Bob Johnson (outfielder) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bob Johnson
Left fielder
Born: (1905-11-26)November 26, 1905 Pryor Creek, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died: July 6, 1982(1982-07-06) (aged 76) Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
April 12, 1933, for the Philadelphia Athletics
Last appearance
September 23, 1945, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics
Batting average	.296
Hits	2,051
Home runs	288
Runs batted in	1,283
Teams
Philadelphia Athletics (1933–1942) Washington Senators (1943) Boston Red Sox (1944–1945)
Career highlights and awards
8× All-Star (1935, 1938–1940, 1942–1945) Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame

Robert Lee Johnson (born November 26, 1905 – died July 6, 1982), also known as "Indian Bob", was a professional baseball player from America. He played as a left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1933 to 1945. He played for three different teams in the American League, mostly for the Philadelphia Athletics. His older brother, Roy, was also a major league outfielder.

Bob Johnson was one of the first players to hit 20 or more home runs for nine years in a row. When he retired, his 288 career home runs were the eighth most in MLB history. Even though he often played on teams that weren't very strong, he was a great hitter. He had a batting average of .300 five times. He also had eight seasons where he brought in 100 or more runs.

Who Was Bob Johnson?

Bob Johnson was born in Pryor Creek, Oklahoma. He grew up and lived in Tacoma, Washington. His nickname, "Indian Bob," came from his family background, as he was one-quarter Cherokee. He didn't start playing in the major leagues until 1933, when he was 27. This was because there were many talented outfielders playing in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Playing in the Major Leagues

Philadelphia Athletics Years (1933-1942)

Johnson joined the Philadelphia Athletics in 1933. He took the place of Al Simmons, who had been traded. The Athletics had been a very strong team, winning championships from 1929 to 1931. However, the team's owner, Connie Mack, started trading away star players. This was to help the team financially during the Great Depression.

As a new player, Johnson had a great first year. He hit .290, with 20 home runs, 103 runs, and 93 runs batted in (RBI). He also had 44 doubles, which was second best in the American League. Despite his efforts, the team finished in third place. After this, the Athletics had many losing seasons.

Johnson played very well at Shibe Park, the Athletics' home field. This park was known for being good for right-handed hitters like him. In 1934, his batting average went up to .307. He also hit a career-high 34 home runs. On June 16, he made an American League record by getting 6 hits in 6 tries, including two home runs.

He was chosen for his first All-Star team in 1935. He continued to be a strong player for the Athletics. He was one of only five players in history to hit 20 or more home runs for nine seasons in a row. He also brought in over 100 runs each year until 1941. He was an All-Star again from 1938 to 1940.

In 1939, Johnson had his best batting average, .338. This was the third highest in the American League that year. In 1942, his last season with the Athletics, he was an All-Star for the fifth time. He also broke the team record for career runs.

Washington Senators (1943)

In 1943, Johnson asked to be traded and joined the Washington Senators. This was the first time in years he was part of a team that was competing for a championship. The Senators finished in second place. Even though his hitting numbers were lower that year, his leadership was very important to the team. He was even voted fifth for the Most Valuable Player Award, which was the highest he ever finished.

Boston Red Sox (1944-1945)

After the 1943 season, the Boston Red Sox bought Johnson's contract. In 1944, at 38 years old, Johnson had a fantastic season for the Red Sox. He brought in 106 RBI and scored 106 runs, both second best in the league. He also led the American League in on-base percentage. On July 6, he achieved a rare feat by hitting for the cycle, meaning he hit a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game. He finished third in the batting race with a .324 average. He was named to the All-Star team in both 1944 and 1945. He retired at the end of the 1945 season.

Career Highlights and Statistics

Johnson played 1,863 games in his career. He had a .296 career batting average. He also collected 2,051 hits, 396 doubles, 95 triples, and 96 stolen bases. He played most of his games in left field.

Johnson was known for getting hits that broke up no-hit games three times. This means he got the only hit for his team in those games. One of these was a home run off famous pitcher Lefty Gomez.

He is also one of only three players in MLB history to drive in all of his team's runs in a single game (when the team scored at least eight runs). On June 12, 1938, Johnson drove in all 8 runs for the Athletics in an 8-3 win. He did this with two home runs (one was a grand slam) and a single.

Bob Johnson was also one of only two players (the other being Ichiro Suzuki) to start their major league career after turning 27 and still get over 2,000 hits.

Later Life and Legacy

After leaving the major leagues, Johnson played and managed for five more seasons in the minor leagues. He played for the Tacoma Tigers. He passed away in Tacoma in 1982 at the age of 76.

In 1964, Bob Johnson was honored by being inducted into the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame. In 1989, he was also honored by the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame.

Baseball writer Bob Carroll once said about Johnson: "Indian Bob Johnson never had one of those super seasons that make everyone sit up and whistle. While phenoms came, collected their MVP trophies, and faded, he just kept plodding along hitting .300, with a couple dozen homers and a hundred ribbies year after year. Like a guy punching a time clock." This shows how consistent and reliable he was throughout his career.

See also

• List of lifetime home run leaders through history
• List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
• List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
• List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders