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August 15, 2004 7:10 pm

Coaching Dutch team suits Johnson just fine

By SCOTT PITONIAK

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece — Forty years devoted to the game and baseball still is throwing Davey Johnson curves.

After a major league playing career that saw him earn All-Star honors four times and a managing career that saw him lead four teams to divisional titles, Johnson now finds himself serving as a bench coach for the Netherlands.

Although Olympic baseball sometimes can resemble a five-ring circus, Johnson appears to be enjoying this bold, new adventure. At age 61, he's been reinvigorated.

"It is different from anything I've ever experienced in baseball,'' he said after watching the Dutch team crush Greece, 11-0, in an opening-round game Sunday night.

"The folks here may not know the game very well yet, but you could tell by their enthusiasm tonight that they were really into it. Anything we can do to spread baseball to the world is great.''

Judging from the reaction of the 5,000 spectators, the game still is Greek to them. They went bonkers when one of the Greece players hit a high pop in the infield. They didn't seem to grasp the concept that it's one, two, three strikes you're out at the old ball game. They even had to be reminded by the public address announcer that you don't have to return balls hit into the stands.

But that didn't stop them from rooting loudly for their boys of summer throughout the night.

"It wasn't exactly Yankee Stadium in October, but they were really into it for a while,'' Johnson said. "I think it was a good, enthusiastic atmosphere. Although their team lost handily, they seemed to have fun.''

Johnson did, too.

He is four years removed from his last managerial job — a two-year stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers — and although his name as been bandied about by a Toronto columnist as a leading candidate to take over the Blue Jays, he preferred to play coy rather than lobby for it.

"I interviewed with them once before,'' he quipped. "And they picked a Johnson — Tim Johnson.''

He paused for a moment, then added, "I've managed four times and been fired four times. I can take a hint.''

The third firing was the most painful. It was announced the day he was named 1997 American League Manager of the Year after leading the Baltimore Orioles to a divisional title. The pink slip was delivered by Peter Angelos, whose once proud franchise has slipped badly.

In an intriguing twist, Johnson and Angelos could cross paths at these Olympics. Angelos is a major benefactor of baseball in his native land. He contributed to the building of the Olympic baseball stadium here and helped round up American players of Greek descent for the Games.

"I think he's done a good job promoting the game here,'' Johnson said. "I'm not carrying any bitterness with me about that situation. I did the best I could do for the Orioles (a title and a second-place finish in two seasons), but it wasn't enough in the owner's eyes. But that was long ago. I've buried the hatchet.''

Johnson took the Netherlands coaching job as a favor to his friend Robert Eenhoorn, who manages the team. After Eenhoorn's 6-year-old son died of cancer last year, he handed over the reins to Johnson. After the Dutch secured an Olympic berth, Johnson urged Eenhoorn to come back as manager.

"He was a friend in need, and I wasn't about to let him down,'' Johnson said. "He would have done the same for me. I'm glad he returned. I think it's been good for him.''

And good for Johnson, too. He still loves the game, still loves teaching it.

"He was a winner wherever he went,'' says pitcher Calvin Maduro, a former major leaguer who yielded just two hits in seven shutout innings to pick up the win vs. Greece. "He's seen it all.''

Well, just about all.

Winning an Olympic medal is one of the few things he hasn't experienced in a career that's had its share of curves.

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