Johnson, "Davey" (David A.)
Baseball
b. Jan. 30, 1943, Orlando, FL
The starting second baseman for the AL's Baltimore Orioles from 1966 through 1972, Johnson was traded to the NL's Atlanta Braves after hitting only .221 in his final season with Baltimore. He set a record for second basemen by hitting 43 home runs for Atlanta in 1973 to win the comeback player of the year award.
Johnson was released by the Braves early in the 1975 season. He played in Japan for two years and finished his playing career with the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs in 1978.
After winning three pennants in three seasons as a minor league manager, Johnson took over the NL's New York Mets in 1984. He guided the team to two second-place finishes, then to the 1986 pennant and a seven-game World Series victory over the Boston Red Sox.
The Mets won the 1988 Eastern Division title but lost in the league championship series. They finished second in 1988 and Johnson was replaced after a 20-22 start in 1990. He was out of baseball for more than two years before becoming manager of the Cincinnati Reds early in the 1993 season.
The Reds finished fifth that year, but Johnson then led them to two first-place division finishes. He returned to the Orioles as manager in 1996, finishing second and first in the division in two seasons there. He won the manager of the year award in 1997.
Johnson resigned because of differences with the front office. After another year out of baseball, he became manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but was fired after failing to take them the playoffs in his two seasons at the helm.
In 14 seasons as a manager, Johnson won five division titles and had seven second-place finishes.