Daniel Ryan Johnson (born August 10, 1979) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for six teams, over ten seasons, as well as one season in

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

(NPB), but never held a Major League starting job for an entire season. He is perhaps best known for hitting a dramatic two-out, two-strike home run for the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...

in the bottom of the ninth inning of the last game of the 2011 season, also known as Wild Card Wednesday. That home run tied the game, which the Rays eventually won, sending them to the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...

. His clutch hitting for the Rays, along with his red hair and beard, earned him the nickname "The Great Pumpkin". Also within his extensive Minor League Baseball career that began in 2001, Johnson has won a Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in two different Triple-A leagues. He won the Pacific Coast League MVP in 2004 and the International League MVP in 2010. In 2016, Johnson signed with the Rays organization, entering spring training as a

knuckleball A knuckleball or knuckler is a baseball pitch thrown to minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing an erratic, unpredictable motion. The air flow over a seam of the ball causes the ball to change from laminar to turbulent flow. This cha ...

pitcher.

High school and college

Johnson graduated from Blaine High School, in Blaine,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

in 1997. He then attended

Butler University Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study in six colleges: the Lacy School of Business, College of Communic ...

for his freshman year, when he was named All-Conference in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference. He transferred to a junior college, and finally ended up at the

University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

, where he helped the Cornhuskers make a College World Series appearance, and earned All-American honors.

MLB career

Oakland Athletics

Johnson played his rookie season with the Athletics in ,

batting Batting may refer to: * Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs * Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ...

.275 with 15

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s and 58 RBIs. He struggled early in , batting .237 before being demoted to the A's Triple-A Pacific Coast League affiliate, the

Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 15 ...

, in July. He returned to the A's roster on August 31, and finished the season with a .234 batting average, 9 home runs, and 37 RBIs. It was later discovered that he suffered from

double vision Diplopia is the simultaneous perception of two images of a single object that may be displaced horizontally or vertically in relation to each other. Also called double vision, it is a loss of visual focus under regular conditions, and is often v ...

due to getting suntan lotion in his eyes, and he was able to clear up the problem for the season. Dan Johnson 2007

Johnson was expected to be the A's starting first baseman in 2007, but suffered a torn labrum in his hip late in spring training and missed the first three weeks of the season. He returned April 25 and proceeded to get a

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

in 16 of his first 18 games. He was named American League co- Player of the Week with teammate

Jack Cust John Joseph "Jack" Cust III (born January 7, 1979) is an American former professional baseball designated hitter and outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, San Diego ...

for the week of May 7–13. After the hot start, Johnson fell into a slump that lasted the rest of the season and plummeted his batting average to .236. His worst month was July, in which he batted just .156 (10-for-64 in 19 games) with two home runs and eight runs batted in. On April 9, , Johnson was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

Tampa Bay Rays

On April 18, 2008, he was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays. However, five days later he was again designated for assignment. He was subsequently outrighted to Triple-A

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

three days later. On September 9, Johnson was called up by the Rays from Durham. He entered the game as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning, and hit a home run against the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

, tying the game. The game was viewed as pivotal in the AL East Division race, as the Rays would go on to win in extra innings, keeping the Red Sox from claiming the division lead that night. The Rays would not relinquish first place for the remainder of the season, and went on to win their first division title in franchise history en route to an American league pennant and an appearance in the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

. He batted .192 with a .276 on-base percentage for the 2008 season.

Yokohama Baystars

Johnson signed a one-year contract for $1.2 million with the

Yokohama Bay Stars The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its current ...

of the Japanese

Central League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consi ...

where he batted .215 in the 2009 season.

