WHY I THINK BOB JOHNSON SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK BOB JOHNSON SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Bob Johnson was one of the best combinations ever of the power and consistency that defines strong hitting. He barely missed out on the .300/300 club (.300 batting average and 300 home runs), but had eight seasons with over 100 RBI’s and six with over 100 runs scored. Johnson also played a pretty good leftfield for the Athletics and Red Sox, as evidenced by the fact that he led his position peers in fielding percentage, putouts, and assists each at least four times. He also played an occasional first base. Bob Johnson started his career with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1933, blasting 21 home runs as a rookie. He hit 34 homers and batted .300 for the first time in 1934, earning the first of his eight all-star selections. Johnson hit 25 or more home runs in each of the next four seasons and had a career batting average of .301 right before he enjoyed the best year of his career in 1939, when he batted a career high .338 with 23 homers and 114 RBI’s. Johnson followed up with two more 100 RBI seasons and batted .291 in 1942, but was traded to the Washington Senators and slumped in 1943 at the age of 37, suffering the effects of Griffith Stadium. Although he produced that season, he looked like he was going downhill quickly, so the Senators traded him to the Boston Red Sox. Johnson made the Senators pay by batting .324 and leading the AL with an astronomical on base percentage of .431. He batted .280 for the Red Sox in 1945 before retiring. Bob Johnson was one of the most consistently excellent hitters in the history of baseball and a talented defensive leftfielder who really should have been in the Hall of Fame long ago. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,863 season high: 153 in 1936 

At Bats career: 6,920 season high: 582 in 1935 

Hits career: 2,051 season high: 184 in 1939 

Doubles career: 396 season high: 44 in 1933 

Triples career: 95 season high: 14 in 1936 

Home Runs career: 288 season high: 34 in 1934 

Runs career: 1,239 season high: 115 in 1939 

Runs Batted In career: 1,283 season high: 121 in 1936 

Stolen Bases career: 96 season high: 15 in 1939 

Walks career: 1,075 season high: 99 in 1939 

Strikeouts career: 851 season high: 76 in 1935 

Batting Average career: .296 season high: .338 in 1939 

On Base Percentage career: .393 season high: .440 in 1939 led AL: .431 in 1944 

Slugging Percentage career: .506 season high: .563 in 1934 

Total Bases career: 3,501 season high: 311 in 1938 

Sacrifice Hits career: 28 season high: 10 in 1939 

Fielding Percentage career: .967 season high: .986 in 1941 led AL LF: .977 in 1937, .988 in 1941, .976 in 1944, .973 in 1945 

Double Plays career: 102 season high: 29 in 1941 

Putouts career: 4,416 season high: 541 in 1941 led AL LF: 302 in 1934, 337 in 1935, 280 in 1937, 307 in 1939, 261 in 1944, 269 in 1945 

Assists career: 352 season high: 82 in 1936 led AL LF: 16 in 1934 and 1945, 15 in 1939, 17 in 1941 and 1942, 22 in 1944 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-brother of Roy Johnson 

-nicknamed “Indian Bob” 

-finished fifth in the AL MVP Award voting in 1943, eighth in 1939, tenth in 1944, 15th in 1933, 17th in 1938, and 23rd in 1945 

-led the AL in OPS in 1944 (.959) 

-led the AL leftfielders in games in 1944 (142) and 1945 (140), and all outfielders in 1939 (150) 

-led the AL in outfield assists in 1934 (17) and 1938 (21) 

-held the Athletics’ career run scored record from 1942 until 1993 

-had a 26 game hitting streak in 1934 

-went 6-for-6 with two home runs and two doubles on June 16, 1934 

-set an AL record with six RBI’s in the first inning on August 29, 1937 with a grand slam and a double 

-drove in all eight runs in an 8-3 victory on June 12, 1938 with two homers and a single 

-hit for the cycle on July 6, 1944 

-was ejected only once in his entire MLB career 

-collected the lone hit in three different one-hitters 

-ranks 45th in career outfield assists 

-among MLB leftfielders, ranks 18th in career games, 14th in double plays and putouts, and fifth in assists 

-his 22 assists from leftfield in 1944 are the 35th most of all time 

-also played 39 games at first base, 28 at second base, 20 at third base, 167 in centerfield, 27 in rightfield, 18 as a pinch hitter, and one as a pinch runner

-was inducted into the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame in 1964