NORFOLK, Va. — What you saw is what you got with former Tides manager Ron Johnson. What you saw was always something special. Johnson died on Tuesday morning from COVID-19 complications.
Johnson's last year with the club was 2018. That ended a seven year stretch where he won more games than any Tides manager ever. Every step of the way he brought a big personality. Tides general manager, Joe Gregory got to see that every day. He says, "He had a larger than life mentality. Always upbeat. Country strong is how you think of him. Always wore cowboys boots. Loved his grandchild, a family guy. Plenty of great stories."
Ron Johnson dies from COVID-19 complications
All told, Johnson managed 24 years in the minor leagues. He was the International League Manager of the Year in 2015.
As you can imagine he left a lasting impression on those who knew him. Gregory speaks for a good number of those people when he says, "You think about this big, loud, boisterous, strong guy. It's tough to think that he would succumb to it. You think if anyone can beat it, it's R.J. That's tough to believe that R.J. is not with us anymore."
Johnson was 64 years old.