Ernie Johnson | |||
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Pitcher | |||
Born: Brattleboro, Vermont |
June 16, 1924|||
Died: August 12, 2011 Atlanta, Georgia |
(aged 87)|||
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MLB debut | |||
April 28, 1950, for the Boston Braves | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
September 12, 1959, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Win–loss record | 40–23 | ||
Earned run average | 3.77 | ||
Strikeouts | 319 | ||
Teams | |||
Career highlights and awards | |||
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Ernest Thorwald Johnson, Sr. (June 16, 1924 – August 12, 2011) was a Major League Baseball pitcher and longtime play-by-play and color commentator on Atlanta Braves games on WTBS. The 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), 195 lb (88 kg) right-hander was signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent before the 1942 season. He played for the Boston Braves (1950, 1952), Milwaukee Braves (1953–1958), and Baltimore Orioles (1959).
After serving three years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Johnson made his major league debut in relief on April 28, 1950, against the Philadelphia Phillies at Shibe Park. His first big league win was also in relief, coming against the New York Giants on June 30, 1950, at the Polo Grounds.
Johnson led Western League pitchers with a .750 winning percentage while playing for the Denver Bears in 1949. He spent part of 1950 in the Eastern League and all of 1951 in the American Association before returning to the major leagues for good in 1952. He started 10 games for Boston in 1952 and then appeared almost exclusively in relief thereafter. He led American Association pitchers with a .789 winning percentage and an ERA of 2.62 while playing for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1951.