Cliff Johnson, baseball player, 196 home runs, 1972-1986

Cliff Johnson

Born: 7/22/1947 in San Antonio, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1972-09-13 | Final Game: 1986-09-30

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 215 lbs

Full name: Clifford Johnson

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Biography

Cliff Johnson was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1972 to 1986. Born in 1947, Johnson made a significant impact over 1,369 games, accumulating 1,016 hits and demonstrating his power at the plate with 196 home runs and 699 RBIs. His batting average stood at .258, a testament to his ability to contribute offensively during a time when baseball was experiencing an evolution in both pitching and hitting strategies. Known for his versatility, Johnson played for several teams throughout his career, including the Houston Astros and New York Yankees, where he showcased his skills as a reliable run producer. Johnson's playing style was characterized by a combination of power and resilience, making him a valuable asset in the lineup. He was part of an era that saw the game transitioning from the traditional small-ball tactics to a more power-oriented approach, which aligned with his strengths as a slugger. Although he finished his career with nine stolen bases, his primary contributions came from his ability to drive in runs and hit for power. Cliff Johnson remains a notable figure in baseball history, remembered for his consistency and impact during a dynamic period in the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1369 3945 539 1016 188 10 196 699 9 568 719 0.258 0.355 0.459 0.815 11650.4

Career AVG .258 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .355 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — +9.6% above league average.

Career SLG .459 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — +20.2% above league average.

Career OPS 0.815 vs. league average 0.706 across their career seasons — +15.4% above 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
1972 HOU NL 5 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1973 HOU NL 7 20 6 6 2 0 2 6 0 1 7 0.300 — — — — 0.0
1974 HOU NL 83 171 26 39 4 1 10 29 0 33 45 0.228 .256 (-11%) .324 (+10%) .369 (+19%) .693 (+15%) 524.5
1975 HOU NL 122 340 52 94 16 1 20 65 1 46 64 0.276 .257 (+7%) .327 (+13%) .374 (+35%) .701 (+25%) 1668.4
1976 HOU NL 108 318 36 72 21 2 10 49 0 62 59 0.226 .255 (-11%) .320 (+12%) .360 (+11%) .681 (+11%) 868.8
1977 HOU NL 51 144 22 43 8 0 10 23 0 23 30 0.299 .264 (+13%) .329 (+24%) .401 (+40%) .730 (+33%) 922.4
1977 NYY AL 56 142 24 42 8 0 12 31 0 20 23 0.296 .264 (+12%) .329 (+23%) .401 (+51%) .730 (+38%) 922.4
1978 NYY AL 76 174 20 32 9 1 6 19 0 30 32 0.184 .257 (-29%) .323 (-5%) .378 (-7%) .702 (-6%) -146.6
1979 NYY AL 28 64 11 17 6 0 2 6 0 10 7 0.266 .265 (avg) .329 (+9%) .397 (+14%) .727 (+12%) 133.9
1979 CLE AL 72 240 37 65 10 0 18 61 2 24 39 0.271 .265 (+2%) .329 (+4%) .397 (+35%) .727 (+21%) 133.9
1980 CLE AL 54 174 25 40 3 1 6 28 0 25 30 0.230 .264 (-13%) .326 (-2%) .387 (-7%) .714 (-4%) -117.0
1980 CHC NL 68 196 28 46 8 0 10 34 0 29 35 0.235 .264 (-11%) .326 (+3%) .387 (+11%) .714 (+7%) -117.0
1981 OAK AL 84 273 40 71 8 0 17 59 5 28 60 0.260 .255 (+2%) .320 (+3%) .368 (+29%) .688 (+17%) 763.2
1982 OAK AL 73 214 19 51 10 0 7 31 1 26 41 0.238 .261 (-9%) .324 (avg) .388 (-1%) .712 (-1%) 1.8
1983 TOR AL 142 407 59 108 23 1 22 76 0 67 69 0.265 .260 (+2%) .324 (+15%) .389 (+26%) .714 (+21%) 1833.0
1984 TOR AL 127 359 51 109 23 1 16 61 0 50 62 0.304 .259 (+17%) .322 (+21%) .384 (+32%) .707 (+27%) 1972.0
1985 TEX AL 82 296 31 76 17 1 12 56 0 31 44 0.257 .257 (avg) .323 (+2%) .390 (+13%) .714 (+8%) 424.3
1985 TOR AL 24 73 4 20 0 0 1 10 0 9 15 0.274 .257 (+7%) .323 (+8%) .390 (-19%) .714 (-7%) 424.3
1986 TOR AL 107 336 48 84 12 1 15 55 0 52 57 0.250 .257 (-3%) .325 (+9%) .395 (+8%) .720 (+8%) 667.8

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
21 51 3 15 5 0 1 4 4 10 0.294

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1985 ALCS TOR 7 19 1 7 2 0 0 2 1 4 0.368
1981 ALCS OAK 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0.000
1981 AWDIV OAK 2 7 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0.286
1978 ALCS NYA 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1978 WS NYA 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1977 ALCS NYA 5 15 2 6 2 0 1 2 1 2 0.400
1977 WS NYA 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 189 158 1549 79 12 134
C 179 149 770 76 21 11
OF 58 56 92 5 5 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1972 HOU C 1 0 6 0 0 0
1973 HOU 1B 5 5 47 2 0 7
1974 HOU 1B 21 16 147 9 1 13
1974 HOU C 28 22 123 9 3 4
1975 HOU 1B 47 43 407 21 4 33
1975 HOU C 41 37 195 16 8 4
1975 HOU OF 1 1 2 1 0 0
1976 HOU 1B 16 8 117 1 0 8
1976 HOU C 66 64 312 34 8 2
1976 HOU OF 20 20 39 0 1 0
1977 HOU 1B 10 6 64 7 0 8
1977 HOU OF 34 32 49 4 3 0
1977 NYA 1B 11 11 89 8 1 11
1977 NYA C 15 10 56 6 0 0
1978 NYA 1B 1 1 4 0 0 0
1978 NYA C 22 13 67 10 2 1
1979 NYA C 4 3 10 1 0 0
1979 CLE C 1 0 0 0 0 0
1980 CHN 1B 46 44 468 16 4 34
1980 CHN C 1 0 1 0 0 0
1980 CHN OF 3 3 2 0 1 0
1981 OAK 1B 9 5 42 1 0 2
1982 OAK 1B 11 7 66 8 1 7
1983 TOR 1B 6 6 47 4 0 5
1984 TOR 1B 2 2 26 0 0 0
1985 TOR 1B 3 3 17 1 1 4
1986 TOR 1B 1 1 8 1 0 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 179
First Base 188
Left Field 57
Right Field 4
Designated Hitter 748

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1983 Player of the Week Week of 1983-06-24

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1986 TOR AL $725,000
1985 TEX AL $683,333
Total Career Earnings $1,408,333