Tom Johnson (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Raymond Johnson (born April 2, 1951 in Saint Paul, Minnesota
) was a Major League Baseball
pitcher
. He played five seasons in the majors, from until for the Minnesota Twins
. He pitched in 129 games during his career, all but one as a reliever
.
Johnson was signed as an undrafted free agent in . After four years in the Twins' minor league system, he made his major league debut on September 10, 1974. Johnson racked up twenty-three wins as a starter, then later a closer, over five years with the Twins, including sixteen in .
After the season, Johnson was released, and signed a year later by the Chicago White Sox
. He became a starter for the White Sox triple-A affiliate in Glens Falls, but was largely unsuccessful. After the season, Johnson retired at the age of twenty-nine.
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
) was a 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...
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...
. He played five seasons in the majors, from until for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. He pitched in 129 games during his career, all but one as a reliever
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
.
Johnson was signed as an undrafted free agent in . After four years in the Twins' minor league system, he made his major league debut on September 10, 1974. Johnson racked up twenty-three wins as a starter, then later a closer, over five years with the Twins, including sixteen in .
After the season, Johnson was released, and signed a year later by the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. He became a starter for the White Sox triple-A affiliate in Glens Falls, but was largely unsuccessful. After the season, Johnson retired at the age of twenty-nine.