Johnny Weekly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Johnny Weekly |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: June 14, 1937 Waterproof, Louisiana |
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| Died: November 24, 1974 (aged 37) Walnut Creek, California |
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| debut | |||
| April 13, 1962, for the Houston Colt .45s | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 23, 1964, for the Houston Colt .45s | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .207 | ||
| Home runs | 5 | ||
| Runs batted in | 19 | ||
| Teams | |||
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John "Johnny" Weekly (born June 14, 1937 – died November 24, 1974) was an American professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Colt .45s. His career in professional baseball lasted from 1956 to 1965.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Start
Johnny Weekly was born in Waterproof, Louisiana. He later moved to California and finished high school in Pittsburg, California. He also attended Diablo Valley College.
Weekly started his baseball journey with the New York Giants organization in 1956. Even though the Giants moved to his home area in San Francisco Bay Area, he never played for their main MLB team.
Joining the Houston Colt .45s
In 1961, Johnny was chosen by the new expansion team Houston in the Rule 5 draft. This draft allows teams to pick players from other teams' minor league rosters. Houston was getting ready to join the Major Leagues in 1962.
Major League Career Highlights
Johnny Weekly made his big-league debut on April 13, 1962. This was only the fourth game ever for the Houston Colt .45s! He came in as a pinch hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies.
First MLB Home Run
Just six days after his debut, Johnny hit his first MLB hit. It was a solo home run! He hit it off Don Cardwell of the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. This helped Houston win the game 6-0.
After playing 13 games and hitting two home runs, Johnny returned to the Giants' minor league system.
Strong Minor League Season
In 1963, Johnny Weekly had an amazing season in the minor leagues. He played for the Oklahoma City 89ers, a Triple-A team. He had a very high batting average of .363. He also got 86 hits in just 67 games.
This great performance earned him another chance with the Colt .45s in the middle of the 1963 season. He played 34 more games for Houston. On September 18, he had a fantastic game against the Cincinnati Reds. He got three extra-base hits, including two doubles. He also hit his fifth and final big-league home run in that game.
Final Years in Baseball
Johnny Weekly started the 1964 season with the Houston Colt .45s. However, he only played a few games before returning to the minor leagues. He was later traded to the Baltimore Orioles organization.
After playing one more full season in the minor leagues in 1965, Johnny Weekly left professional baseball. He passed away on November 24, 1974, after being in a road accident.
