey Johnson

Second baseman and manager who won World Series titles as a player with the Orioles and as a manager with the Mets.

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David Allen Johnson (January 30, 1943 – September 5, 2025) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played as a second baseman, most notably in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the Baltimore Orioles dynasty which won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1966 and 1971. Johnson played in MLB from 1965 to 1975, including a stint with the Atlanta Braves from 1973 to 1975, then played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 1976 and 1977, and returned to MLB with the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs in 1978. A three-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner, he was selected to four All-Star Game teams during his playing career.

Quick Facts

Position: Second baseman; Manager
Bats: Right
Born: 30 January 1943
Birthplace: Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Died: 5 September 2025
Place of death: Sarasota, Florida, U.S.
Debut league: MLB
Debut date: April 13

Lore & Background

A mathematics major at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, Johnson was among the first Major League managers to apply computer-based statistical analysis to decision-making, an approach which later became known as sabermetrics. After retiring as a player, Johnson became a successful manager. He led the New York Mets to the 1986 World Series title, and to an additional National League East title in 1988. He won the American League's Manager of the Year Award in 1997, when he led the Baltimore Orioles wire-to-wire to the American League East division championship.

He won the same award in the National League in 2012, when he led the Washington Nationals to the franchise's first division title since they moved to Washington, D.C., and its first overall since 1981. Johnson managed teams to their respective League Championship Series in three consecutive years – the Cincinnati Reds in 1995 and the Orioles in both 1996 and 1997. He also briefly managed the Los Angeles Dodgers. He led the United States national team at the 2009 World Baseball Classic, earning fourth place.

Reader's Guide

Johnson signed with the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent in 1962 after one season at Texas A&M University. He made the Orioles in 1965, took over as starting second baseman in 1966, and played in the World Series with the Orioles in 1966, 1969, 1970, and 1971, winning rings in 1966 and 1970. He won the AL Gold Glove Award in his final three seasons with the Orioles. Traded to the Atlanta Braves on December 1, 1972, he hit 42 home runs as a second baseman in 1973 (plus one as a pinch-hitter), tying Rogers Hornsby's record.

Released by the Braves four games into the 1975 season, he signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Central League for the 1975 and 1976 seasons. He returned to MLB in 1977 with the Philadelphia Phillies, and was traded to the Chicago Cubs during the 1978 season, retiring at the end of that year. As a manager, he led the New York Mets (1984–1990), Cincinnati Reds (1993–1995), Baltimore Orioles (1996–1997), Los Angeles Dodgers (1999–2000), and Washington Nationals (2011–2013). He also managed the United States national team at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Did You Know?

Johnson hit two pinch-hit grand slams in the 1978 season, tying the major league record set earlier that same year by Mike Ivie.
He was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame on August 1, 2010.
Johnson is the winningest manager in Mets history with 595 regular-season wins.
In 1973, Johnson, Darrell Evans, and Hank Aaron became the first trio of teammates to each hit 40 home runs in the same season.