Howard Johnson
Born: 11/29/1960 in Clearwater, FL, USA
MLB Debut: 1982-04-14 | Final Game: 1995-10-01
Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 178 lbs
Full name: Howard Michael Johnson
Biography
Howard Johnson, born in 1960, was a versatile position player whose career spanned from 1982 to 1995. He played in a total of 1,531 games, compiling 1,229 hits and establishing himself as a power threat with 228 home runs and 760 RBIs. Known for his speed on the bases, Johnson also recorded 231 stolen bases, showcasing his ability to impact the game both offensively and defensively. His batting average of .249 reflected the challenges of hitting during an era that increasingly favored power hitters and elevated offensive statistics.
A two-time All-Star, Johnson was recognized for his contributions to the teams he played for, notably the New York Mets and the Detroit Tigers. His career was marked by a unique blend of power and speed, making him one of the more dynamic players of the late 1980s and early 1990s. As the game evolved into an era characterized by home runs and aggressive base running, Howard Johnson's skills positioned him as a key player during a transformative period in Major League Baseball.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1531 | 4940 | 760 | 1229 | 247 | 22 | 228 | 760 | 231 | 692 | 1053 | 0.249 | 0.340 | 0.446 | 0.786 | 10048.9 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | DET | AL | 54 | 155 | 23 | 49 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 7 | 16 | 30 | 0.316 | 426.0 |
| 1983 | DET | AL | 27 | 66 | 11 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0.212 | -89.0 |
| 1984 | DET | AL | 116 | 355 | 43 | 88 | 14 | 1 | 12 | 50 | 10 | 40 | 67 | 0.248 | 142.6 |
| 1985 | NYN | NL | 126 | 389 | 38 | 94 | 18 | 4 | 11 | 46 | 6 | 34 | 78 | 0.242 | -315.4 |
| 1986 | NYN | NL | 88 | 220 | 30 | 54 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 39 | 8 | 31 | 64 | 0.245 | 408.2 |
| 1987 | NYN | NL | 157 | 554 | 93 | 147 | 22 | 1 | 36 | 99 | 32 | 83 | 113 | 0.265 | 2053.7 |
| 1988 | NYN | NL | 148 | 495 | 85 | 114 | 21 | 1 | 24 | 68 | 23 | 86 | 104 | 0.230 | 1143.9 |
| 1989 | NYN | NL | 153 | 571 | 104 | 164 | 41 | 3 | 36 | 101 | 41 | 77 | 126 | 0.287 | 3720.4 |
| 1990 | NYN | NL | 154 | 590 | 89 | 144 | 37 | 3 | 23 | 90 | 34 | 69 | 100 | 0.244 | 579.1 |
| 1991 | NYN | NL | 156 | 564 | 108 | 146 | 34 | 4 | 38 | 117 | 30 | 78 | 120 | 0.259 | 2510.4 |
| 1992 | NYN | NL | 100 | 350 | 48 | 78 | 19 | 0 | 7 | 43 | 22 | 55 | 79 | 0.223 | -172.5 |
| 1993 | NYN | NL | 72 | 235 | 32 | 56 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 26 | 6 | 43 | 43 | 0.238 | 82.5 |
| 1994 | COL | NL | 93 | 227 | 30 | 48 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 40 | 11 | 39 | 73 | 0.211 | -195.9 |
| 1995 | CHC | NL | 87 | 169 | 26 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 22 | 1 | 34 | 46 | 0.195 | -245.1 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0.038 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | NLCS | NYN | 6 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.056 |
| 1986 | NLCS | NYN | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 1986 | WS | NYN | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 |
| 1984 | WS | DET | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 5 | 2 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 2B | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 3B | 1031 | 914 | 561 | 1576 | 163 | 138 |
| OF | 217 | 191 | 383 | 9 | 8 | 0 |
| SS | 273 | 198 | 301 | 551 | 44 | 108 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | DET | 3B | 33 | 27 | 25 | 39 | 7 | 6 |
| 1982 | DET | OF | 9 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | DET | 3B | 21 | 18 | 10 | 30 | 7 | 2 |
| 1984 | DET | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1984 | DET | 3B | 108 | 98 | 58 | 143 | 12 | 16 |
| 1984 | DET | SS | 9 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 4 |
| 1984 | DET | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | NYN | 3B | 113 | 93 | 67 | 171 | 15 | 21 |
| 1985 | NYN | SS | 7 | 5 | 11 | 19 | 3 | 6 |
| 1985 | NYN | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | NYN | 3B | 45 | 29 | 22 | 71 | 10 | 10 |
| 1986 | NYN | SS | 34 | 22 | 28 | 65 | 10 | 14 |
| 1986 | NYN | OF | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | NYN | 3B | 140 | 127 | 82 | 235 | 21 | 15 |
| 1987 | NYN | SS | 38 | 26 | 36 | 70 | 5 | 12 |
| 1987 | NYN | OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | NYN | 3B | 131 | 109 | 65 | 187 | 13 | 16 |
| 1988 | NYN | SS | 52 | 34 | 45 | 87 | 5 | 21 |
| 1989 | NYN | 3B | 143 | 129 | 63 | 180 | 24 | 15 |
| 1989 | NYN | SS | 31 | 22 | 34 | 37 | 0 | 7 |
| 1990 | NYN | 3B | 92 | 89 | 52 | 159 | 20 | 11 |
| 1990 | NYN | SS | 73 | 63 | 98 | 176 | 8 | 28 |
| 1991 | NYN | 3B | 104 | 99 | 55 | 173 | 18 | 11 |
| 1991 | NYN | SS | 28 | 25 | 45 | 88 | 11 | 15 |
| 1991 | NYN | OF | 30 | 30 | 61 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1992 | NYN | OF | 98 | 96 | 206 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 1993 | NYN | 3B | 67 | 67 | 52 | 135 | 11 | 11 |
| 1994 | COL | 1B | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | COL | OF | 62 | 51 | 90 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1995 | CHN | 1B | 3 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 1995 | CHN | 2B | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 1995 | CHN | 3B | 34 | 29 | 10 | 53 | 5 | 4 |
| 1995 | CHN | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1995 | CHN | OF | 13 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 5 |
| Second Base | 8 |
| Third Base | 1032 |
| Shortstop | 273 |
| Left Field | 99 |
| Center Field | 86 |
| Right Field | 36 |
| Designated Hitter | 16 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Player of the Month | September |
| 1991 | Silver Slugger | 3B |
| 1989 | Player of the Month | June |
| 1989 | Player of the Week | Week of 1989-06-24 |
| 1989 | Silver Slugger | 3B |
| 1989 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | CHN | NL | $325,000 |
| 1995 | COL | NL | $400,000 |
| 1994 | COL | NL | $1,700,000 |
| 1993 | NYN | NL | $2,100,000 |
| 1992 | NYN | NL | $2,266,667 |
| 1991 | NYN | NL | $2,166,667 |
| 1990 | NYN | NL | $1,666,666 |
| 1989 | NYN | NL | $772,500 |
| 1988 | NYN | NL | $695,000 |
| 1987 | NYN | NL | $297,500 |
| 1986 | NYN | NL | $227,500 |
| 1985 | NYN | NL | $115,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $12,732,500 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 5th | 112.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1989 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 5th | 153.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1987 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 10th | 42.0 | 336 | 0 |