Ken Johnson (right-handed pitcher)

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This article is about the right-handed pitcher who pitched a no-hitter in a game he lost in 1964. For the left-handed pitcher, see Ken Johnson (left-handed pitcher).
Ken Johnson
Pitcher
Born: (1933-06-16)June 16, 1933
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Died: November 21, 2015(2015-11-21) (aged 82)
Pineville, Louisiana, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 13, 1958, for the Kansas City Athletics
Last MLB appearance
April 18, 1970, for the Montreal Expos
MLB statistics
Win–loss record91–106
Earned run average3.46
Strikeouts1,042
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Kenneth Travis Johnson (June 16, 1933 – November 21, 2015) was an American right-handed

minor league service, his professional baseball
career lasted for 18 seasons. Johnson stood 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall and weighed 210 pounds (95 kg).

Early life

Ken Johnson was born in

West Palm Beach, Florida
, on June 16, 1933.

Although a natural left-hander, Johnson became a right-handed pitcher because a right-handed glove was the only one his father could find for his son.

Johnson played baseball throughout each of his high school years at

minor league baseball affiliate of the Philadelphia Athletics.[1]

Baseball career

Johnson spent almost a decade in the organization of the

decisions, and lowered his ERA to 4.09. Johnson then spent all of 1960 with the Athletics, getting into 42 games (all but six as a relief pitcher). Pitching for a last-place team, he was 5–10, with two complete games, three saves and a 4.26 ERA. But when the 1961 season started, Johnson struggled: in six games (and only one start), he lost all four decisions and his earned run average ballooned to 10.61. He was traded to the independently operated Toronto Maple Leafs of the Triple-A International League on May 8. He worked in 19 games for the Maple Leafs and pitched reasonably well. Ten weeks later, on July 21, Toronto traded Johnson to the Cincinnati Reds, a surprise pennant contender in the National League. The trade, and Johnson's addition of the knuckleball
to his repertoire, enabled him to solidify his status as a major league pitcher.

The Reds were in first place by 11⁄2 games over the

inning, he retired the only two Yankees to face him (Elston Howard and Bill Skowron), then was removed for a pinch hitter.[2]
The Yankees went on to win the game, 13–5, and the 1961 world championship.

The following day, on October 10, 1961, Johnson was selected with the 29th pick in the

Houston Colt .45s. He pitched three full seasons (1962–64) and part of a fourth (in 1965) for the Houston franchise (renamed the Astros in Johnson's final year), making 106 starts and compiling a solid 3.41 earned run average in 6902⁄3 innings pitched, but his win–loss record
was only 32–51.

Johnson began

Milwaukee. As a Brave, Johnson had three successive winning years, capturing 13, 14 and 13 games from 1965–67, with earned run averages of 3.21, 3.30 and 2.74. He started the second game in Atlanta Braves' history on April 13, 1966, but absorbed a 6–0 loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates.[3]
Altogether, however, Johnson's years with the Braves were his most successful in the majors: he won 45 games, lost 34, and put up a strong 3.22 earned run average in three full campaigns and parts of two others.

Johnson pitched for four teams in his last two years in the big leagues,

bases on balls in 1,7371⁄3 innings pitched, with 1,042 strikeouts
, 50 complete games, seven shutouts and eight saves. The 1961 World Series was his only postseason appearance.

No-hit game

Pitching for the Colt .45s on April 23, 1964 at Colt Stadium, Johnson gave up no hits in a 1–0 loss to his former team, the Cincinnati Reds. The game's only run was scored in the top of the ninth after Pete Rose reached second base on an error (by Johnson himself), went to third on a ground-out, and scored on a second error, this one by second baseman Nellie Fox on Vada Pinson's ground ball.[4] Opposing pitcher Joe Nuxhall retired the side in the bottom half to make Johnson a no-hit loser. Johnson still is the only player to ever lose an official no-hitter by himself.[5] Johnson later appeared as a guest on I've Got a Secret telling this story to the panelists.

Post retirement

After his retirement in 1970, Johnson returned to West Palm Beach where he worked as a baseball coach at what is now

Louisiana College
until his retirement in 2000.

Johnson also served as a deacon at the First Baptists Church and Pineville and at New Life Community Church in Alexandria, Louisiana, and had a very active nursing home visitation for many years.[1]

Death and legacy

Johnson died at the age of 82 at his home in Pineville. He had Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases for two years prior to contracting a kidney infection, which led to his death.[1]

His survivors include his wife Joanna, sons Ken Johnson Jr., and Russell Johnson, and daughter Janet Lynne Johnson, all of whom reside in the Pineville area, along with grandchildren, Dr. Jason Johnson from Memphis, Tennessee, Kelly Bentley from Pineville, Beth Maurey from Pineville, Jennifer Phillips from Lake Charles, Jillian and Jalayne Johnson from Lake Charles; great grandchildren, Kassidy Bentley from Pineville, Collin Maurey from Pineville, Carter Sullivan and Evan Phillips from Lake Charles and Eden Johnson of Memphis; brother, Ernest Henry Johnson, Jr.[1]

Because of the way baseball defines a "no-hitter", at the time of his death Johnson remained the only pitcher officially credited with a no-hitter that he lost. In a 2004 interview Johnson said he regretted being the answer to a piece of baseball trivia, saying "Instead of the notoriety, I'd rather have won the game."[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Smith, Harrison (November 27, 2015) "Pitched a notorious no-hitter in 1964”, The Washington Post, page B4 [1] Retrieved August 26, 2017
  2. ^ Retrosheet box score: 1961-10-09 (1961 World Series Game 5)
  3. ^ Retrosheet box score: 1966-04-13
  4. ^ "Cincinnati Reds 1, Houston Colt .45s 0". retrosheet.org. April 23, 1964. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  5. ^ "Rare Feats: No-hit game in losing cause". Major League Baseball. Retrieved August 7, 2015.

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by No-hitter pitcher
April 23, 1964 		Succeeded by
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