Kenneth Wandersee Johnson [Hook] (January 14, 1923 - April 6, 2004) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three different teams between the 1947 and 1952 seasons. Listed at 6' 1", 185 lb., he batted and threw left-handed.
A native of Topeka, Kansas, Johnson was a hard-throwing pitcher but lacked in control he made up for in velocity and movement. His wildness impeded his career, though he had flashes of brilliance.
Johnson entered the majors in 1947 with the St. Louis Cardinals, playing for them in part of four seasons (1947-1950) before joining the Philadelphia Phillies (1950-51) and Detroit Tigers (1952). In his first major league start, he pitched a one-hitter for the Cardinals against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field (September 27). He struggled with his control after that and was sent by St. Louis to the Phillies in exchange for outfielder Johnny Blatnik. He went 4-1 as a member of the famous Phillies Whiz Kids, on the way to the National League pennant. He also pitched in nine games for Detroit in 1952, his last major league season.
In a six-season career, Johnson posted a 12-14 record with a 4.58 ERA in 74 appearances, including 34 starts, eight complete games, four shutouts, and a 1.32 walk-to-strikeout ratio (195-to-147) in 269 ⅓ innings of work. Johnson died in Wichita, Kansas, at the age of 81.