Darrell Johnson
Darrell Johnson | |
---|---|
Catcher / Manager | |
Born: Horace, Nebraska, U.S. | August 25, 1928|
Died: May 3, 2004 Fairfield, California, U.S. | (aged 75)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 20, 1952, for the St. Louis Browns | |
Last MLB appearance | |
June 6, 1962, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .234 |
Home runs | 2 |
Runs batted in | 28 |
Managerial record | 472–590 |
Winning % | .444 |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Darrell Dean Johnson (August 25, 1928 – May 3, 2004) was an American
Playing career
Johnson was born in
Johnson's playing career was interrupted by an eleven-month stint as an MLB
The Reds were then 2+1⁄2 games behind the first-place
The Reds released Johnson only a few days into the 1962 season, and he signed with the Orioles as a backup catcher before retiring as a player in June and serving out the year as Baltimore's bullpen coach.
Manager of Red Sox, Mariners and Rangers
Overview
He then became a
After a year spent
As a big-league manager, Johnson led three different teams over eight seasons. His career began when he succeeded
In 1976, Boston started poorly, losing 15 of its first 21 games, then rallied and finally climbed above the .500 mark on July 6 (38–37). As the incumbent pennant-winning manager, Johnson skippered the 1976 American League All-Star team (with the Junior Circuit losing 7–1 at Veterans Stadium on July 13). But by then the Red Sox were mired in another slump, and only five days later on July 19, Johnson was fired in favor of third-base coach Don Zimmer after the team had lost eight of its last 11 games. At the time of his dismissal, Boston was out of contention with a 41–45 record, in fifth place and 13 games behind the Yankees.[13] Johnson then briefly returned to scouting for the Red Sox.
Johnson was hired to become the first-ever manager of the expansion Seattle Mariners on September 3, 1976.[14] Lou Gorman, Seattle's director of baseball operations, stated that Johnson would also assist in scouting players for the upcoming expansion draft. Johnson said that he was looking for players with "pride, aggressiveness, and the right mental attitude."[15] Johnson skippered the Mariners for approximately three and a half seasons until he was fired on August 3, 1980, and posted an overall win–loss mark of 226–362 (.384).
Johnson then worked as third-base coach for the Texas Rangers, under Zimmer, starting in 1981 before taking over as interim manager on July 30, 1982.[16] Six years earlier, the roles had been reversed when third-base coach Zimmer succeeded Johnson as manager in Boston on July 18, 1976. In his final managerial role, Johnson's Rangers went 26–40 (.394) in the 1982 season's final two months. He finished with a 472–590 record for a .444 career percentage as an American League skipper.[17]
He then moved to the New York Mets as minor league coordinator of instruction and a longtime scout. He also served as the Mets' bench coach on the staff of Dallas Green from May 20, 1993,[18] through the end of that season.[19]
Johnson died from leukemia at the age of 75 in 2004 in Fairfield, California.[20]
Managerial record
Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
BOS | 1974 | 162 | 84 | 78 | .519 | 3rd in AL East | – | – | – | – |
BOS | 1975 | 160 | 95 | 65 | .594 | 1st in AL East | 6 | 4 | .600 | Lost World Series (CIN) |
BOS | 1976 | 86 | 41 | 45 | .477 | fired | – | – | – | – |
BOS total | 408 | 220 | 188 | .539 | 6 | 4 | .600 | |||
SEA | 1977 | 162 | 64 | 98 | .395 | 6th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
SEA | 1978 | 160 | 56 | 104 | .350 | 7th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
SEA | 1979 | 162 | 67 | 95 | .414 | 6th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
SEA | 1980 | 104 | 39 | 65 | .375 | fired | – | – | – | – |
SEA total | 588 | 226 | 362 | .384 | 0 | 0 | – | |||
TEX | 1982 | 56 | 23 | 33 | .411 | 6th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
TEX total | 66 | 26 | 40 | .394 | 0 | 0 | – | |||
Total[17] | 1062 | 472 | 590 | .444 | 6 | 4 | .600 |
See also
References
- ^ Sarasota Herald-Tribune, October 8, 1975
- ^ The Associated Press, October 28, 1975
- ^ Nowlin, Bill. "Darrell Johnson". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ 1961 regular season fielding log from Retrosheet
- ^ 1961-8-16 box score from Retrosheet
- ^ Baseball Reference
- ^ Gorman, Lou. High and Inside: My Life in the Front Offices of Baseball. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2008. Retrieved August 17, 2019
- ^ "Darrell Johnson Named Bosox Pitching Coach," The Associated Press (AP), Tuesday, October 31, 1967. Retrieved August 17, 2019
- ^ Darrell Johnson to stay with Boston
- ^ "Darrell Johnson New Sox Leader," The Associated Press (AP), Monday, October 1, 1973. Retrieved August 17, 2019
- ^ [1]. Retrieved March 14, 2021
- ^ "Forgotten Game 7 of Reds-Red Sox '75 World Series Still Haunts Players, Coaches". Bleacher Report.
- ^ "Red Sox Fire Darrell Johnson, Promote Don Zimmer," The Associated Press (AP), Tuesday, July 20, 1976. Retrieved August 17, 2019
- ^ "Darrell Johnson named as coach of Mariners," The Associated Press (AP), Friday, September 3, 1976. Retrieved August 17, 2019
- ^ Stars and Strikes: Baseball and America in the Bicentennial Summer of '76, Dan Epstein, New York: St. Martin's Press, 2014.
- ^ Don Zimmer replaced by Darrell Johnson
- ^ a b "Darrell Johnson". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
- ^ Sexton, Joe, "It's Lights Out for Torborg ..." The New York Times, May 20, 1993
- ^ Nobles, Charlie, "Season is History, So is Stottlemyre." The New York Times, October 4, 1993
- ^ Former Red Sox Manager Darrell Johnson dies
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
- Baseball-Reference.com – career managing record
- Darrell Johnson at Find a Grave
- New York Times Obituary
Sporting positions | ||
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Preceded by | Rochester Red Wings manager 1963–1965 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Elmira Pioneers manager 1966 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Boston Red Sox pitching coach 1968–1969 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Louisville Colonels manager 1971–1972 |
Succeeded by Franchise relocated
|
Preceded by AAA franchise established
|
Pawtucket Red Sox manager 1973 |
Succeeded by Joe Morgan |
Preceded by | Texas Rangers third-base coach 1981–1982 |
Succeeded by |