Johnson, "Judy" (William J.)
Baseball
b. Oct. 26, 1899, Snow Hill, MD
d. June 13, 1989
The 5-foot-11, 145-pound Johnson was considered the greatest third basemen ever to play in black baseball before blacks were admitted to the major leagues. Sure-handed and strong-armed, Johnson was a line drive hitter who consistently batted over .300.
He became a professional in 1918, collecting $5 a game from the Bacharach Giants, and he went to the Hilldale Club of Philadelphia in 1920. During his nine years there, he often spent the winters playing for hotel teams in Florida and in the Cuban Winter League. After serving as playing manager of the Homestead Grays in 1930 and the Darby, PA, Daisies in 1931, Johnson was with the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1932 until retiring after the 1937 season.
Johnson was the top Hilldale hitter with a .341 average in the first Negro World Series in 1924, and in 1929 he led the American Negro League in hits. Unofficially, he is credited with a career batting average of .344.
In 1954, Johnson became a coach and scout with the Philadelphia Athletics, and he later scouted for the Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies before retiring in 1973. Among the players he signed were Bill Bruton of the Braves and Dick Allen of the Phillies. Bruton later married Johnson's daughter.