The good, old days.

Howard Johnson’s first two major league managers were Sparky Anderson for the Detroit Tigers and Davey Johnson for the New York Mets, a member of the audience at the Syracuse Mets open house reminded him during the Q and A session Saturday.

Could there be a more buttoned-down or loosey-goosey managers in baseball?

Johnson thought back to the start of his career, in 1982 and 1984, and smiled.

Like playing for your father and then your best friend, he said, as they chuckled along.

Johnson had the crowd, telling the crowd this and that about hitting, fielding, teammates then, players now.

Johnson is a two-time member of the 30-30 club, one of a few major leaguers to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in the same season. And now Syracuse Mets fans know he cared more about the stolen bases.

He’s a New York Mets Hall of Famer now, and glad to be sharing stories and wisdom.

A good time was had by us.