Billy Johnson

Born: 8/30/1918 in Montclair, NJ, USA

Died: 6/20/2006 in Augusta, GA, USA

MLB Debut: 1943-04-22 | Final Game: 1953-05-10

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: William Russell Johnson

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Biography

Billy Johnson, born in 1918, was a professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1943 until 1953. A versatile position player, Johnson played a total of 964 games in Major League Baseball, carving out a notable legacy during an era marked by the aftermath of World War II and the evolution of the game. He was known for his solid batting skills, finishing his career with 882 hits and a batting average of .271. Johnson was a key contributor on offense, accumulating 61 home runs and 487 RBIs, showcasing his ability to drive in runs during critical moments. Johnson's career was highlighted by his selection as an All-Star, underscoring his status among the game's elite during his playing years. Although he may not have been among the most prominent stars of his era, his consistent performance and reliability on the field made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for. With 13 stolen bases to his name, Johnson also demonstrated speed and agility, adding another dimension to his game. His contributions to baseball during the 1940s and early 1950s remain a testament to his skill and dedication to the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
964	3253	419	882	141	33	61	487	13	347	290	0.271	0.346	0.391	0.737	2596.6

Career AVG .271 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .346 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .391 vs. league average .377 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.737 vs. league average 0.712 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1943	NYY	AL	155	592	70	166	24	6	5	94	3	53	30	0.280	.255 (+10%)	.324 (+6%)	.346 (+6%)	.671 (+6%)	675.9
1946	NYY	AL	85	296	51	77	14	5	4	35	1	31	42	0.260	.256 (+1%)	.328 (+2%)	.358 (+6%)	.687 (+4%)	197.0
1947	NYY	AL	132	494	67	141	19	8	10	95	1	44	43	0.285	.262 (+9%)	.336 (+4%)	.376 (+11%)	.712 (+8%)	714.0
1948	NYY	AL	127	446	59	131	20	6	12	64	0	41	30	0.294	.263 (+11%)	.340 (+5%)	.379 (+18%)	.719 (+12%)	984.5
1949	NYY	AL	113	329	48	82	11	3	8	56	1	48	44	0.249	.262 (-5%)	.343 (+1%)	.384 (-3%)	.727 (-1%)	8.5
1950	NYY	AL	108	327	44	85	16	2	6	40	1	42	30	0.260	.265 (-2%)	.346 (avg)	.401 (-6%)	.747 (-3%)	-193.3
1951	NYY	AL	15	40	5	12	3	0	0	4	0	7	0	0.300	—	—	—	—	0.0
1951	STL	NL	124	442	52	116	23	1	14	64	5	46	49	0.262	.260 (+1%)	.336 (+1%)	.385 (+7%)	.721 (+4%)	0.0
1952	STL	NL	94	282	23	71	10	2	2	34	1	34	21	0.252	.252 (avg)	.326 (+4%)	.369 (-13%)	.696 (-5%)	-177.3
1953	STL	NL	11	5	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	1	1	0.200	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
18	59	11	14	1	4	0	5	3	12	0.237

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1950	WS	NYA	4	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0.000
1949	WS	NYA	2	7	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	0.143
1947	WS	NYA	7	26	8	7	0	3	2	3	4	0.269
1943	WS	NYA	5	20	3	6	1	1	3	0	3	0.300

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	PO	A	E	DP
1B	26	144	10	3	11
2B	1	0	0	0	0
3B	897	860	1728	111	163

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1943	NYA	3B	155	183	326	18	32
1946	NYA	3B	74	71	163	11	15
1947	NYA	3B	132	136	204	17	12
1948	NYA	3B	118	147	213	20	25
1949	NYA	1B	21	130	10	2	10
1949	NYA	2B	1	0	0	0	0
1949	NYA	3B	81	77	136	11	16
1950	NYA	1B	5	14	0	1	1
1950	NYA	3B	100	82	169	11	20
1951	NYA	3B	13	8	16	1	0
1951	SLN	3B	124	99	316	10	32
1952	SLN	3B	89	56	177	12	10
1953	SLN	3B	11	1	8	0	1