Elliot Johnson (baseball): Difference between revisions
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'''Elliot Tyler Johnson''' (born March 9, 1984 |
'''Elliot Tyler Johnson''' (born March 9, 1984) is a [[Major League Baseball]] [[second baseman]] for the [[Tampa Bay Rays]]. |
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== Major league career == |
== Major league career == |
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Revision as of 19:12, 7 August 2009
| Elliot Johnson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tampa Bay Rays – No. 29 | |
| Second baseman | |
Bats: Switch Throws: Right | |
| debut | |
| April 5, 2008, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |
| Career statistics (through 2008) | |
| Batting average | .158 |
| Home runs | 0 |
| Runs batted in | 0 |
| Teams | |
Elliot Tyler Johnson (born March 9, 1984) is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Major league career
Johnson made the Tampa Bay Rays opening day roster for the 2008 season. On April 5, 2008, Johnson made his debut against the New York Yankees, as the teams designated hitter. He had four at bats and recorded his first major league hit, a single. Johnson's brother is Leon Johnson who currently plays for the AZL CUBS as a pitcher who appeared in a Chicago Cubs Spring Training Game in 2008 he pinch hit for Rich Hill at the time he played center field.
Controversy
On March 8, 2008, in a spring training game involving the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays at Steinbrenner Field (formerly Legends Field)[1] in Template:City-state, a ninth inning play at the plate involved Johnson, and Yankee Catching prospect Francisco Cervelli. With the Rays already leading the game, Johnson rounded third base as the Yankees threw the ball to home plate in an attempt to tag him out before scoring. Instead of sliding, Johnson decided to collide with Cervelli, in an attempt to knock the ball loose from Cervelli's glove, which caused Cervelli's wrist to fracture. Yankee manager Joe Girardi believed the play was "uncalled for" and said, "I'm all for playing hard, but I don't think it's the time when you run over a catcher in Spring Training." Rays manager Joe Maddon called the play "hardball," and that there was nothing at all dirty about the play.[2]
Former Yankee bench coach, and current Rays' Senior Advisor Don Zimmer disagreed with Girardi's comments, saying "I am surprised the way Girardi said what he did. The plate was blocked, and our guy bowled him over. That's the way to play the game. I mean, I'm talking about a guy who is like a son to me. But I can't believe he went after it the way he did, because that's not Joe Girardi -- and being a catcher on top of that."[3]
Johnson spoke on the incident saying that he never intended to hurt Cervelli, and that if he was safe on the play, and no one was injured, then it was no big deal.
Johnson career accomplishments: 2004: Homered in first three at-bats, coming in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd innings on 5/28; had also gone deep in final at-bat the previous night, making it four straight at-bats in four consecutive innings with a homer run ... It is unknown whether this feat has ever been accomplished before at the minor league level, but it is has never occurred in MLB ... According to Elias Sports Bureau, Carl Reynolds of the 1930 Chicago White Sox is the only Major League player to homer in each of the first three innings ... Honored by Baseball America as having the best strike zone discipline in the TB system.
2005: One of just eight minor leaguers to reach the 40 SB/10 HR plateau ... Named fastest baserunner in the California League by Baseball America in recording second consecutive 43-steal season.
References
- ^ "Legends Field Gets New Name". Retrieved 2008-03-23.
- ^ "Broken wrist polarizes Yanks, Rays". Retrieved 2008-03-23.
- ^ "Rays' Zimmer weighs in on collision". Retrieved 2008-03-23.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs