Billy Johnson (baseball)

Infobox MLB retired
name=Billy Johnson
position=Third baseman
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date|1918|8|30
Montclair, New Jersey
deathdate=death date and age|2006|6|20|1918|8|30
Augusta, Georgia
debutdate=April 22
debutyear=by|1943
debutteam=New York Yankees
finaldate=May 10
finalyear=by|1953
finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.271
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=61
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=487
teams=
* New York Yankees (by|1943-by|1951)
* St. Louis Cardinals (by|1951-by|1953)
highlights=
* All-Star selection (1947)
* 4x World Series champion (1943, 1947, 1949, 1950)

William Russell Johnson was a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played with the New York Yankees in the 1940s and later with the St. Louis Cardinals. Johnson was born in Montclair, New Jersey on August 30, 1918.

He debuted in by|1943. He had an impressive rookie season which earned him 4th place in American League MVP voting. After missing two years for wartime service, he returned to spend the next five seasons as a regular third baseman. Johnson was named an All-Star in by|1947, and was a part of four championship teams in his six seasons as a regular. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in by|1951 to allow Gil McDougald, a hot prospect for the Yankees, to play his position full time. He served as the Cards' third baseman for two years before retiring during the by|1953 season.

Johnson shares two significant coincidences with other major leaguers:
* He was born on the same day as Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Ted Williams.
* He is the first of two unrelated players named, precisely, "William Russell Johnson" to play in the majors - and both he and Russ Johnson spent time with the Yankees.

In later years he worked as a shipping supervisor in Augusta, Georgia. He died on June 20, 2006.

External links

*baseball-reference|id=j/johnsbi03