Davey Johnson, the former All-Star second baseman and World Series–winning manager, has died at 82. His wife, Susan, confirmed his passing to Mets team historian Jay Horwitz on Saturday. Horwitz shared the news on X, writing, “I’m glad I got to say my goodbyes in person last February. Susan, Davey Johnson’s wife, told me that my dear friend and manager of our 1986 World Championship team had passed away at the age of 82.”
Born David Allen Johnson on January 30, 1943, he played in the majors from 1965 through 1978, most notably with the Baltimore Orioles during their run of four American League pennants and two World Series titles between 1966 and 1971. A four-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, he also spent time in Japan before returning to finish his career with the Phillies and Cubs.
After retiring as a player, Johnson moved into managing and became known for applying statistical analysis to strategy, long before it was common in baseball.
He led the New York Mets to their dramatic 1986 World Series victory and another division title in 1988. His later stops included guiding the Reds, Orioles, Dodgers, and Nationals, with league titles in both the American and National Leagues. He won Manager of the Year honors in 1997 with Baltimore and again in 2012 with Washington.
On the international stage, he managed the U.S. team to a bronze medal in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
He is survived by his wife, Susan, and his children.
Who Is Davey Johnson’s Wife, Susan Allen? She Had a Deaf-Blind Son From Her First Marriage
More than two decades before meeting Davey Johnson, Susan was married to her first husband and gave birth to a son, Michael Jacob “Jake” Allen. During her pregnancy, she contracted German measles, and Jake was born a rubella baby. He was deaf and blind, unable to see, hear, or speak, and he also lived with a range of other health complications.
In 1993, Susan organized a charity golf tournament in Winter Park for the learning center Jake attended. Among the participants was Davey Johnson, who at the time was still active in baseball. When Susan asked him what he did for a living, he replied simply, “I play golf.” The next day, he phoned her office and sang the Beatles song “Something,” a gesture that quickly won her attention.
Within two months of meeting, they began dating, and Susan often noted how much she valued Johnson’s patience and kindness toward Jake.
On January 15, 1994, they married in a sunset ceremony on Islamorada in the Florida Keys.
In May 2011, Susan endured the loss of her son. Jake, who had lived with multiple disabilities throughout his life, died from pneumonia and infection at the age of 34.
Alongside her family life, Susan also pursued her own career. She serves as managing director of the Carson Scholars Fund, created by Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Benjamin Carson to support high-achieving students.
His First Wife, Mary Nan
In the early years of his playing career, Johnson had been married to Mary Nan.
Their marriage lasted through much of his time in Major League Baseball, but came to an end in the late 1980s. After the separation, Johnson acknowledged that he struggled with alcohol during that period of his life.
Davey Johnson Had Three Children With Mary Nan
During his marriage to Mary Nan, Davey became a father to three children: David Jr., Dawn, and Andrea.
Andrea Lynn Johnson was born on September 13, 1972, in Baltimore, Maryland, and later lived in Winter Park, Florida. She inherited her father’s competitive drive but chose a different arena. Drawn to the ocean, she excelled in surfing and rose to prominence in the amateur ranks.
In the late 1980s, she was regarded as one of Florida’s top young surfers, regularly placing high in competitions and ranking among the nation’s five best female amateurs. Sports Illustrated featured her in July 1988 with the headline “Davey’s Little Surfer Girl.”
Andrea was also skilled at the piano, often filling family gatherings with music.
Her life, however, was cut tragically short. Living with schizophrenia, she fell ill in 2005 and died on June 8 at just 32 years old from septic shock and related complications. Reflecting on her loss, Johnson said, “Andrea is loved by all and we will have her in our thoughts today and always.”
