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Former Norfolk Tides manager Ron Johnson dies of COVID-19 complications

Tides manager Ron Johnson speaks to outfielder Julio Borbon before the start of the Norfolk Tides baseball game against the Charlotte Knights on July 2, 2014, at Harbor Park in Norfolk.
Tides manager Ron Johnson speaks to outfielder Julio Borbon before the start of the Norfolk Tides baseball game against the Charlotte Knights on July 2, 2014, at Harbor Park in Norfolk. (Sammy Jo Hester)

NORFOLK — Ron Johnson, a former major league first baseman and the Norfolk Tides’ all-time winningest manager, has died from complications from COVID-19 in Tennessee, family sources confirmed Tuesday. He was 64.

Johnson, a native of Long Beach, California, guided the Tides to a 491-511 record in seven seasons from 2012-18, which included an International League Manager of the Year nod in 2015.

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With a career record of 1,752-1,770 in 24 seasons as a manager in the minors, Johnson retired after he was fired by the Tides’ parent Baltimore Orioles as part of an organizational housecleaning following the 2018 season.

“Our entire organization is devastated by this news,” Tides general manager Joe Gregory said in a statement. “R.J. was a fantastic manager who always got so much out of his players, but he was an even better person behind the scenes. His personality and love of the game made him one of baseball’s outstanding people, and he’ll truly be missed.”

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Johnson’s firing by the Orioles came just weeks after the club presented him with the Cal Ripken Sr. Player Development Award, given to the organization’s minor league staffer “who exemplifies Ripken’s qualities as an instructor.”

Johnson, a graduate of Fresno State, appeared in 22 major league games with the Kansas City Royals and Montreal Expos from 1982-84. His locker was next to Pete Rose’s in Montreal. He batted .261 in the big leagues and appeared in 830 minor league games, hitting .289.

Johnson, the father of former major league star Chris Johnson, turned down scholarship offers to play football at UCLA and Fresno State out of high school, choosing instead to focus on baseball.

Ron Johnson, shown at Harbor Park in March 2014, managed the Norfolk Tides from 2012-18 and is the franchise's all-time winningest manager.
Ron Johnson, shown at Harbor Park in March 2014, managed the Norfolk Tides from 2012-18 and is the franchise's all-time winningest manager. (Rich-Joseph Facun)

Always a colorful quote, Johnson became known at Harbor Park for his animated ejections, which usually ended with him tossing his hat into the stands as he entered the first-base dugout. Few people knew that Johnson had a clubhouse attendant find the fan who caught the hat and retrieve it in exchange for an autographed version.

Johnson is survived by his wife, Daphane, and five children.

Former Tides left-hander Donnie Hart, who split time between the Tides and the Orioles for two seasons under Johnson, described the skipper as a players’ manager.

“Dang this one hurts!” Hart wrote on Twitter. “Was an absolute blast to play for. Always knew he had your back!!”

Former Norfolk right-hander Steve Johnson, who played for Ron Johnson for parts of five seasons, expressed his grief on Twitter.

“Just awful,” he wrote. “I’ll never forget his very casual way of doing things, especially when he told me I was getting the call to the big leagues. Had a lot of talks with him every game in the dugout during my time in Norfolk. That man was a gem.”

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