Lefty Johnson, baseball player, 1884-1892

Lefty Johnson

Born: 9/28/1861 in NJ, USA

Died: 7/17/1942 in Chester, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1884-06-27 | Final Game: 1892-04-27

Bats: L | Throws: LWeight: 167 lbs

Full name: William F. Johnson

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Biography

Lefty Johnson, born in 1861, was a notable position player in Major League Baseball who played from 1884 until 1892. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 169 games and recorded a total of 168 hits, boasting a batting average of .264. Johnson's offensive contributions included 2 home runs and 90 runs batted in, alongside a commendable 45 stolen bases, reflecting his speed and base-running savvy during an era when such skills were highly valued. Johnson's career unfolded during the late 19th century, a transformative period in baseball characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more modern style of play. His ability to combine hitting with effective base-running made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for. Although he may not have achieved the same level of fame as some of his contemporaries, Lefty Johnson's contributions to the game during its formative years remain a testament to the evolving dynamics of baseball and the players who helped shape its history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
3.0 3.0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.333 0.333 0.333 0.666

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 5.0 2.0 0 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
1940 3.0 3.0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.333 0.333 0.333 0.666

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1940 0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 5.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
169 636 121 168 15 17 2 90 45 98 61 0.264 0.368 0.351 0.718 1512.5

Career AVG .264 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .368 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — +15.5% above league average.

Career SLG .351 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.718 vs. league average 0.662 across their career seasons — +8.4% 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
1884 PHU UA 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1887 IN3 NL 11 42 3 8 0 0 0 3 5 0 6 0.190 — — — — 0.0
1890 BL3 AA 24 95 15 28 2 3 0 6 8 7 0 0.295 .260 (+13%) .336 (+4%) .351 (+8%) .687 (+6%) 72.6
1891 BL3 AA 129 480 101 130 13 14 2 79 32 89 55 0.271 .254 (+7%) .331 (+17%) .343 (+7%) .675 (+12%) 1439.9
1892 BLN NL 4 15 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0.133 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 169 0 289 36 50 8

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1884 PHU OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1887 IN3 OF 11 0 11 2 4 0
1890 BL3 OF 24 0 39 6 7 3
1891 BL3 OF 129 0 235 28 37 5
1892 BLN OF 4 0 4 0 2 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 62
Center Field 24
Right Field 84