The 5 Bob Johnsons

pholmer · 08-16-2025, 02:54 PM

Just finished the 1932 season in my current game when I came across Bob Johnson, a left fielder for the Philadelphia Athletics. However, the picture of him showed a black player in a Texas Rangers uniform, clearly the wrong photo. It was a photo of Bob Johnson, just not the correct Bob Johnson. I learned that over 25 men with that name have played professional baseball, 5 of whom made it to the Majors.

The 1932 Bob Johnson (BJ1) began his 13-year AL career that year and played until 1945. He spent 10 years with the Athletics, 1 with the Washington Senators, and 2 with the Red Sox, a career which led to his election to the HOF. he was a 7-time All-Star and received votes for MVP 6 times, including 1932, his first year in the Majors. In 1943 he finished 5th in the MVP tally and was an All-Star while playing for the Senators.

pholmer · 08-16-2025, 02:58 PM

Compared to the stellar career of BJ1, the career of BJ2 seems undistinguished to say the least. Our 2nd Bob Johnson (BJ2) played a single, lackluster season for the Kansas City Monarchs in 1944 where he played 1st base and batted .111. It was probably not easy being a rookie on a team that had Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Wilbur Brown, Ted Radcliffe, and Hilton Smith on the roster. There are no photos of BJ2 available (I am still looking) and even the basic bio information such as birthdate and home town are unknown. Still, very few of us ever get as far as BJ2 (including 20 other BJs) and they all deserve our respect.

pholmer · 08-16-2025, 03:30 PM

The 3rd Bob Johnson (BJ3) was a career off-the-bench kind of player, a guy who can fill in defensively and pinch hit now and then. He started playing with Kansas City in 1960 as a shortstop, 2nd baseman and pinch hitter and played for 7 other teams before retiring in 1970. He appears to have been a starter only once in 11 years, but maintained decent BA, hitting over .300 during several seasons. But after after stints with the Senators, Orioles, Mets, Reds, Braves, and Cardinals, BJ3 ended his career with 2 seasons in Oakland, retiring in 1970.

pholmer · 08-16-2025, 04:14 PM

The next Bob Johnson (BJ4) began pitching for the Mets in 1969. He seems to have been an average reliever, but he threw for several teams in his 7-year career. After a year in New York he played in Kansas City for a season and then to Pittsburgh where he stayed for 3 years. He appeared in 50 games for the Pirates in 1973, but went to Cleveland the next year. He appeared in only 14 games for the Indians in 1974 and spent the next two years in the Triple-A minors. BJ4 got a call-up from the Braves in April, 1977, but in June they released him and he retired.

pholmer · 08-16-2025, 04:31 PM

Now we come to the Bob Johnson (BJ5) whose photo was wrongly attached to BJ1. BJ5 was a catcher and 1st baseman for the Texas Rangers from 1981 to 1983. He was barely used during his 1st year, but posted a .278 BA. However, he did not improve over the next 2 years despite being given more opportunities to do so. BJ5 was released after the 1983 season and retired.

Pelican · 08-26-2025, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pholmer

The 3rd Bob Johnson (BJ3) was a career off-the-bench kind of player, a guy who can fill in defensively and pinch hit now and then. He started playing with Kansas City in 1960 as a shortstop, 2nd baseman and pinch hitter and played for 7 other teams before retiring in 1970. He appears to have been a starter only once in 11 years, but maintained decent BA, hitting over .300 during several seasons. But after after stints with the Senators, Orioles, Mets, Reds, Braves, and Cardinals, BJ3 ended his career with 2 season in Oakland, retiring in 1970.

So, into the wayback machine. The 1967 Season was my first playing APBA baseball. And Bob Johnson had a "regular" player card (not an "extra player with a thin paper card and "adjusted" ratings due to limited stats), even though he was a utility guy, due to over 200 AB. And with his .348 average and decent power, he was the best player in APBA. Low fielding ratings, but he could play almost anywhere. Now I am going to check his ratings in OOTP for 1967. I mean, his numbers do not lie. And he is way above the OOTP thresholds for adjusting limited stats.

