Pesky non-baseball chores await Johnson during All-Star break

July 10, 2011 10:09 AM by Pete Kerzel View Comments

There won't be quickie vacation to some exotic Caribbean destination for Nationals manager Davey Johnson during the All-Star break. In fact, there won't be a lot of relaxing of any kind.

When Johnson accepted general manager Mike Rizzo's offer to skipper the Nationals upon Jim Riggleman's abrupt resignation, he left behind a list of chores back home in Winter Park, Fla. Not honey-dos, mind you, but just the stuff the typical 68-year-old in semi-retirement does on a daily basis.

Johnson is headed home while the rest of the baseball universe is focused on Phoenix. Sure, there will be some time for the grandchildren and one likely confused pooch who wonders where her master disappeared to, but Johnson will mostly be playing catch-up.

"Before I got this call, the day before everything went topsy-turvy, I had just paddled my boat. It needed a tuneup and I had to paddle my boat about 200 yards and pull it out, put it on my trailer, haul it to the boat shop to get a tuneup," he said. "One of my air conditioners just blew - I just called the air conditioning guy to come and fix my air conditioning. My hoist to the boat, the motor to that broke. I had just called somebody to come out and look at that. Then, I'm gone.

"I've got some catching up to do. Some people are probably looking for me to pay them, I hope my boat hasn't been sold off. It's been there two weeks. And my dog Savannah, my German short-hair pointed who gets me the paper every day, is probably homesick (for me), so I get the chance to see her."

Johnson's just getting back into the swing of the in-season life, something he left behind after the 2000 campaign with the Dodgers. Truth be told, he's not eagerly anticipating the mini-vacation.

"I don't need the interruption right now from the All-Star break," he said. "I'd just assume stay (in D.C.), but I can use it.