Major League Baseball Player. For seven seasons (1947, 1950 to 1952, 1954 to 1955 and 1958), he was a pitcher with the New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants. Born Donald Roy Johnson, he attended Jefferson High School in Portland where he made his first impression on the baseball diamond. Signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1944, his professional baseball career was interrupted while he served with the United States Army during World War II. He marked his major league debut with the Yankees on April 20, 1947 and recorded four wins in fifteen games pitched for the New York squad which captured the World Series championship that year. Throughout his career, Johnson struggled with an elevated ERA, resulting in several trips to the minor leagues. However, in 1954 with the White Sox he produced a career-high eight wins with a respectable 3.13 ERA in 46 games pitched. In 198 regular season games, he compiled a 27-38 record with a 4.78 ERA in 631 innings pitched. After retiring from baseball, Johnson worked as a cab driver in his native Portland for 25 years. He survived a holdup in 1967, in which he was shot in the back of the neck.
Major League Baseball Player. For seven seasons (1947, 1950 to 1952, 1954 to 1955 and 1958), he was a pitcher with the New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants. Born Donald Roy Johnson, he attended Jefferson High School in Portland where he made his first impression on the baseball diamond. Signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1944, his professional baseball career was interrupted while he served with the United States Army during World War II. He marked his major league debut with the Yankees on April 20, 1947 and recorded four wins in fifteen games pitched for the New York squad which captured the World Series championship that year. Throughout his career, Johnson struggled with an elevated ERA, resulting in several trips to the minor leagues. However, in 1954 with the White Sox he produced a career-high eight wins with a respectable 3.13 ERA in 46 games pitched. In 198 regular season games, he compiled a 27-38 record with a 4.78 ERA in 631 innings pitched. After retiring from baseball, Johnson worked as a cab driver in his native Portland for 25 years. He survived a holdup in 1967, in which he was shot in the back of the neck.
Bio by: C.S.
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