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NY Mets: The five best Mets managers in franchise history

By Tim Boyle

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 28: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Manager Terry Collins #10 of the New York Mets greets Davey Johnson and Bud Harrelson during a ceremony prior to a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field on Saturday, May 28, 2016 in the Queens Borough of New York City. The Dodgers defeated the Mets 9-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 28: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Manager Terry Collins #10 of the New York Mets greets Davey Johnson and Bud Harrelson during a ceremony prior to a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field on Saturday, May 28, 2016 in the Queens Borough of New York City. The Dodgers defeated the Mets 9-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Davey Johnson is the second best New York Mets manager of all-time (Photo by: Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images) /

New York Mets all-time greatest managers – No. 2: Davey Johnson

No manager won more games as the Mets manager than Davey Johnson. From 1984-1990, he went 595-417. The .588 winning percentage beats all others to hold his position. He’s an easy choice for our list of the greatest Mets managers of all-time.

Johnson wasn’t just a great regular season manager. He was also the first to make a pair of trips to the postseason. In 1986, he was the one who set the lineup card for the championship squad. Two years later, he helped take the team to Game Seven of the NLCS. He came one game within becoming the very first manager to appear in more than one World Series for the organization.

The timing worked out well for Johnson. After the Tom Seaver trade in 1977, things seemed to go downhill for the organization. Finally, after years of suffering, they were back in contention with franchise legends like Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter coming to town via trade and draft picks like Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry blossoming into stars.

Personally, I think Johnson hasn’t gotten a fair shake at the Hall of Fame. Wherever he went he seemed to have success managing. For several decades he helped turn teams around. While with the Mets, however, he had his best run.

I always find it ironic that Johnson was present for both World Series wins in Mets history. Back in 1969, he was on the Baltimore Orioles. And speaking of 1969, we have one more manager to look at. That man is the best manager to ever wear the orange and blue.

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