| Lou Johnson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: September 22, 1934 Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. | |
| Died: October 1, 2020 (aged 86) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 17, 1960, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 6, 1969, for the California Angels | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .258 |
| Home runs | 48 |
| Runs batted in | 232 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Louis Brown Johnson (September 22, 1934 – October 1, 2020), nicknamed "Sweet Lou", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. Johnson's professional baseball career lasted for 17 seasons, and included 8 years in the majors: parts of 1960–1962 and 1965, and then the full seasons of 1966 through 1969. He threw and batted right-handed and was listed as 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and 170 pounds (77 kg).[1]
Johnson did not establish himself as a big-league regular until he was almost 31 years of age. He had trials with the Chicago Cubs (34 games played in 1960), Los Angeles Angels (only one appearance in 1961), and Milwaukee Braves (61 games in 1962). Only after he was summoned to the Los Angeles Dodgers from Triple-A Spokane, when the Dodgers lost regular outfielder Tommy Davis to a broken ankle on May 1, 1965, did Johnson earn a foothold in the major leagues.[2] He became the Dodgers' regular left fielder during their 1965 world championship season, started over 60 games in both left and right fields in 1966 (during which the Dodgers captured their second straight National League pennant), and started another 85 games in the Dodger outfield in 1967.[1]
He remained in the majors for two more years as a reserve player with to the Cubs, Cleveland Indians and California Angels. Later in life, he was employed by the Dodgers' Community Relations Department.[3]
- ^ a b "Lou Johnson Career Statistics". Baseball-Reference.
- ^ "'Sweet' Lou Johnson Passes Away". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers: Front Office Directory". MLB.com.