Ron Johnson (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ron Johnson |
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Johnson managing the Pawtucket Red Sox in 2009
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: March 23, 1956 Long Beach, California |
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| Died: January 26, 2021 (aged 64) Murfreesboro, Tennessee |
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| debut | |||
| September 12, 1982, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 22, 1984, for the Montreal Expos | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .261 | ||
| Games played | 22 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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Ronald David Johnson (born March 23, 1956 – died January 26, 2021) was an American baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals and Montreal Expos. After his playing days, he became a successful coach and manager in minor league baseball for many years. He also coached for the Boston Red Sox in MLB.
From 2012 to 2018, Ron managed the Norfolk Tides. This team is part of the Baltimore Orioles' minor league system. He also managed other teams like the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Omaha Royals.
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Playing Baseball
Ron Johnson was a talented athlete. He chose to play baseball at Fresno State University instead of accepting football scholarships. In 1978, he was named to the 1978 College Baseball All-America Team.
The Kansas City Royals picked Ron in the 1978 MLB draft. He made his first appearance in a major league game on September 12, 1982. Later, in 1983, the Royals traded him to the Montreal Expos.
Ron played in 22 major league games over three seasons. He had a batting average of .261. This means he got a hit about 26% of the times he tried to hit the ball. He also had 12 hits, including two doubles (when the batter reaches second base). He played many more games, 830, in the minor leagues.
Coaching and Managing Baseball Teams
After he stopped playing in 1985, Ron Johnson became a coach for the Royals' minor league teams. He coached for six seasons before becoming a manager.
Managing for the Kansas City Royals
Ron started managing in 1992 with the Baseball City Royals. In 1995, he won the Texas League Manager of the Year award. This was for leading the Wichita Wranglers to the playoffs. In 1998, he became a manager at the Triple-A level with the Omaha Royals. The next year, he led that team to finish first in their league. Overall, he had six winning seasons in his eight years managing for the Royals.
Managing and Coaching for the Boston Red Sox
In 2000, Ron joined the Boston Red Sox organization. He managed their Class A team, the Sarasota Red Sox. In 2002, he moved up to manage the Double-A team, the Trenton Thunder. When the Red Sox changed their Double-A team to the Portland Sea Dogs in 2003, Ron went with them. He managed the Sea Dogs for two seasons.
From 2005 to 2009, Ron managed the Pawtucket Red Sox. This was Boston's Triple-A team. On November 23, 2009, Ron became the first base coach for the main Boston Red Sox team. He held this job for two seasons.
Managing for the Baltimore Orioles
After leaving the Red Sox, Ron became the manager for the Norfolk Tides. This team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. He led them to winning seasons in 2012 and 2013. In 2015, his team won their division, and Ron was named the International League Manager of the Year.
Ron managed the Tides for seven years. He holds the record for the most games won as a manager for that team (491 wins). In 2018, he received an award from the Orioles for his work in developing players.
Ron Johnson's total record as a minor league manager was 1,752 wins and 1,770 losses over 25 seasons.
Ron Johnson's Family Life
Ron Johnson was married to Daphne, and they had five children.
His son, Chris, also became a professional baseball player. Chris played in Major League Baseball for eight seasons with five different teams. He was a third baseman. In 2013, Chris had a great season with the Atlanta Braves. He finished second in the National League for batting average at .321. Chris also played for the Triple-A Tides in 2017, which meant he was reunited with his father, who was managing the team.
In 2010, Ron had to take time off from coaching the Red Sox. His youngest daughter was seriously injured in an accident. He missed the rest of that season but was able to return to coaching in 2011.
Ron Johnson passed away on January 26, 2021, at the age of 64. His death was due to COVID-19.
See also
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
