Russ Johnson

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Russ Johnson

Pittsburgh Pirates — No. --
Infielder
Born: February 22, 1973 (1973-02-22) (age 35)
Bats: Right Throws: Right 
Major League Baseball debut
April 8, 1997 for the Houston Astros
Selected MLB statistics
(through 2007)
Batting average     .264
Home runs     14
Runs batted in     97
Teams

William Russell Johnson, better known as Russ Johnson, is a Major League Baseball infielder who was born on February 22, 1973 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He went to Louisiana State University and was drafted in the first round of the 1994 amateur draft by the Houston Astros. In 1997, he was called to the Majors by the Astros, where he remained until 2000. His best season in Houston was 1999, when he hit .282 with four home runs and 33 RBI.

In the middle of the 2000 season, Johnson was traded to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for reliever Marc Valdes. He moved around several times during the next few years. With minor leaguer Josh Pressley, he was supplied by the Devil Rays in 2002 to the New York Mets as a player to be named later in a deal for Rey Ordonez. He spent 2003 and 2004 in the minor leagues with the Mets' and Cubs' Triple A teams respectively.

He reached the Majors again in 2005, when he signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees. He spent the year coming in off the bench as a first baseman, third baseman, pinch hitter, designated hitter, or outfielder. This made him the second "William Russell Johnson" to play for the Yankees. (Billy Johnson, who has the same first, middle, and last name, but is no relation, played for New York in the 1940s.)

In 2006 he played for the Yankees AAA farm team, and led the International League in walk percentage (14.8%).[1]. He spent 2007 in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system, where he hit a combined .261 in 106 games split between AA and AAA.

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