Johnny Johnson, baseball player, 1944-1945

Johnny Johnson

Born: 9/29/1914 in Belmore, OH, USA

Died: 6/26/1991 in Iron Mountain, MI, USA

MLB Debut: 1944-04-19 | Final Game: 1945-09-25

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 182 lbs

Full name: John Clifford Johnson

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Biography

Johnny Johnson, born in 1914, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1944 to 1945. He made a notable impact during the mid-1940s, a time when Major League Baseball was beginning to recover from the disruptions of World War II. Johnson’s playing style was characterized by his ability to effectively manage games, as evidenced by his career record of 3-2 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.2. Throughout his brief career, Johnson showcased his skills on the mound, accumulating a total of 49 strikeouts and securing 7 saves. His contributions were particularly significant during an era when many star players were serving in the military, allowing for opportunities for emerging talents like Johnson to make their mark in the league. Though his time in professional baseball was short-lived, Johnny Johnson remains a part of the rich tapestry of the sport’s history during a transformative period.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
25.0 21.0 1.0 3.0 0 1.0 0 4.0 4.0 1.0 0 0.143 0.280 0.238 0.518

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
3.0 0 0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 6.0 9.0 0 1.0 0 0 0.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1938 5.0 4.0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0.250 0.400 0.250 0.650
1939 5.0 5.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000
1940 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000
1943 25.0 21.0 1.0 3.0 0 1.0 0 4.0 4.0 1.0 0 0.143 0.280 0.238 0.518
1944 27.0 23.0 1.0 5.0 3.0 0 0 3.0 3.0 2.0 0 0.217 0.308 0.348 0.656
1945 15.0 13.0 2.0 5.0 0 1.0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.385 0.400 0.538 0.938
1946 22.0 19.0 0 3.0 0 0 0 0 3.0 0 0 0.158 0.273 0.158 0.431

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1938 5.0 0 0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 23.0 13.0 12.0 0 0 0 8.31
1939 7.0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0 0.0 17.0 12.0 2.0 1.0 0 0 2.08
1943 3.0 0 0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 6.0 9.0 0 1.0 0 0 0.00
1944 46.0 0 0 13.0 6.0 0 0 0.0 77.0 51.0 23.0 2.0 0 0 1.94
1945 26.0 0 0 8.0 6.0 0 0 0.0 83.0 61.0 3.0 0 0 0 0.38
1946 14.0 0 0 9.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 93.0 60.0 23.0 4.0 0 0 3.79

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
3 2 51 1 0 0 7 96.3 110 45 2 59 49 4.20 0

Career ERA 4.20 vs. league average 3.62 across their career seasons — 16.1% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1944 NYY AL 0 2 22 1 0 0 3 26.7 25 12 24 11 4.05 3.57 (-13%) -
1945 CHW AL 3 0 29 0 0 0 4 69.7 85 33 35 38 4.26 3.67 (-16%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
51 20 2 7 3 0 0 2 0 3 7 0.350 0.435 0.500 0.935 0.0

Career AVG .350 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — +34.0% above league average.

Career OBP .435 vs. league average .327 across their career seasons — +32.8% above league average.

Career SLG .500 vs. league average .356 across their career seasons — +40.4% above league average.

Career OPS 0.935 vs. league average 0.684 across their career seasons — +36.8% 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
1944 NYY AL 22 6 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.500 — — — — 0.0
1945 CHW AL 29 14 1 4 2 0 0 2 0 3 6 0.286 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 51 0 3 11 2 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1944 NYA P 22 0 2 1 1 0
1945 CHA P 29 0 1 10 1 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 51

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti MI 1934, 1935