3 Responses to “Happy Presidents Day”

1. DoubleDiamond Says:
   February 15th, 2010 at 12:24 pm

   Thanks for these interesting links. Some of these names make me think of other players.

   The first guy to have been credited with a major league no-hitter:

   http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bradlge01.shtml

   A Washington Senators player at the same time that his namesake ex-US Senator President was in office, and who shared the same birthday (different year) as that President:

   http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kennejo03.shtml

   The first black player on the last National League team to integrate (nothing to be proud of). In fact, when I first learned this information, I thought he was possibly the same guy as the one just above this, even though I thought I remembered the above guy being white.

   http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kennejo02.shtml

   I thought I remembered the Orioles having a middle infielder named Andy Johnson in their minor league system in the 1970s. He had been a college quarterback, too, possibly in South Carolina (or maybe he was from that state but played college football elsewhere), and I believe he also had a connection to the New England Patriots, possibly even giving up baseball for a football career. I imagined, at first, his real name to be Andrew Johnson, the same as the one-time President, but then I learned that it was Anderson Johnson. I just tried searching for Andy Johnson, Anderson Johnson, and even Andrew Johnson here, though, and didn't find him. Maybe the Orioles drafted him, but he chose not to sign.

   I see that the full name of current major leaguer Kelly Johnson, whose birthday is the predecessor holiday to President's Day in most of the U.S., George Washington's Birthday, is Kelly Andrew Johnson. (In fact, for a while, the Braves had half an infield who were born on Feb. 22, with the other being Casey Kotchman. I found this while putting together a few teams of players who shared the same birthday. This one was notable because Sparky Anderson was the manager.)

2. Gerry Says:
   February 15th, 2010 at 5:47 pm

   Tommy Bridges was Thomas Jefferson Davis Bridges, a US and a Confederate president all in one. There was also a minor leaguer named Jefferson Davis.

3. DoubleDiamond Says:
   February 15th, 2010 at 6:26 pm

   I did find Anderson "Andy" Johnson on Pro-Football Reference.com, a place I have hardly visited but probably should start getting to know. He was part of the Patriots team for several years. And I was incorrect but close for his home state. He is from Athens, Georgia and stayed close to home to play for the University of Georgia. Also, his pro career was spent as a running back and sometime kick and punt returner.

   http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JohnAn01.htm

   The Drafts page here shows a shortstop named Andy Johnson from the University of Georgia chosen on the 6th round by the Orioles in 1974 plus an Andy Johnson who is almost certainly the same guy chosen on the 8th round by Braves four years earlier. The Braves pick is also a shortstop and comes from an Athens high school. Even then, they were picking high school guys from Georgia.