George Johnson (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids George Johnson |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: April 20, 1890 San Marcos, Texas |
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| Died: October 28, 1943 (aged 52) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| debut | |||
| 1918, for the Hilldale Club | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1931, for the Bacharach Giants | |||
| Career statistics | |||
| Batting average | .287 | ||
| Hits | 288 | ||
| Home runs | 20 | ||
| Runs batted in | 150 | ||
| Stolen bases | 32 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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George Washington "Dibo" Johnson (born April 20, 1890 – died August 6, 1940) was an American baseball player. He was an outfielder in the Negro leagues. These leagues were for African American players when major league baseball was segregated.
Playing Baseball
George Johnson played baseball for over a decade. He started in 1918 and played until 1931. He spent most of his career with the Hilldale Club.
Amazing Seasons
In 1923, Johnson had a fantastic year. He led the Eastern Colored League in several important stats:
- He hit eight Home runs.
- He had 46 runs batted in (RBIs).
- He stole 13 Stolen bases.
He also had a great batting average of .352 that year. In 1925, his batting average was .328.
Historic Games
George Johnson was part of some big moments in Negro league baseball history.
Postseason Firsts
In 1921, he played in the second-ever postseason series for black baseball teams. His team, Hilldale, played against the Chicago American Giants. The Giants were champions of the "West" and the Negro National League.
Johnson made history in this series. He hit a home run in Game 4 and another in Game 5. This made him the first player to hit home runs in two postseason games in a row in the Negro leagues. Hilldale won the series, beating Chicago three games to two. There was also one tied game.
Winning the World Series
Johnson also helped his team win the 1925 Colored World Series. This was a very important championship. In Game 6, Hilldale was leading by three runs. The bases were loaded for the other team. Johnson caught the final out in center field. This catch secured the win for Hilldale. It was their first and only Negro World Series title.
