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Baltimore Orioles: The 5 best second basemen in Orioles history

By Tim Smart

BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 16: The Baltimore Orioles mascot performs during the seventh inning of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 16, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 16: The Baltimore Orioles mascot performs during the seventh inning of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 16, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
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Baltimore Orioles, Davey Johnson
6 Jul 1996: Outfielder Bobby Bonilla of the Baltimore Orioles (right) restrains his manager Davey Johnson during a confrontation with the umpire in a game against the the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. The Orioles won the game 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport /

No. 3 – Davey Johnson

The Davey Johnson that Orioles fans my age know is the guy seen in the photo above. Johnson managed the Orioles in 1996 and 1997. In both years, the Orioles made the ALCS, though they were crushed in both series by the Yankees and the Indians.

After the 1997 season, Johnson resigned from his post as manager of the Orioles amid a big controversy between him and owner Peter Angelos concerning an issue with second baseman Roberto Alomar. There were many reasons for the Oriole steep drop-off after that 1997 season, but losing Johnson certainly didn’t help.

Aside from his days as a manager for the Orioles, Johnson played second base with the O’s for eight years during his career. From 1965-1972, Johnson hit .259/.330/.378 with 66 homers and a 104 OPS+ in Baltimore.

Johnson supplied the Orioles with above average defense and a steady bat. He was a high-OBP hitter with good contact skills and good plate discipline, and he posted a double-digit walk rate in five of his ten seasons.

Johnson finished his career with 27.6 bWAR, 20.1 of which came during his time with Orioles. He was on the 1966 World Series championship team as a 23-year-old; he finished 3rd in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in ’66, posting an 87 OPS+, a .971 fielding percentage and 1.0 bWAR in 131 games.

Johnson played in the World Series four times, earning two championship rings. He earned four All-Star game appearances, three of which came with the O’s, he won three Gold Glove awards and he finished with down-ballot MVP votes twice in his career.

The Orioles traded Johnson to the Braves after the 1972 season and he spent the remainder of his career in Atlanta. Orioles fans won’t soon forget Johnson, both as a player and as a manager.

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