Back to Tampa Bay

On January 11, 2010, Johnson signed a 1-year $500,000 major league deal with the

. Johnson was called up from Durham to the Rays in August 2010. On August 28, he hit a

walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will no ...

in the 10th inning against the

. He batted just below the

Mendoza line The Mendoza Line is baseball jargon for a sub-.200 batting average, the supposed minimum threshold for competence at the Major League level. It derives from light-hitting shortstop Mario Mendoza, who failed to reach .200 five times in his nine b ...

for the 2010 season, with a .198 batting average. He had 23 RBIs, 22 hits in 111 at bats, 3

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...

s, and 7 home runs. On April 8, 2011, with the Rays trailing 7-6 against the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

and two men on, Johnson hit the first pitch from Matt Thornton off the top of the Miller Lite Bullpen Sports Bar fence for a three-run home run, which would later prove to be the game-winner as Tampa Bay beat Chicago 9-7. On May 20, 2011, Johnson was designated for assignment, and then recalled on September 14, 2011. On September 28, 2011, with the Rays tied with the

in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

wild card race in the final game of the season, Johnson hit a pinch-hit home run with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game against the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

. It was the first hit for Johnson since April 27. The Rays went on to win the game in extra innings, and coupled with a loss by the Red Sox, clinched the AL Wild Card. Johnson was honored by MLB for his Game 162 home run with the GIBBY (Greatness in Baseball Yearly) 2011 Moment of the Year Award

This Year in Baseball Awards The This Year in Baseball Awards, now called the "Esurance MLB Awards", were initiated by Major League Baseball (MLB) in . They are honors given annually to the most extraordinary baseball performances, players, managers, and executives, as voted ...

. Bill Chastain wrote, "Many baseball experts have called the final night of the 2011 season the best in baseball history." The seat at

Tropicana Field Tropicana Field (commonly known as the Trop) is a multi-purpose domed stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. The stadium has been the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) since the team's inaugural sea ...

in the right field corner where the home run ball landed (Section 140, Row T, Seat 10) is now colored white and known as the Dan Johnson seat.

Chicago White Sox

On February 1, 2012, Johnson signed a minor league contract with the

. He also received an invitation to spring training. He played for the

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 20 ...

, Triple-A affiliate of the White Sox. Johnson represented the Knights in the Triple-A All-Star Game in Buffalo, N.Y., and finished second in the home-run derby. His contract was purchased by the Chicago White Sox on September 1, 2012. As background to this move Chicago sports writers recalled Johnson's home run in game 162 for the Tampa Bay Rays. A season ago, Johnson changed baseball's landscape wrote ''Chicago Tribune'' writer, Phil Rogers.

New York Yankees

On January 24, 2013, Johnson signed a minor league contract with the

. He also received an invitation to spring training. He was released from the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the ...

on August 30, 2013.

Baltimore Orioles

On August 30, 2013, he signed a minor league contract with the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

. He played in five games for the Triple-A

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...

. His contract was selected by the Orioles on September 13. He was outrighted to Norfolk on October 31, and he elected free agency on November 1.

Toronto Blue Jays

On November 15, 2013, the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

announced that they had signed Johnson to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. His contract was selected from the Triple-A

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...

on July 11, 2014, to replace

Adam Lind Adam Alan Lind (born July 17, 1983) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals. Lind has a ...

who had been placed on the disabled list. In his Blue Jays debut that night, he walked in all 4 of his plate appearances and scored 3 runs. On July 26, Johnson recorded 4 RBI to help the Blue Jays end a 17-game losing streak at

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the orig ...

. He was placed on the 15-day DL on July 31 and was activated on September 1 when the rosters expanded. In 2014, Johnson batted .211 with 1 home run and 7 RBI. Johnson was sent outright to Buffalo on October 1, but elected to become a free agent.

Cincinnati Reds

On December 15, 2014, Johnson signed a minor league contract with the Houston Astros. After batting .158 over 19 at-bats in spring training, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named later or cash considerations. He started the 2015 season with the Triple-A Louisville Bats, but was released on April 23.

