Charles Johnson (pitcher)

Charles Johnson
Chicago, Illinois
Teams
Chicago American Giants

Charles Johnson (August 7, 1909 – June 17, 2006) was a baseball player in the Negro leagues who later pushed Major League Baseball to offer pensions to former Negro league players.

Johnson also filed an anti-discrimination suit against

special agent.

Johnson was born in

. His mother died shortly after the move, and Johnson—who was an only child—was left on his own.

Johnson had a friend, legendary Negro league player

, a former Negro league player and friend of Johnson, said: "Duty lived on the same block as Charlie and really took a liking to him."

Johnson spent his time in the Negro league barnstorming the United States and Canada. He went on a barnstorming tour of Canada with the Texas Giants in 1930 and 1931. Johnson returned to Chicago and served as pitcher and outfielder for the Chicago American Giants.

Johnson married in 1942 and, at his wife's insistence, quit baseball in 1944. Johnson worked at various jobs until he became a porter on the Illinois Central in 1951.

Johnson died of complications from

.

References

• "Player's Register I-L" (PDF). cnlbr.org. Center for Negro League Baseball Research. pp. 198–199. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
• "Negro Southern League - Rosters" (PDF). negrosouthernleaguemuseumresearchcenter.org. Negro Southern League Museum Research Center. p. 106. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
• "CHARLES 'GOOLASH' JOHNSON". nlbpa.com. Negro League Baseball Players Association. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
• Dudek, Mitch (16 June 2006). "Charles Johnson". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
• Charles Johnson's page on "The History Makers" site