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Remembering Davey Johnson: 1986 World Champion Mets Manager (1984 -1990)

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Davey Johnson began managing in 1979 with an Independent team in Florida. The next season he joined the New York Mets minor league organization, as manager of AA Jackson. In 1983 he became manager of the AAA Tidewater Tides & led the Tides to their second straight league championship. There he managed & observed many young players he would later manage in the major leagues with the Mets. Davey had moved up quickly through the organization, with some of his peers feeling he was passing more experienced managerial candidates. Looking back, this was not to be the case. Sabermetrics: Johnson had earned a mathematics degree at Trinity University. Back ack in the early 1980's, was one of the first baseball people to use computer data as information for baseball. Davey pioneered what was to become computer-based sabermetrics which is now a big part of MLB while his time managing the Mets. Davey was a strong advocate of on base percentages, the art of batter-pitcher match ups...
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Davey Johnson: Part One- The Playing Years (1966-1978)

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David Allen Johnson was born January 30, 1943, in Orlando, Florida. The six foot one, right hand hitting infielder went to high school in San Antonio Texas. He later attended John Hopkins University & then one year at Texas A & M.  In 1962 he was signed by the Baltimore Orioles as amateur free agent. Johnson hit over .300 at AA Elmira getting promoted to AAA Rochester later that year.   MLB Debut: In the Orioles 1965 season opener, he played two innings Season Opener Davey played in two innings getting his first career at bat in the loss to the White Son. He appeared in just twenty games with the Orioles getting sent back down to AAA Rochester, where he once again batted over .300. In 1966 the Orioles traded their second baseman Jerry Adair, to make room for the Davey Johnson era, as he would be the O’s regular second baseman for the next seven seasons. Davey would win three straight Gold Gloves, get elected to four All Star teams, play in four World Seri...
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Remembering Jerry Koosman- Mets All Time Lefthander (Part Three 1974 - 1985)

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 After the Pennant Season: After the post season ended, Koosman joined the Mets on a good will baseball tour of Japan.  1974: The '74 Mets were a big disappointment; they battled injuries, played poorly & were not able to defend their NL title. The team fell to fifth place, going 71-91 with poor offense & a struggling pitching staff. Jerry Koosman   started out the year well winning his first four decisions to get to 4-0 thru early May.  Jerry made his first start on Opening Day at Shea, the third Mets game of the year. Today the Mets raised the NL Championship banner on the flag poll & the season started out with hopes of defending the championship. Kooz pitched into the 9th inning, beating the St. Louis Cardinals & John Curtis, 3-2 at Shea Stadium. In the game Jerry Grote homered & drove in two runs, with John Milner adding a RBI single.  In his second start, he gave up two runs to the Phillies in seven innings, but took a no decisio...
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