St. Louis Cardinals

On May 4, 2015, Johnson signed a minor-league contract with the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

, who called him up to their MLB roster on July 8. He played his first two months in the Cardinals organization for the AAA

Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbir ...

, batting .265 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI. He played 12 games for the Cardinals, collecting three hits in 19 AB. The club designated him for assignment on July 30 after trading for

Brandon Moss Brandon Douglas Moss (born September 16, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder / first baseman / designated hitter (DH). He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelp ...

, and outrighted Johnson off the 40-man roster to Memphis on August 3.

Third stint with Tampa Bay

On March 5, 2016, Johnson signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, with the intention to convert from a first baseman into a

pitcher. He was released on March 30.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On August 22, 2016, he signed a minor league contract with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

and was assigned to the AA Tulsa Drillers of the

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

. He pitched in four games for the Drillers, with a 5.52 ERA in 14 innings and was also occasionally used as a pinch hitter, where he was one for five.

Mexican League

On May 15, 2017, Johnson signed with the

Pericos de Puebla The Pericos de Puebla (English: "Puebla Parrots") are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Puebla, Mexico. History The state of Puebla came upon baseball in the early 1920s when returning Poblanos that had come from militar ...

of the

Mexican Baseball League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five t ...

, serving as both a designated hitter and a starting pitcher for the club. On July 1, 2017, he was released and assigned to the

Bravos de León The Bravos de León (English: León Braves) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. History Cachorros de León (1979–80) Mexican League baseball in León began in 1979 when the Alijador ...

. Johnson put up big numbers for both clubs, finishing the season hitting .319 with 13 home runs and 57 RBIs in 62 games. In 270 at-bats, he scored 38 runs, ripped 12 doubles, 2 triples, and had a .470 on-base percentage and a .585 slugging percentage. Johnson returned to the

in early 2018. He appeared in just 13 games before he was put on the team's reserve list.

Independent leagues

On April 8, 2016, Johnson signed with the

Bridgeport Bluefish The Bridgeport Bluefish were an American minor league baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team was a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Baseba ...

of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He was profiled in the ''New York Times'' "A Veteran Retools as a Knuckleballer" on May 14, 2016. Tyler Kepner, "A Veteran Retools as a Knuckleballer" ''New York Times'' May 14, 2016. On June 13, 2016, he was traded to the Long Island Ducks. He was released on June 29, 2016. Johnson signed with the St. Paul Saints in the

American Association of Independent Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

. Johnson was listed as a rookie status pitcher. Following the conclusion of his

Mexican League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

season in 2017, Johnson re-signed with the Saints on August 20. He later returned to the Saints on June 14, 2018, as a pitcher following another short stint in the

. However, he was released just a week later on June 21. He resigned on July 2, 2018. On July 14, 2018, Johnson was traded to the

Lincoln Saltdogs The Lincoln Saltdogs are a professional baseball team based in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the United States. The Saltdogs are in the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. Since the 2001 sea ...

. He was released following the 2018 season on October 11. In August 2019, Johnson joined the

University of Nebraska-Lincoln A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

baseball staff as a student assistant.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Dan 1979 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada American expatriate baseball players in Japan American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Baltimore Orioles players Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Minnesota Bridgeport Bluefish players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Butler Bulldogs baseball players Bravos de León players Charlotte Knights players Chicago White Sox players Durham Bulls players International League MVP award winners Long Island Ducks players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball first basemen Memphis Redbirds players Mexican League baseball first basemen Mesa Desert Dogs players Midland RockHounds players Modesto A's players Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball players Nippon Professional Baseball first basemen Nippon Professional Baseball third basemen Norfolk Tides players Oakland Athletics players Pacific Coast League MVP award winners People from Coon Rapids, Minnesota Pericos de Puebla players Sacramento River Cats players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players St. Louis Cardinals players St. Paul Saints players Tampa Bay Rays players Toronto Blue Jays players Tulsa Drillers players Vancouver Canadians players Yokohama BayStars players