Cliff Johnson (baseball)

Clifford "Heathcliff" Johnson, Jr. (born July 22, 1947) is a retired Major League Baseball player who played for the Houston Astros (1972–1977), New York Yankees (1977–1979), Cleveland Indians (1979–1980), Chicago Cubs (1980), Oakland Athletics (1981–82), Toronto Blue Jays (1983–84, 1985–1986) and Texas Rangers (1985). He batted and threw right-handed and split time between catcher, first baseman, and outfielder in the early part of his Major League career before becoming primarily a full-time designated hitter.

Career

As a catcher at San Antonio's Wheatley High School in 1965, Johnson was the 83rd pick in the 1966 baseball draft by the Houston Astros. After six seasons in the minor leagues, he made his major league debut on September 13, 1972, and played for the Astros until partway through the 1977 season, when he was traded to the Yankees.^[1]

Johnson was a member of the 1977 and 1978 Yankees World Series championship teams, both over the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1979, he was traded to Cleveland 2 months after a locker room brawl with closer Rich Gossage that put Gossage on the disabled list for two months.^[2]

As a member of the Blue Jays in the mid-1980s, Johnson was a fan favorite at Exhibition Stadium until his retirement on September 30, 1986.

In a 15-season major League career, Johnson posted a .258 batting average with 196 home runs and 669 RBI in 1369 games played. Johnson held the MLB record for pinch hit home runs with 20 until he was surpassed by Matt Stairs in 2010.

Personal

Johnson is brother-in-law of retired Major League left fielder Mike Easler.

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Baseball Library
• Retrosheet
• Venezuelan Professional Baseball League statistics