Deron Johnson
Born: 7/17/1938 in San Diego, CA, USA
Died: 4/23/1992 in Poway, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1960-09-20 | Final Game: 1976-05-28
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 200 lbs
Full name: Deron Roger Johnson
Biography
Deron Johnson was a professional baseball player who made significant contributions to Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1976. Born in 1938, Johnson was known for his power-hitting ability and versatility on the field, primarily playing as a first baseman and outfielder. Over his 16-year career, he appeared in 1,765 games, during which he amassed 1,447 hits, including 245 home runs and 923 RBIs. His career batting average stood at .244, and he also contributed with 11 stolen bases, showcasing a degree of speed uncommon for players at his position during that era.
Johnson played in a time marked by the transition from the deadball era to the more offensive-minded approaches of the 1960s and 1970s. His offensive prowess and ability to drive in runs made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for, including the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies. Johnson's legacy lies in his role as a power hitter during a period of evolving baseball strategies, and he remains a notable figure in the history of the game, remembered for his contributions to the teams he represented and the impact he had on the diamond.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1765 | 5941 | 706 | 1447 | 247 | 33 | 245 | 923 | 11 | 585 | 1318 | 0.244 | 0.311 | 0.420 | 0.731 | 6960.5 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | NYY | AL | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 | 0.0 |
| 1961 | KC1 | AL | 83 | 283 | 31 | 61 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 42 | 0 | 14 | 44 | 0.216 | -959.4 |
| 1961 | NYY | AL | 13 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0.105 | -959.4 |
| 1962 | KC1 | AL | 17 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0.105 | 0.0 |
| 1964 | CIN | NL | 140 | 477 | 63 | 130 | 24 | 4 | 21 | 79 | 4 | 37 | 98 | 0.273 | 1311.2 |
| 1965 | CIN | NL | 159 | 616 | 92 | 177 | 30 | 7 | 32 | 130 | 0 | 52 | 97 | 0.287 | 2765.7 |
| 1966 | CIN | NL | 142 | 505 | 75 | 130 | 25 | 3 | 24 | 81 | 1 | 39 | 87 | 0.257 | 1014.0 |
| 1967 | CIN | NL | 108 | 361 | 39 | 81 | 18 | 1 | 13 | 53 | 0 | 22 | 104 | 0.224 | -198.9 |
| 1968 | ATL | NL | 127 | 342 | 29 | 71 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 33 | 0 | 35 | 79 | 0.208 | -330.8 |
| 1969 | PHI | NL | 138 | 475 | 51 | 121 | 19 | 4 | 17 | 80 | 4 | 60 | 111 | 0.255 | 760.3 |
| 1970 | PHI | NL | 159 | 574 | 66 | 147 | 28 | 3 | 27 | 93 | 0 | 72 | 132 | 0.256 | 1342.3 |
| 1971 | PHI | NL | 158 | 582 | 74 | 154 | 29 | 0 | 34 | 95 | 0 | 72 | 146 | 0.265 | 2564.5 |
| 1972 | PHI | NL | 96 | 230 | 19 | 49 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 31 | 0 | 26 | 69 | 0.213 | -53.4 |
| 1973 | OAK | AL | 131 | 464 | 61 | 114 | 14 | 2 | 19 | 81 | 0 | 59 | 116 | 0.246 | 468.4 |
| 1973 | PHI | NL | 12 | 36 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 0.167 | 468.4 |
| 1974 | BOS | AL | 11 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.120 | 0.0 |
| 1974 | ATL | AL | 49 | 152 | 14 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 1 | 21 | 41 | 0.151 | 0.0 |
| 1974 | OAK | AL | 50 | 174 | 16 | 34 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 23 | 1 | 11 | 37 | 0.195 | 0.0 |
| 1975 | BOS | AL | 3 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.600 | 0.0 |
| 1975 | CHW | AL | 148 | 555 | 66 | 129 | 25 | 1 | 18 | 72 | 0 | 48 | 117 | 0.232 | 0.0 |
| 1976 | BOS | AL | 15 | 38 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 0.132 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0.200 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | ALCS | OAK | 4 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0.100 |
| 1973 | WS | OAK | 6 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.300 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 880 | 734 | 6439 | 418 | 50 | 587 |
| 3B | 332 | 303 | 255 | 545 | 45 | 41 |
| OF | 249 | 243 | 344 | 11 | 9 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | NYA | 3B | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1961 | KC1 | 1B | 3 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1961 | KC1 | 3B | 19 | 14 | 17 | 43 | 3 | 5 |
| 1961 | KC1 | OF | 59 | 56 | 104 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 1961 | NYA | 3B | 8 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962 | KC1 | 1B | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1962 | KC1 | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1962 | KC1 | OF | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964 | CIN | 1B | 131 | 106 | 940 | 81 | 10 | 82 |
| 1964 | CIN | 3B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964 | CIN | OF | 10 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | CIN | 3B | 159 | 159 | 132 | 266 | 22 | 26 |
| 1966 | CIN | 1B | 71 | 11 | 186 | 10 | 2 | 19 |
| 1966 | CIN | 3B | 18 | 15 | 12 | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| 1966 | CIN | OF | 106 | 105 | 141 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 1967 | CIN | 1B | 81 | 72 | 587 | 41 | 2 | 47 |
| 1967 | CIN | 3B | 24 | 23 | 19 | 32 | 2 | 4 |
| 1968 | ATL | 1B | 97 | 72 | 738 | 46 | 3 | 66 |
| 1968 | ATL | 3B | 21 | 18 | 21 | 32 | 1 | 0 |
| 1969 | PHI | 1B | 18 | 14 | 129 | 6 | 1 | 8 |
| 1969 | PHI | 3B | 50 | 47 | 36 | 92 | 10 | 4 |
| 1969 | PHI | OF | 72 | 70 | 85 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | PHI | 1B | 154 | 152 | 1178 | 73 | 6 | 104 |
| 1970 | PHI | 3B | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | PHI | 1B | 136 | 132 | 1219 | 88 | 7 | 124 |
| 1971 | PHI | 3B | 22 | 23 | 14 | 35 | 5 | 1 |
| 1972 | PHI | 1B | 62 | 59 | 479 | 24 | 9 | 43 |
| 1973 | OAK | 1B | 23 | 22 | 167 | 6 | 1 | 20 |
| 1973 | PHI | 1B | 10 | 10 | 77 | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| 1974 | ML4 | 1B | 2 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1974 | OAK | 1B | 28 | 25 | 211 | 9 | 2 | 14 |
| 1975 | BOS | 1B | 2 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1975 | CHA | 1B | 55 | 52 | 456 | 24 | 3 | 38 |
| 1976 | BOS | 1B | 5 | 2 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 877 |
| Third Base | 333 |
| Left Field | 216 |
| Center Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 32 |
| Designated Hitter | 287 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 21th | 8.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1970 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 25th | 4.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1965 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 4th | 108.0 | 280 | 0 |