1986 New York Mets: Where Are They Now?
This October marks the 30th anniversary of one of the most unlikely World Series stories that has ever been told. The New York Mets, down two games to none, and later three games to two to the Boston Red Sox, should have lost that Fall Classic.
Down to their last strike in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 6, the Mets found a way — call it a curse, or just bad luck for Boston — to win, evening the series in one at-bat.
By now, you’ve seen “The Buckner Play” more than you can count — we all have. It is the epitome of infamous. But what is often forgotten is the comeback — again — in Game 7 and just how good that Mets team was, winning 108 games and clinching the NL East title by an astounding 21.5 games.
This Memorial Day weekend, the Mets are honoring their last World Series championship team, with “1986 Weekend,” a three-day celebration of one the most beloved and notorious teams in baseball history.
In honor of the ’86 championship team, we take a look back at perhaps baseball’s most eclectic cast of characters ever, with an update on their whereabouts today.
Much like a player would, Davey Johnson worked his way up the Mets’ farm system as a manager, coaching both the Mets’ AA and AAA teams before being named the big league club’s manager in 1984 — inheriting a club that hadn’t won a National League Pennant since ‘73. Johnson is the Mets’ all-time leader in wins, leading the team to a 595-417 mark in seven seasons. In his first five seasons, he led the Mets to five consecutive 90-win.
In 1986, Johnson led the Mets to their best record (108-54), winning the NL East by an astounding 21.5 games over Philadelphia. The ’86 season would ultimately culminate in the Mets’ most recent World Series title.
In 1990, after a 20-22 start, Johnson was relieved of his managerial duties by the Mets’ brass, who felt Johnson’s laid-back style had lost its effect on players.
Johnson would sit out the next two seasons before signing on to manage the Cincinnati Reds in the middle of the 1993 season. Johnson’s stint was a short one, as he was not brought back by the Reds after the ’95 season — even though the Reds finished first in consecutive seasons.
