Johnson, Judy (1899 or 1900-1989), was an outstanding third baseman and hitter in the Negro leagues. The Negro leagues were professional baseball leagues for black players who were barred from white-controlled major league baseball from the late 1890’s until April 15, 1947, when Jackie Robinson played his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Johnson played in the Negro leagues primarily from 1921 to 1937. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.
William Julius Johnson was born in Snow Hill, Maryland, probably on Oct. 26, 1899 or 1900, and grew up in Wilmington, Delaware. He began playing semiprofessional baseball in 1918. In 1921, he joined the Hilldale Daisies, a professional team based outside Philadelphia. By that time Johnson had acquired the nickname “Judy” because he resembled a previous Negro league player called Judy Gans.
Negro league statistics were sketchy and unreliable during Johnson’s career, but he generally was credited with a career batting average of about .300. In 1930, Johnson left the Daisies to become the player-manager of the Homestead Grays. In 1931, he returned to the Daisies (then known as the Darby Daisies) as player-manager. In 1932, he played briefly with the Grays before joining the Pittsburgh Crawfords, remaining with that team until 1936. The Crawfords were among the greatest teams in the history of the Negro leagues. At various times, the team included other future Hall of Fame members Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, and Satchel Paige.
Johnson retired as a player in 1937. Returning to Wilmington, he worked as a supervisor for the Continental Can Company and operated a general store with his brother. From the 1950’s to the 1970’s, he scouted for the Philadelphia Athletics, the Milwaukee Braves, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1954, during spring training, the Athletics hired Johnson to help coach two black players on the team, making him the first African American to serve in an official coaching position in the major leagues.
From 1971 to 1974, Johnson was a member of the committee that selected the first black players for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He died on June 15, 1989.
See also Negro leagues .
