Ken Johnson, baseball player, 1947-1952

Ken Johnson

Born: 1/14/1923 in Topeka, KS, USA

Died: 4/6/2004 in Wichita, KS, USA

MLB Debut: 1947-09-18 | Final Game: 1952-07-15

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Kenneth Wandersee Johnson

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Biography

Ken Johnson was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1947 to 1952. Born in 1923, Johnson made his debut during a transformative era in the sport, shortly after World War II, when the game was beginning to see a resurgence in popularity. He played for several teams throughout his career, ultimately finishing with a record of 12 wins and 14 losses. Over the course of his time in the league, Johnson maintained an earned run average (ERA) of 4.58 and struck out a total of 147 batters, showcasing his ability to compete at the highest level. Despite not achieving accolades such as saves or All-Star selections, Johnson's contributions as a pitcher were significant during an era marked by evolving playing styles and strategies. His experience on the mound reflected the challenges faced by pitchers of his time, navigating a league that was increasingly characterized by powerful hitters and strategic gameplay. Johnson's career, which concluded with his departure from the majors on July 15, 1952, remains a testament to the dedication and skill required to succeed in professional baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
12 14 74 34 8 4 0 269.3 251 137 14 195 147 4.58 0

Career ERA 4.58 vs. league average 4.05 across their career seasons — 13.1% 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
1947 STL NL 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 10.0 2 0 5 8 0.00 3.97 (+100%) -
1948 STL NL 2 4 13 4 0 0 0 45.3 43 24 30 20 4.76 4.10 (-16%) -
1949 STL NL 0 1 14 2 0 0 0 33.7 29 24 35 18 6.42 4.12 (-56%) -
1950 STL NL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2.0 1 0 3 1 0.00 — -
1950 PHI NL 4 1 14 8 3 1 0 60.7 61 27 43 32 4.01 4.36 (+8%) 16.9
1951 PHI NL 5 8 20 18 4 3 0 106.3 103 54 68 58 4.57 4.04 (-13%) -896.6
1952 DET AL 0 0 9 1 0 0 0 11.3 12 8 11 10 6.35 3.70 (-72%) -278.9

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
111 89 17 19 3 0 0 8 1 2 23 0.213 0.231 0.247 0.478 0.0

Career AVG .213 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — 18.3% below league average.

Career OBP .231 vs. league average .338 across their career seasons — 31.8% below league average.

Career SLG .247 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — 35.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.478 vs. league average 0.721 across their career seasons — 33.7% below 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
1947 STL NL 2 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.500 — — — — 0.0
1948 STL NL 20 20 2 6 2 0 0 1 0 0 7 0.300 — — — — 0.0
1949 STL NL 21 8 3 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0.250 — — — — 0.0
1950 STL NL 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1950 PHI NL 21 19 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.158 — — — — 0.0
1951 PHI NL 36 35 7 5 0 0 0 3 1 1 11 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1952 DET AL 9 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0.333 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1950 WS PHI 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 74 0 7 54 3 5

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1947 SLN P 2 0 0 2 0 0
1948 SLN P 13 0 0 8 1 0
1949 SLN P 14 0 1 13 2 1
1950 SLN P 2 0 0 1 0 0
1950 PHI P 14 0 1 13 0 0
1951 PHI P 20 0 4 15 0 4
1952 DET P 9 0 1 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 74