Judy Johnson

Judy Johnson (1899-1989), American baseball player, known for his intelligent, cool approach to the game as a third baseman in the Negro Leagues from 1918 to 1936. Johnson was a gifted fielder and fine hitter who performed best in clutch situations. He also served as a manager for the Homestead Grays of Pittsburgh in 1930.

William Julius Johnson was born in Snow Hill, Maryland. His father built a makeshift gym to train his son to become a prizefighter, but Johnson preferred baseball. He signed with the Philadelphia Hilldales in 1918 and also spent winters playing in Cuba and Florida. In 1924 he batted .327 to lead the Hilldales to the first Negro World Series where they faced the Kansas City Monarchs. He batted .364 in a losing cause in the series. In 1925 he upped his average to .392 in the regular season and helped the Hilldales overcome the Monarchs in the postseason with a key hit in game three. In 1929 he hit .416.

In 1930 the Great Depression forced the Hilldales out of business and Johnson joined the Homestead Grays as third baseman and manager. One of Johnson’s most famous moves as manager occurred that year during a game against the Kansas City Monarchs. After starting catcher Buck Leonard left the game with a cut hand, Johnson looked to the stands for a replacement and called on a boy he had seen playing on the local sandlot—future Hall of Fame catcher Josh Gibson. Johnson cultivated Gibson as a player along with two other future Hall of Fame members, Cool Papa Bell and Oscar Charleston. A year later Johnson left the Grays to manage the Darby (Pennsylvania) Daisies and in 1932 Johnson, as well as Bell, Charleston, and Gibson, joined Satchel Paige in the lineup of the Pittsburgh Crawfords. The Crawfords are considered by many to be the best of the Negro League teams and one of the greatest teams ever assembled.

Johnson retired after the 1936 season with an unofficial career batting average of .344. He later worked as a scout and coach for the Philadelphia Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, and Brooklyn Dodgers. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.