New York Mets: Five best managers in franchise history
1. Davey Johnson
The man that made the last out of the 1969 series is the clear number one choice.
Davey Johnson had actually been in the organization since 1981. He was hired to manage the Mets AA affiliate and was promoted to AAA in 1983. He was the Manager of the Year for the Tidewater Tides that year and was promoted to the big club in 1984.
From when he came up to the majors, he turned the Mets right around. He won at least 90 games in his first five seasons, becoming the first National League manager to do so. They posted 90 wins that first year and were right in the race until late in 1985. Then we had 1986. The Mets dominated like they never have before or since, winning 108 games. With the help of Bill Buckner then won the World Series, marking their first since 1969.
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Unfortunately, injuries and drug suspensions prevented this team from winning more titles. They made one more appearance in the playoffs under Johnson, winning the NL East in 1988 before falling to the Dodgers in seven games in the NLCS. The scene of Orel Hershiser pitching a complete game in-game seven is imprinted in Mets fans minds for eternity.
However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Johnson is number one. He led the Mets to never before seen dominance in their history. He won 595 games. The decision was an easy one.