Frank Johnson, a bench player for the late-1960s' Giants, passed away on May 7, 2025 at age 82.
Johnson played in the Giants' farm system every season from 1961 to 1975, except for 1968 (with the Giants all season) and 1972 (played in Japan).
He was with the parent club for parts of 1966-71. He played in 67 games while with the Giants for all of 1968 (starting 30 games at 3rd base), but his best season was 1970, when he hit .273 with 31 RBI over 67 games, while making 36 starts in the outfield and at 1st base.
I couldn't find an obituary for him, only a Wikipedia reference and this.
2 comments:
As a kid I always liked the more obscure players. And Johnson was a guy that never gave up but was always around the fringes of making it. He showed great endurance and must have loved the game.
It was hard for him to get a roster spot (let alone playing time) with Jim Ray Hart, Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, Ollie Brown, and Jesus Alou always hanging around.
Post a Comment