Davey Johnson

Lore & Background

Johnson was a mathematics major at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and was among the first Major League managers to apply computer-based statistical analysis to decision-making, an approach later known as sabermetrics. He managed teams to their respective League Championship Series in three consecutive years: the Cincinnati Reds in 1995 and the Baltimore Orioles in 1996 and 1997. He also briefly managed the Los Angeles Dodgers and led the United States national team at the 2009 World Baseball Classic, earning fourth place.

In Their Own Story

The lights of Shea Stadium hummed with anticipation as Davey Johnson paced the dugout steps, his cap pulled low over his eyes. He didn't need to shout; his presence alone commanded the room. The air was thick with the smell of cut grass and tension. As the pitcher wound up for the final out of the 1986 World Series, Johnson gripped the railing, knuckles white, watching the drama unfold that would cement his name in New York lore forever. There were no Rangers fans here tonight, only Mets faithful holding their breath.

Reader's Guide

Johnson's playing career began with the Baltimore Orioles organization after signing as an amateur free agent in 1962. He won World Series rings with the Orioles in 1966 and 1970. He hit 42 home runs as a second baseman for the Atlanta Braves in 1973, tying Rogers Hornsby's record, and later hit two grand slams as a pinch-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1978, a first in MLB. As a manager, he won 90 or more games in each of his first five seasons with the Mets, and later led the Baltimore Orioles wire-to-wire to the American League East title in 1997 and the Washington Nationals to their first division title since moving to Washington, D.C., in 2012.

Did You Know?

• Johnson hit 43 home runs in 1973, with 42 as a second baseman and one as a pinch-hitter.
• He was the first major leaguer to hit two grand slams as a pinch-hitter in a single season (1978).
• Johnson is the winningest manager in New York Mets history.
• He was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame on August 1, 2010.