Jerry Johnson (MLB pitcher)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Topps baseball card - 1976 Series, #658

Jerry Michael Johnson (born December 3, 1943 in Miami, Florida) is a former pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1968 through 1977. He batted and threw right handed.

Johnson was signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent in 1963. Originally a third baseman, he was converted in a pitcher, and was obtained by the Philadelphia Phillies from the Mets in the 1967 minor league draft. He struggled for five years to win a regular spot on a major league roster, but a solid performance in Triple-A in 1968, in which he went 7-1 with a 1.71 ERA, earned him a call-up during the midseason.

Johnson spent two years with Philadelphia, before moving to the St. Louis Cardinals (1970), San Francisco Giants (1970-72), Cleveland Indians (1973), Houston Astros (1974), San Diego Padres (1975-76), and Toronto Blue Jays (1977). As a rookie for the Phillies, he went 4-4 with a 3.24 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 33 appearances, including 21 starts, but after a dissapointing 6-13 in 1969, he was sent to St. Louis. Johnson made the transition from starter to reliever, spending 1970 with the Cardinals and Giants. His most productive season came in 1971 with San Francisco, when he posted career-highs in wins (12), ERA (2.97), saves (18), and games (67), while pitching 109.0 innings coming out of the bullpen. After the season, he was considered both for the MVP and Cy Young awards.

In a 10-season career, Johnson posted a 48-51 record with a 4.31 ERA and 41 saves in 365 appearances, including 39 starts, six complete games, two shutouts, and 770 ⅔ innings of work.

Following his majors career, Johnson played for the St. Lucie Legends of the Senior Professional Baseball Association.

[edit] The transaction

Johnson is also known for being involved in a controversial transaction. In 1969 he was sent by Philadelphia along with Dick Allen and Cookie Rojas to the St. Louis Cardinals in the same trade that brought Tim McCarver, Byron Browne, Joe Horner and Curt Flood to the Phillies. After Flood refused to report to his new team, St. Louis sent Willie Montañez and a minor leaguer to Philadelphia to complete the trade. Flood believed that Major League Baseball's reserve clause was unfair and appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Although his legal challenge was unsuccessful, it brought solidarity among ballplayers as they fought against reserve clause and sought free agency.