Roy Johnson (1930s outfielder) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roy Johnson |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: February 23, 1903 Pryor, Oklahoma, U.S. |
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| Died: September 10, 1973 (aged 70) Tacoma, Washington, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 18, 1929, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 27, 1938, for the Boston Bees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .296 | ||
| Home runs | 58 | ||
| Runs batted in | 555 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Roy Cleveland Johnson (born February 23, 1903 – died September 10, 1973) was a talented American baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder. Roy played for several famous teams. These included the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Boston Bees.
Roy was born in Pryor, Oklahoma. He grew up in Tacoma, Washington. He was the older brother of another great baseball player, "Indian Bob" Johnson. Both brothers were part Cherokee.
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Roy Johnson's Baseball Journey
Roy Johnson was a left-handed hitter and threw with his right hand. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 175 pounds. Unlike his younger brother, who hit many home runs, Roy was known for hitting line drives. He was also a great defensive outfielder. Roy had a very strong throwing arm.
His professional baseball career started in 1926. He played in a minor league called the Utah-Idaho League. There, he had an amazing average of .369. This success helped him move up to a higher league. He then joined the San Francisco Seals. In 1927 and 1928, he played with Earl Averill and Smead Jolley. They formed one of the best hitting outfields in minor league history.
Joining the Detroit Tigers
On October 19, 1928, the San Francisco Seals traded Roy Johnson to the Detroit Tigers. This was the start of his ten-year career in Major League Baseball. During his time in the MLB, he hit over .300 four times. He also finished in the top 10 for stolen bases six times in the American League.
In his first year, 1929, Johnson made history. He became the first rookie in MLB to get 200 hits in one season. He had 201 hits that year! He also led the American League with 45 doubles. He had 640 at-bats and hit for a .314 average. He scored a career-high 128 runs. In 1931, he led the American League with 19 triples and stole 33 bases.
Playing for the Red Sox and Yankees
In the middle of the 1932 season, the Detroit Tigers traded Johnson to the Boston Red Sox. He had three very good years playing for Boston. In 1933, he hit .313 and had 95 runs batted in (RBI). The next year, 1934, was his best. He hit .320 and had a career-high 119 RBI. In 1935, he continued to play well, hitting .315.
After his time with the Red Sox, he became a part-time outfielder for the New York Yankees. In 1936, he played in the 1936 World Series. He was a pinch runner in one game. The Yankees won the World Series against the New York Giants. This made Roy Johnson a world champion!
A Surprising Trade
In 1937, something unexpected happened. The Yankees had lost two games in a row. Roy Johnson made a comment about the manager, Joe McCarthy, being upset. McCarthy happened to overhear him. Soon after, McCarthy asked the team's general manager to trade Johnson.
The Boston Bees of the National League picked up Johnson. He played 92 games for the Bees. On April 27, 1938, he was sent to the minor leagues. He never played in the major leagues again after that.
Roy Johnson's Career Stats
In his ten-season career, Roy Johnson played 1,155 games. He had a career batting average of .296. He got 1,292 hits in 4,359 at-bats. He scored 716 runs, hit 275 doubles, 83 triples, and 58 home runs. He also had 555 RBI and 135 stolen bases. He was good at getting on base, with a .369 on-base percentage. He also had a .437 slugging percentage. As an outfielder, he had a .938 fielding percentage.
Roy Johnson passed away in Tacoma on September 10, 1973, at the age of 70.
Detroit Tigers Records
Roy Johnson still holds some records for the Detroit Tigers:
- Most runs by a rookie: 128 (in 1929)
- Most doubles by a rookie: 45 (in 1929)
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
