Better Know a Metstache: Davey Johnson

Nothing compliments a stache like satin.

The late 80s were a marvelous time in Mets history.  They won the 1986 World Championship.  They won the NL East pennant in 1988.  They played hard, partied harder and had some fantastic staches.  And one man led them to both victory and mustachery: Davey Johnson.

Johnson started his managerial career in the Mets minor league system and won pennants in each of his first three seasons.  His players may have been too young to grow facial hair, but his was more than enough for the lot of them.

After the big league squad finished in last place in the NL East in 1983 with only 68 wins, Davey took over the reins for the 1984 season.  He proceeded to lead the Amazins to 90 wins and a second place finish in the division.  In 1985, he led them to an impressive 98 wins and another second place finish behind the 101-win Cardinals.  In 1986, it all came together and Davey etched his name into Mets lore as the man who brought a championship back to Queens.

Davey’s Mets teams finished in first place once and second place two more times in the years following that title.  After a slow start in 1990, the Mets fired Davey.  Fun fact: By that time, Davey had shaved off his mustache.  Coincidence?  Absolutely not.

Davey went on to manage the Reds, Orioles and Dodgers with moderate success.  Today, he’s managing the United States World Baseball Classic Team.

He’s clean-shaven these days, which is a shame. We’ll always remember him as the mustachioed leader of the best Mets team ever.  He remains the winningest manager in Mets history.  Thanks, Davey.  And thanks, Davey’s stache.

And now you better know a Metstache.