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

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

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 league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

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

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(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 the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

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 eithe ...

. 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 Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

career that began in 2001, Johnson has won a

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

(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 (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 flow, lamin ...

pitcher.

High school and college

Johnson graduated from Blaine High School, in Blaine,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

in 1997. He then attended

Butler University Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study within six colleges in the arts, business, 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 educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

, 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 .275 with 15

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

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

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

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 (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland ...

, 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 in relation to each other. Also called double vision, it is a loss of visual focus under regular conditions, and is often voluntary. However, when occ ...

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 Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

and missed the first three weeks of the season. He returned April 25 and proceeded to get a hit in 16 of his first 18 games. He was named American League co- Player of the Week with teammate Jack Cust 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 in north east England **County Durham, a ceremonial county which includes Durham *Durham, North Carolina, a city in North Carolina, United States Durham may also refer to: Places ...

three days later. On September 9, Johnson was called up by the Rays from Durham. He entered the game as a

pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, A ...

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) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

, 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). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

. 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 of the Japanese

Central League The or , also known as the for sponsorship reasons, 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 i ...

where he batted .215 in the 2009 season.

Tampa Bay Rays (second stint)

On January 11, 2010, Johnson signed a 1-year $500,000 major league contract 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 and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not have an opp ...

in the 10th inning against the

. He batted just below the

Mendoza line The Mendoza Line is baseball jargon for a .200 batting average, the supposed threshold for offensive futility in Major League Baseball. It derives from light-hitting shortstop Mario Mendoza, who failed to reach .200 five times in his nine big l ...

for the 2010 season, with a .198 batting average. He had 23 RBIs, 22

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...

in 111

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, ...

s, 3

double Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...

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) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

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 the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

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 Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

. 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, most recently called the "Esurance MLB Awards," were a series of annual awards presented by Major League Baseball (MLB) from to . They were honors given annually to the most extraordinary baseball performances, p ...

. 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 (nicknamed "The Trop") is a domed multipurpose stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. "The Trop" was the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season, 1998 to ...

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 (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field ...

, 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 (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...

on August 30.

Baltimore Orioles

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

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) 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 America ...

. 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 (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...

. 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) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

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 Fiel ...

on July 11, 2014, to replace

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

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 in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...

. 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 The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

. After batting .158 over 19 at-bats in spring training, he was traded to the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

for a player to be named later or cash considerations. He started the 2015 season with the Triple-A

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...

, 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

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

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 Redbird ...

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

Tampa Bay Rays (third stint)

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.

Bridgeport Bluefish

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 Baseb ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

. He was profiled in the ''New York Times'' "A Veteran Retools as a Knuckleballer" on May 14. In 43 appearances for the Bluefish, Johnson hit .223/.297/.381 with five home runs and 27 RBI.

Long Island Ducks

On June 13, 2016, Johnson was traded to the

Long Island Ducks The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "par ...

of the

. In 15 appearances for the Ducks, he batted .217/.357/.370 with two home runs and seven RBI. Johnson was released by Long Island on June 29.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On August 22, 2016, Johnson 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

and was assigned to the Double-A

Tulsa Drillers The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club. Stadium The Drillers play at ONEOK Field (pronounc ...

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.

Pericos de Puebla

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. Their home ballpark is the Estadio de Béisbol Hermanos Serdán. Established in 1938, the Pericos have won five Mexican League ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

, serving as both a designated hitter and a starting pitcher for the club. In 34 appearances for Puebla, he slashed .298/.426/.553 with seven home runs and 22 RBI; in two starts for the team, he registered a 1–1 record and 7.50 ERA with no strikeouts in six innings of work. Johnson was released by the Pericos on July 1.

Bravos de León

On July 1, 2017, Johnson signed with 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 Alijadore ...

of the

. In 30 appearances for the team, he batted .344/.519/.624 with six home runs and 35 RBI.

St. Paul Saints

On August 20, 2017, Johnson signed with the

St. Paul Saints The St. Paul Saints are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and have played their home games at CHS Field since 2015. They previ ...

of 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, and posted a .346/.478/.615 batting line with three home runs and 12 RBI over 15 games as a batter.

Bravos de León (second stint)

Johnson appeared in 13 games for the

of the

in 2018, batting .208 with three home runs and nine RBI, before he was placed on the team's reserve list.

St. Paul Saints (second stint)

Johnson later returned to the

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 re-signed with the team on July 2, and struggled to an 0–1 record and 9.00 ERA with five strikeouts over eight innings of work. In nine appearances as a batter, Johnson slashed .158/.357/.211 with three RBI.

Lincoln Saltdogs

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 se ...

. In four appearances (two starts), he compiled a 1–0 record and 2.57 ERA with 13 strikeouts and one save across 21 innings; in 27 games as a hitter, he batted .250/.330/.319 with one home run and nine RBI. Johnson was released following the season on October 11.

Coaching career

In August 2019, Johnson joined the

University of Nebraska-Lincoln A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

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 Sportspeople 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