Royals · 08-26-2025, 08:58 PM

Bob Johnson the pitcher for the Royals had a very good season in 1970. Ended up going to Pittsburgh for shortstop Freddie Patek.

tm1681 · 08-27-2025, 06:44 AM

You know...with five Bob Johnsons that's enough to make one of those 1970s Svenska Dansbands.

08-16-2025, 02:54 PM	#1
pholmer Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 159	The 5 Bob Johnsons Just finished the 1932 season in my current game when I came across Bob Johnson, a left fielder for the Philadelphia Athletics. However, the picture of him showed a black player in a Texas Rangers uniform, clearly the wrong photo. It was a photo of Bob Johnson, just not the correct Bob Johnson. I learned that over 25 men with that name have played professional baseball, 5 of whom made it to the Majors. The 1932 Bob Johnson (BJ1) began his 13-year AL career that year and played until 1945. He spent 10 years with the Athletics, 1 with the Washington Senators, and 2 with the Red Sox, a career which led to his election to the HOF. he was a 7-time All-Star and received votes for MVP 6 times, including 1932, his first year in the Majors. In 1943 he finished 5th in the MVP tally and was an All-Star while playing for the Senators. Attached Images

08-16-2025, 02:58 PM	#2
pholmer Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 159	The 5 Bob Johnsons Compared to the stellar career of BJ1, the career of BJ2 seems undistinguished to say the least. Our 2nd Bob Johnson (BJ2) played a single, lackluster season for the Kansas City Monarchs in 1944 where he played 1st base and batted .111. It was probably not easy being a rookie on a team that had Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Wilbur Brown, Ted Radcliffe, and Hilton Smith on the roster. There are no photos of BJ2 available (I am still looking) and even the basic bio information such as birthdate and home town are unknown. Still, very few of us ever get as far as BJ2 (including 20 other BJs) and they all deserve our respect. Attached Images Last edited by pholmer; 08-16-2025 at 03:00 PM.

08-16-2025, 03:30 PM	#3
pholmer Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 159	The 5 Bob Johnsons The 3rd Bob Johnson (BJ3) was a career off-the-bench kind of player, a guy who can fill in defensively and pinch hit now and then. He started playing with Kansas City in 1960 as a shortstop, 2nd baseman and pinch hitter and played for 7 other teams before retiring in 1970. He appears to have been a starter only once in 11 years, but maintained decent BA, hitting over .300 during several seasons. But after after stints with the Senators, Orioles, Mets, Reds, Braves, and Cardinals, BJ3 ended his career with 2 seasons in Oakland, retiring in 1970. Attached Images Last edited by pholmer; 09-06-2025 at 06:38 AM.

08-16-2025, 04:14 PM	#4
pholmer Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 159	The 5 Bob Johnsons The next Bob Johnson (BJ4) began pitching for the Mets in 1969. He seems to have been an average reliever, but he threw for several teams in his 7-year career. After a year in New York he played in Kansas City for a season and then to Pittsburgh where he stayed for 3 years. He appeared in 50 games for the Pirates in 1973, but went to Cleveland the next year. He appeared in only 14 games for the Indians in 1974 and spent the next two years in the Triple-A minors. BJ4 got a call-up from the Braves in April, 1977, but in June they released him and he retired. Attached Images

08-16-2025, 04:31 PM	#5
pholmer Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 159	The 5 Bob Johnsons Now we come to the Bob Johnson (BJ5) whose photo was wrongly attached to BJ1. BJ5 was a catcher and 1st baseman for the Texas Rangers from 1981 to 1983. He was barely used during his 1st year, but posted a .278 BA. However, he did not improve over the next 2 years despite being given more opportunities to do so. BJ5 was released after the 1983 season and retired. Attached Images Last edited by pholmer; 09-03-2025 at 04:52 AM.

08-26-2025, 08:58 PM	#7
Royals Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 193	Bob Johnson the pitcher for the Royals had a very good season in 1970. Ended up going to Pittsburgh for shortstop Freddie Patek.

08-27-2025, 06:44 AM	#8
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,330	You know...with five Bob Johnsons that's enough to make one of those 1970s Svenska Dansbands. __________________ Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here