Oscar Johnson (baseball)

Oscar Johnson (baseball)
Oscar Johnson
Oscar Johnson 1924.jpg
Johnson at the 1924 Colored World Series.
Outfielder / Catcher / Second baseman
Born: 1896
Atchison, Kansas
Died: 1966
Cleveland, Ohio
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Professional debut
1922 for the Kansas City Monarchs
Last professional appearance
1933 for the Memphis Red Sox
statistics
Batting average     .337
Teams

Oscar "Heavy" Johnson (born 1896 in Atchison, Kansas - 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio) was a baseball player in the Negro Leagues. He played catcher and outfielder. Johnson was one of the Negro League's foremost power hitters in the 1920s, reportedly weighing 250 pounds, and known for hitting home runs.[1] Longtime MLB umpire Jocko Conlan once said that Johnson "could hit a ball out of any park."[2]

In his rookie season with the Kansas City Monarchs, Johnson batted .389, and posted a .345 average in the Cuban winter league. Johnson was credited with 18 home runs in 46 games in 1923, with a .413 batting average. Johnson was also the first member of the Monarchs to hit a home run at the new Kansas City Municipal Stadium.[3] Johnson was credited with more than 60 home runs against all opposition in 1924, and batted .296 in the 1924 Colored World Series, which was won by the Monarchs.[1] Johnson then moved to the Baltimore Black Sox, where he posted averages of .345 and .337 in his 2 seasons with the club. In 1927, with the Harrisburg Giants, Johnson hit .316, teaming with John Beckwith and Oscar Charleston. Johnson split the 1928 season with the Cleveland Tigers and the Memphis Red Sox, posting a .315 average overall.[1]

Former pitcher Bill "Plunk" Drake said that Johnson was once sleeping on the bench when he was awoken and told to pinch-hit; he grabbed a fungo bat and hit a home run.[4] Despite Johnson's weight, he was described as a "remarkably fast runner for his bulk." He was also described as temperamental and moody, one of the "nasty boys".[4] Johnson finished his career in 1933 with a .337 lifetime batting average.

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