Jay Johnstone

Infobox MLB retired
name = Jay Johnstone
bgcolor1 =
textcolor1 =
bgcolor2 =
textcolor2 =


width =
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position = Outfielder
birthdate = birth date and age|1945|11|20
deathdate =
bats =Left
throws = Right
debutdate =July 30
debutyear =1966
debutteam =California Angels
finaldate =October 6
finalyear =1985
finalteam =Los Angeles Dodgers
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value =.267
stat2label =Home runs
stat2value =102
stat3label =Runs batted in
stat3value =531
teams =
*California Angels (1966-1970)
*Chicago White Sox (1971-1972)
*Oakland Athletics (1973)
*Philadelphia Phillies (1974-1978)
*New York Yankees (1978-1979)
*San Diego Padres (1979)
*Los Angeles Dodgers (1980-1982)
*Chicago Cubs (1982-1984)
*Los Angeles Dodgers (1985)
highlights =
*1978 World Series and 1981 World Series Championships

John William Johnstone Jr. (born November 20, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player, active from 1966 to 1985 for the California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs. Johnstone was known as a versatile outfielder with a good sense of humor, known for keeping clubhouses loose with occasional pranks and gimmicks. He later served as a color commentator for Yankees radio broadcasts with John Sterling for a couple of seasons.

Career highlights include:

*As an Angel, he preserved Clyde Wright's no-hitter against the Athletics in the seventh inning by catching a Reggie Jackson fly ball 400 feet from straightaway center field, just in front of the wall (July 3, 1970).

*As a Phillie, he went 7-for-9 in the 1976 National League Championship Series against the Cincinnati Reds. However, the Reds swept the Series.

*As a Dodger, he hit a pinch-two run home run in Game Four of the 1981 World Series against the New York Yankees, the home run rallying the Dodgers from a 6-3 deficit to win 8-7. The victory also enabled the Dodgers to tie the Series at two games each; they won the next two games to win it all.

Clubhouse Prankster

He pulled off a number of infamous pranks during his playing days, including placing a soggy brownie inside Steve Garvey's first base mitt, setting teammate's cleats on fire (known as "hot-footing"), cutting out the crotch area of Rick Sutcliffe's underwear, locking Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda in his office during spring training, dressing up as a groundskeeper and sweeping the Dodger Stadium infield in between innings, nailing teammate's cleats to the floor, and replacing the celebrity photos in Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda's office with pictures of himself, Jerry Reuss and Don Stanhouse. He also once dressed up in Lasorda's uniform (with padding underneath) and ran out to the mound to talk to the pitcher while carrying Lasorda's book and a can of Slim Fast.

As a baseball announcer, he once covered a microphone with a scent of stale eggs then proceeded to interview Dave Stewart, Mickey Hatcher and other players.

Connection with Rick Monday

Johnstone was born in Manchester, Connecticut, on the same day, month and year as Rick Monday, a teammate on the Dodgers' 1981 World Series champions. Both also served in the Marine Corps Reserve in the 1960s early in their baseball careers. Both also played for the Cubs, Athletics and Dodgers.

Trivia

Johnstone struck out looking against Dave Spiwack at the top of the first inning in the movie "Naked Gun".

After the Dodgers' 1981 World Series victory, Johnstone and Dodger teammates Monday, Jerry Reuss, and Steve Yeager appeared on "Solid Gold" and sang their own rendition of Queen's hit, "We Are the Champions".

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/johnsja01.shtml Jay Johnstone career stats"]