Bob Johnson (outfielder)
| Bob Johnson | |||
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| Left fielder | |||
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Born: November 26, 1905 Pryor Creek, Oklahoma |
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Died: July 6, 1982 (aged 76) Tacoma, Washington |
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| MLB debut | |||
| April 12, 1933, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 23, 1945, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .296 | ||
| Home runs | 288 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,283 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
Robert Lee Johnson (November 26, 1905 – July 6, 1982), nicknamed "Indian Bob", was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for three American League teams from 1933 to 1945, primarily the Philadelphia Athletics. He was the fifth player to have nine consecutive seasons of 20 or more home runs, and his 288 career HRs ranked eighth in major league history when he retired. Usually playing on inferior teams, he batted .300 five times, had eight seasons with 100 runs batted in, and finished his career among the AL's top five right-handed hitters in career RBI (1,283), runs (1,239), slugging average (.506), total bases (3501) and walks (1,075). He held the Athletics franchise record for career runs from 1942 to 1993. He also ranked among the AL leaders in games in left field (3rd, 1,592) and outfield putouts (10th, 4,003) and assists (8th, 208) when his career ended. His elder brother Roy was a major league outfielder from 1929 to 1938.
Born in Pryor Creek, Oklahoma, Johnson grew up in Tacoma, Washington, and thereafter made the city his home. His nickname was derived from his lineage, which was one-quarter Cherokee. Due to the abundance of quality outfielders in the late 1920s and early 1930s, he didn't reach the major leagues until he was 27. He joined the Athletics in 1933, replacing Al Simmons, who had been traded to the Chicago White Sox. Philadelphia had won three straight pennants from 1929 to 1931, but after a second-place finish in 1932 owner-manager Connie Mack began gradually dealing away most of his star players in order to keep the club afloat financially during the Great Depression. As a rookie Johnson hit .290 with 20 home runs, 103 runs and 93 RBI, and was second in the AL with 44 doubles. But the team ended the season in third place; their 79–72 record was their last winning season until 1947, and they would occupy last place in six of Johnson's 10 seasons, along with two seventh-place finishes. Catcher Mickey Cochrane and pitcher Lefty Grove were traded in December 1933, speeding the team's decline.
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