When the winning run scored in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, the New York Mets melted into a white-and-blue swirl near home plate, celebrating their implausible comeback from the brink of defeat.

Right in the middle of all that humanity was Davey Johnson, who had arrived at the mob scene before many of his players.

Those '86 Mets — with all their brashness, belligerence and unapologetic brilliance — would not have been the same without their 43-year-old manager.

Johnson died Friday at age 82. Longtime Mets public relations representative Jay Horwitz said Johnson's wife Susan informed him of his death after a long illness. Johnson was at a hospital in Sarasota, Florida.

“His ability to empower players to express themselves while maintaining a strong commitment to excellence was truly

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