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Lou Johnson

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For other people named Louis Johnson, see Louis Johnson (disambiguation).
Lou Johnson
Outfielder
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
debut
April 17, 1960, for the Chicago Cubs
Last appearance
September 6, 1969, for the California Angels
Career statistics
Batting average.258
Home runs48
Runs batted in232
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Louis Brown Johnson (born September 22, 1934 in Lexington, Kentucky), nicknamed "Sweet Lou" and "Slick", is a former [[Major League Baseball outfielder.[2]. From 1962 through 1969, Johnson played for the 1962 Milwaukee Braves, was back in the minor league for '63 and '64, then played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1965 - 67), 1968 Chicago Cubs, 1968 Cleveland Indians, and the 1969 California Angels. Johnson both batted and threw right-handed.

A star in basketball as well as baseball in high school, Johnson dreamt of playing basketball at the University of Kentucky under the legendary coach Adolph Rupp. However, at the time, members of the Southeastern Conference (of which Kentucky is an affiliate) weren't recruiting black athletes. Some colleges didn't even allow black students to enroll. [1]

Johnson was signed up by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1953. After moving around from team to team in the minor leagues for about a decade. Then, he played in 61 games for the 1962 Milwaukee Braves. However, after that, the Braves traded Johnson to the Detroit Tigers system, which sent him back to the minor leagues for the 1963 and '64 seasons, and then traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers for the pitcher Larry Sherry..[3]

Then Johnson finally made it into the major leagues for a stretch beginning in 1965 with the Dodgers. A broken ankle in early May sidelined Tommy Davis, their regular left fielder, for the remainder of the season.[4] Johnson filled in for Davis, playing in 130 games for the Dodgers that season, scoring 57 runs, knocking in 58 runs, and batting 0.260. In that season, Johnson also scored the only run in Sandy Koufax's perfect game victory when he walked, went to second base on a sacrifice bunt, stolen [third base, and then scored on a throwing error by the Chicago Cubs catcher. The Dodgers made it to the 1965 World Series versus the Minnesota Twins, and in this Series, Johnson had eight hits, including two home runs, the second one being the game-winning one in the decisive seventh game.

Then, 1966 was Johnson's high-water season in the Major Leagues.[5] With Tommy Davis back in left field, and Willie Davis in center field, Johnson played mostly in right field. Frequently batting third in the order, right ahead of the dangerous hitter Tommy Davis, Johnson set career highs by playing in 152 games, getting 526 at-bats, 143 hits, 17 home runs, scoring 71 runs, and batting in 73. Johnson's batting average that season was 0.272, and the Dodgers made it to the World Series once again..[6]

This was also Koufax's last year in baseball before retiring because of his damaged and getting-worse left arm. In this World Series, the Dodgers' offense hit rock-bottom, with the teams getting shut out three times, and only scoring two runs in the four games. Johnson finished the series with just four hits in 15 at-bats, none of them being long balls, of course..[7]

From this point on, Johnson's Major League career rapidly wound down, as he played in just 104 games for the Dodgers in 1967, a combined 127 for the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians in 1968, and just 67 for the California Angels in 1969, with a very low 0.203 batting average. In 1970, at the age of just 35, Johnson was out of professional baseball for good..[8]

In his approximately four-year-long Major League career, Johnson posted a 0.258 overall average with 48 home runs and 232 RBI in 677 games played..[9]

Today, Sweet Lou is an integral part of the Dodgers’ Community Relations efforts and a member of the Dodgers Speakers’ Bureau, while remaining active with various charities in Southern California and nationally, as well. Johnson serves as a member of the advisory board of the Baseball Assistance Team, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping former Major League, Minor League, and Negro League players through financial and medical difficulties.

References

  1. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnslo01.shtml
  2. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnslo01.shtml
  3. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnslo01.shtml
  4. ^ Murray, Jim (27 August 1965). "Lou Johnson keeps Dodgers in pennant race". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 7. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  5. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnslo01.shtml
  6. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnslo01.shtml
  7. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnslo01.shtml
  8. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnslo01.shtml
  9. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnslo01.shtml
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