Davey Johnson

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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). Johnson was also a very successful manager in the 1980s and 1990s. Johnson managed the New York Mets (1984-1990), Cincinnati Reds (1993-1995), Baltimore Orioles (1996-1997), and Los Angeles Dodgers (1999-2000). Johnson is currently the manager for Team USA baseball.

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 was a 4 time All Star, and three time Gold Glove Award winner. Johnson was also a member of the Orioles 1966, and 1970 World Championship teams. Johnson's best statistical year came in 1973 when he broke Rogers Hornsby's record for most single season home runs by a second baseman with 43.

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 in 1984, 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, with the highlight being winning the World Series in 1986 against the Boston Red Sox. Ironically, while with the Baltimore Orioles, 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 early in 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 National League Central 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 East title in 1997. However, disagreements with ownership over issues such as having Roberto Alomar make out a check for a fine to a charity run by Johnson's wife without front-office authorization led to his resignation the day after he was named American League Manager of the Year. 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.

Johnson then became manager of Team USA, where he managed the United States team to a seventh-place finish out of an 18-team field in the 2005 Baseball World Cup, held in The Netherlands. The team finished tied for second in its group during group play with a 6-2 record before falling, 11-3, to eventual winner and 24-time World Cup champion Cuba in the quarterfinals. A subsequent 9-0 loss to Nicaragua put the Americans into the seventh-place game with Puerto Rico, where they prevailed with an 11-3 win.

Johnson also served as bench coach for Team USA during the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Johnson is currently working to earn Team USA a spot in the 2008 Summer Olympics.

On June 7, 2006, Johnson was hired by the Washington Nationals as a consultant to team general manager Jim Bowden. Bowden was the general manager of the Cincinnati Reds when Johnson served as the team's manager.

[edit] Highlights

4-time All-Star (1968-70, 1973)
3-time Gold Glove Award winner (1969-71)
Hit 43 home runs for the Braves (1973), breaking Rogers Hornsby's all-time mark for second baseman
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). Third baseman Brooks Robinson also was in the middle of his record 16 straight Gold Glove streak when Johnson and Belanger won their awards.
1997 American League Manager of the Year Award winner

See also

List of Gold Glove middle infield duos

[edit] Trivia

Johnson is the only player to have been a teammate of both the American and Japanese home run kings - he played with Hank Aaron in Atlanta from 1973-1974, and with Sadaharu Oh and the Yomiuri Giants from 1975-1976.
Johnson, batting against Jerry Koosman, was the last batter of the 1969 World Series flying out to give the Mets their first World Championship. He would go on to manage the Mets to their second, with Jesse Orosco striking out the final batter. Coincidentally, the two pitchers had been traded for each other after the 1978 season.

[edit] External links

Preceded by Pete Rose	Major League Player of the Month August, 1973	Succeeded by Tommy John
Preceded by Bobby Tolan	NL Comeback Player of the Year 1973	Succeeded by Jimmy Wynn
Preceded by Joe Torre Johnny Oates	American League Manager of the Year 1997	Succeeded by Joe Torre
Preceded by Frank Howard	New York Mets Manager 1984-1990	Succeeded by Bud Harrelson
Preceded by Tony Pérez	Cincinnati Reds Manager 1993-1995	Succeeded by Ray Knight
Preceded by Phil Regan	Baltimore Orioles Manager 1996-1997	Succeeded by Ray Miller
Preceded by Glenn Hoffman	Los Angeles Dodgers Manager 1999–2000	Succeeded by Jim Tracy