Roy J. Johnson was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 right-handed pitcher

Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

 and longtime coach

Coach (baseball)

In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...

 in Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

. He also was the interim manager

Manager (baseball)

In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...

 of the Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...

 for one game in 1944

1944 in baseball

-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over St. Louis Browns , in the "Streetcar Series"*All-Star Game, July 11 at Forbes Field: National League, 7-1-Other champions:...

. He was nicknamed "Hardrock" as a minor league

Minor league baseball

Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...

 manager because his teams played in a tough, uncompromising way.

Born in Madill, Oklahoma

Madill, Oklahoma

Madill is a city in Marshall County, Oklahoma, United States. The city was founded in 1901 and is named for George Alexander Madill, an attorney for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, popularly known as the Frisco. The 2009 population estimate was 3,781...

, Johnson had a mediocre pitching record. In his only major league season, the war-shortened 1918

1918 in baseball

-MLB statistical leaders:-American League final standings:-National League final standings:-Events:*April 15 - The American League season opened with Boston Red Sox ace Babe Ruth pitching a four-hit, 7–1 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics...

 campaign, he compiled a 1-5 won/loss mark (.167) and a 3.64 earned run average

Earned run average

In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...

 for the Philadelphia Athletics

Oakland Athletics

The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....

. He returned to the minor leagues as a pitcher thereafter and became a manager with Bisbee

Bisbee, Arizona

Bisbee is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, 82 miles southeast of Tucson. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 6,177...

 of the Class D Arizona-Texas League

Arizona-Texas League

The Arizona-Texas League was a low-level circuit in American minor league baseball that existed from 1928-32, 1937-41, 1947-50 and 1952-54. The Arizona-Texas loop merged with the Sunset League to form the Southwest International League in 1951...

 in 1929.

In 1935

1935 in baseball

-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs *All-Star Game, July 8 at Municipal Stadium: American League, 4-1-Other champions:*Negro League Baseball All-Star Game, August 11 at Comiskey Park: West, 11-8...

, Johnson was promoted to a coaching position with the Cubs by manager Charlie Grimm

Charlie Grimm

Charles John Grimm , nicknamed "Jolly Cholly", was a first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the Chicago Cubs; he was also a sometime radio broadcaster, and a popular goodwill ambassador for baseball...

. He was associated with the Cubs for the remainder of his career as a coach (1935-39; 1944-53), minor league pilot, and scout. In early May 1944 he served as interim manager of the Cubs, between Jimmie Wilson

Jimmie Wilson

James Wilson , nicknamed "Ace," was an American professional athlete in soccer and baseball.He began his professional sports career as a soccer outside right in the National Association Football League and American Soccer League before becoming a catcher, manager and coach in Major League Baseball...

 and Grimm's second term, for one game, which Chicago lost. The Cubs, however, won three National League

National League

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

 pennants during his 15 years as a coach.

Johnson died at age 90 in Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...

.