Ernie Johnson
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1912-1925)
Ernie Johnson was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1925 for 4 teams, including the Chicago White Sox, a span of 14 seasons. In 813 career games, he hit .266 with 697 hits, 19 home runs, and 256 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 151 lb
- Died
- 5/1/1952 in Monrovia, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1912-08-05
- Last Game
- 1925-09-28
Full name: Ernest Rudolph Johnson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 813 | 2,619 | 372 | 697 | 91 | 36 | 19 | 256 | 114 | 181 | 160 | .266 | .317 | .350 | .667 | -2,312 |
Career AVG .266 vs. league average .271 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .317 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 5.1% below league average.
Career SLG .350 vs. league average .368 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .667 vs. league average .702 across their career seasons — near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | CHA | AL | 21 | 42 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 7 | .262 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1915 | SLF | FL | 152 | 512 | 58 | 123 | 18 | 10 | 7 | 67 | 32 | 46 | 35 | .240 | .250 (-4%) | .318 (-4%) | .332 (+7%) | .651 (+2%) | 37.9 |
| 1916 | SLA | AL | 74 | 236 | 29 | 54 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 13 | 30 | 23 | .229 | .248 (-8%) | .314 (+3%) | .326 (-10%) | .640 (-4%) | -59.5 |
| 1917 | SLA | AL | 80 | 199 | 28 | 49 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 13 | 12 | 16 | .246 | .248 (-1%) | .312 (-5%) | .323 (+1%) | .635 (-2%) | -82.0 |
| 1918 | SLA | AL | 29 | 34 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | .265 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1921 | CHA | AL | 142 | 613 | 93 | 181 | 28 | 7 | 1 | 51 | 22 | 29 | 24 | .295 | .286 (+3%) | .344 (-5%) | .395 (-7%) | .739 (-6%) | -628.6 |
| 1922 | CHA | AL | 144 | 603 | 85 | 153 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 56 | 21 | 40 | 30 | .254 | .285 (-11%) | .345 (-12%) | .397 (-27%) | .743 (-20%) | -1889.5 |
| 1923 | CHA | AL | 12 | 53 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | .189 | .282 (-33%) | .344 (-29%) | .390 (-42%) | .734 (-36%) | -305.4 |
| 1923 | NYA | AL | 19 | 38 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .447 | — | — | — | — | -305.4 |
| 1924 | NYA | AL | 64 | 119 | 24 | 42 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 7 | .353 | .283 (+24%) | .345 (+19%) | .389 (+53%) | .734 (+37%) | 753.9 |
| 1925 | NYA | AL | 76 | 170 | 30 | 48 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 6 | 8 | 10 | .282 | .288 (-2%) | .349 (-10%) | .407 (+1%) | .756 (-4%) | -139.0 |
| Career · 11 seasons | 813 | 2,619 | 372 | 697 | 91 | 36 | 19 | 256 | 114 | 181 | 160 | .266 | — | — | — | — | -2,618 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (822 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 433 | 1342 | 196 | 374 | 14 | 141 | .279 |
| Away | 389 | 1273 | 178 | 324 | 5 | 116 | .255 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925-09-28 | NYY | DET | W | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925-09-28 | NYY | DET | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925-09-27 | NYY | DET | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925-09-22 | NYY | CHW | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925-09-19 | NYY | SLA | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925-09-08 | NYY | BOS | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925-09-07 | NYY | BOS | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925-09-06 | NYY | PHA | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1925-09-05 | NYY | PHA | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925-09-02 | NYY | BOS | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 79 | 0 | 146 | 215 | 22 | 38 |
| 3B | 32 | 0 | 27 | 62 | 4 | 3 |
| SS | 624 | 0 | 1196 | 1869 | 183 | 267 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | CHA | SS | 16 | 0 | 23 | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| 1915 | SLF | SS | 152 | 0 | 348 | 477 | 51 | 64 |
| 1916 | SLA | 3B | 12 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 3 | 1 |
| 1916 | SLA | SS | 60 | 0 | 115 | 192 | 21 | 19 |
| 1917 | SLA | 2B | 18 | 0 | 34 | 51 | 9 | 9 |
| 1917 | SLA | 3B | 14 | 0 | 11 | 40 | 1 | 2 |
| 1917 | SLA | SS | 39 | 0 | 77 | 106 | 15 | 8 |
| 1918 | SLA | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918 | SLA | SS | 11 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 5 | 1 |
| 1921 | CHA | SS | 141 | 0 | 291 | 494 | 44 | 80 |
| 1922 | CHA | SS | 141 | 0 | 259 | 468 | 37 | 74 |
| 1923 | CHA | SS | 12 | 0 | 24 | 35 | 5 | 9 |
| 1923 | NYA | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1923 | NYA | SS | 15 | 0 | 21 | 22 | 1 | 4 |
| 1924 | NYA | 2B | 27 | 0 | 54 | 74 | 6 | 12 |
| 1924 | NYA | 3B | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924 | NYA | SS | 9 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1925 | NYA | 2B | 34 | 0 | 58 | 90 | 7 | 17 |
| 1925 | NYA | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | NYA | SS | 28 | 0 | 30 | 17 | 2 | 4 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 82 |
| Third Base | 32 |
| Shortstop | 628 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Ernie Johnson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Ernie Johnson: the record in brief
According to the bio, Ernie Johnson debuted on August 5, 1912 and played a final game on September 28, 1925. The season rows list, in order, the Chicago White Sox (1912 to 1923), the St. Louis Terriers (1915), the St. Louis Browns (1916 to 1918), and the New York Yankees (1923 to 1925). Johnson played primarily as a shortstop and hit left-handed while throwing right-handed. Born on April 29, 1888, in Chicago, IL, USA, Johnson was listed at 151 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame. Johnson's death is recorded on May 1, 1952, in Monrovia, CA, USA. The given name on file is Ernest Rudolph Johnson.
In 813 games and 2,619 at bats, Johnson batted .266 with 697 hits, plus 19 home runs, 256 runs batted in, and 114 stolen bases. Johnson got on base at a .317 rate and slugged .350 (.667 OPS). Against a .271 league average for those years, Johnson's .266 average was near the norm. The hits column peaks at 181, in 1921. Johnson stole 32 bases in 1915, the most of any season listed. In 1921, a season of regular play, Johnson hit .295 while the league hit .286.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ernie Johnson
- What years did Ernie Johnson play?
- Ernie Johnson played in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1925.
- Was Ernie Johnson a pitcher?
- No. Ernie Johnson was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Ernie Johnson hit?
- Ernie Johnson hit 19 career home runs with 697 hits.
- What was Ernie Johnson's career batting average?
- Ernie Johnson batted .266 over his career, with 697 hits in 2,619 at bats.
- How many RBI did Ernie Johnson have?
- Ernie Johnson drove in 256 runs in his career.
- Is Ernie Johnson in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Ernie Johnson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.