Davey Johnson
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ja:デーブ・ジョンソン David Allen Johnson (born January 30, 1943) in Orlando, Florida is a former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. Johnson played for the Baltimore Orioles (1965-72), Atlanta Braves (1973-75), Philadelphia Phillies (1977-78) and Chicago Cubs (1978). Also, he played in the Japanese League for the Yomiuri Giants (1975-76).
In his 13-year major league career, Johnson batted .261 with 136 home runs, 609 RBI, 564 runs, 1252 hits, 242 doubles, 18 triples, and 33 stolen bases in 1435 games.
Johnson began his managerial career in 1979. He won pennants in each of his three seasons in the minors and advanced quickly through the New York Mets farm system. He took over the parent club, which hadn't won a pennant since 1973 and was eager for success. Johnson went on to become the first National League manager to win at least 90 games in each of his first five seasons, winning the World Series in 1986 against the Boston Red Sox. Ironically, while with the Baltimore Oriles, Johnson made the final out to clinch the Mets' first ever World Championship in 1969.
He was let go by the Mets when the team struggled during the 1990 season, and was hired in 1993 by the Cincinnati Reds to revive their club. He enjoyed almost immediate success there in guiding the team to the Central Division lead at the time of the 1994 players' strike, and following up with the Division title in 1995. But friction with team management led to his departure after that season, and he returned to Baltimore to become the Orioles' manager. Again, he breathed new life into a struggling franchise as the Orioles earned a wild-card playoff berth in 1996 and the American League's Eastern Division title in 1997. His knack for turning teams around would fail, however, in a two-year term as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had beaten Johnson's heavily favored Mets in seven games in the 1988 National League Championship Series, in 1999-2000.
Highlights
- 4-time All-Star (1968-70, 1973)
- 3-time Gold Glove Award winner (1969-71)
- Hit 43 home runs for the Braves (1973), tying Rogers Hornsby's all-time mark for second basemen
- Johnson teamed with shortstop Mark Belanger a duo winner of two Gold Gloves, joining a select list of eight shortstop-second baseman combinations have won the honor in the same season while playing together (1969, 1971)
- 1997 American League Manager of the Year Award winner
See also
External links
- Playing career statistics at Baseball Reference (http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/johnsda02.shtml)
- Managerial career record at Baseball Reference (http://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/johnsda02.shtml)
- Page at Baseball Library (http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/J/Johnson_Davey.stm)
Categories: 1968 American League All-Stars | 1969 American League All-Stars | 1970 American League All-Stars | 1973 National League All-Stars | Atlanta Braves players | Baltimore Orioles players | Chicago Cubs players | Philadelphia Phillies players | Baseball managers | Major league second basemen | Cincinnati Reds managers | New York Mets managers | Baltimore Orioles managers | Los Angeles Dodgers managers | 1943 births | People from Florida