Bob Haynie: Davey Johnson Will Always Be An Oriole
Davey Johnson has had a pretty impressive run as a major league player and manager. He played and managed in various spots and has had his share of individual and team success.
Plenty of cities have enjoyed the baseball abilities of Johnson.
But, with all due respect to the Braves, Phillies, Mets, Reds, Dodgers and Nats, Johnson will always be best known as a Baltimore Oriole.
Johnson came up as a player in Baltimore and was part of four American League Championship teams and two World Champions. He was an All-Star and a Gold Glove winner. He had game.
After becoming a World Series winning manager with the Mets in '86, Johnson eventually returned to the Charm City as Orioles skipper in 1996.
His two seasons as field boss were he last two winning seasons the Orioles have had and the last time they made the postseason.
Johnson left the organization in 1997 after a contract dispute with owner Peter Angelos and the franchise hasn't been the same.
Since then, I've always held out hope that Davey would once again return to the Orioles dugout and things would be right in my baseball world.
I don't think that will ever happen.
Johnson is now down in Washington with the Nationals and doing a fine job. As you would expect, of course.
There have been many fine people who have played and managed here in Baltimore. Not too many of them did both as well as he did.
Davey Johnson represented us.
He was and, to me, always will be an Oriole.
BH
