NEW YORK – Former MLBbro Darryl Strawberry called Saturday a tough day after learning that Davey Johnson, his manager when both were with the Mets from 1984-90, passed away after a long illness.
Strawberry credits Johnson for giving him the confidence to be successful in the big leagues. The moment he became skipper, Johnson made Strawberry believe he could be an all-around player.
“He told me, ‘You are the only guy that could put a team on his back for a month and carry it like it’s nothing.’” Strawberry told MLBbro.com via telephone. “I didn’t go crazy inside myself [once he told me that]. I focused and had to channel my energy doing it. I became a different player because a guy like him and [first base coach] Bill Robinson gave me something that most people can’t give you: [Giving me the belief] that I’m a different-type of player.”
The Straw Man didn’t disappoint his skipper nor Uncle Bill. Straw ended up being one of the best players in Mets history. Strawberry would spend eight years with the Mets, helping them win two division titles [1986 and ‘88], one pennant [‘86] and one World Series title [‘86], and finishing his career in the Big Apple with seven All-Star nods.
Strawberry was the franchise leader with 252 career home runs until Aug. 12, 2025, when Pete Alonso broke the mark against the Braves. Strawberry left the Mets after the 1990 season, signing with the Dodgers as a free agent.
Strawberry wasn’t the only MLBbro Johnson helped. Teammates Dwight Gooden, Mookie Wilson and Kevin Mitchell flourished under Johnson’s tutelage.
“That was so important because you are talking about young, black players in the big market,” Strawberry said. “I don’t think people realize how big that was for myself and Doc [Gooden] to have the platform that we had.
“What I loved about Davey is, no matter what any player went through, he never threw you under the bus. Our bond with him was real. It wasn’t wishy-washy. It was, we have respect for him and he was going to lead us as he led us every year.”
The last time Strawberry saw Johnson was last November. Strawberry traveled to Florida to visit his old skipper and tell him how much he appreciated him.
“I heard Davey was not doing well,” Strawberry recalled. “So I said, ‘Let me take a trip down here before it’s too late.’ I wanted to remind him that he was the greatest manager I ever played for. He did great things for us. He brought us a winning attitude. It was overnight. We were in a pennant race from 1984 to the time the Mets let him go.”
